Home postal code Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Postal Code validator
How the postal code format works
- Format
- 5 digits
- Example
- 00100
Things to watch for
- Format-only check — does not confirm the postal code actually exists
- Always exactly 5 digits — central Colombo codes begin with a leading zero (00100 for Colombo Fort), so don't strip it
- Sri Lanka Post introduced the 5-digit postcode system in 1997, replacing the older Colombo-district-number scheme
^[0-9]{5}$A Sri Lankan postal code is the 5-digit code Sri Lanka Post uses to route mail — for example 00100 for Colombo Fort. The system replaced the country’s older informal Colombo-district numbering when it was introduced in 1997, and it kept the leading zero that anchors codes near the capital: 00100, 00200, and onward through Colombo’s own numbered districts before other cities pick up further down the range. Anyone validating a Sri Lankan shipping address, a checkout form, or a spreadsheet of customer records needs the code in the right 5-digit shape, leading zero included, before it’s trusted.
Because a leading zero carries no visual weight, it’s the digit most likely to get silently dropped when a form or spreadsheet treats the code as a number instead of a string — turning a valid Colombo code into one that’s simply wrong.
How this validator works
This tool checks that the input is exactly 5 digits with no letters, spaces, or hyphens — leading zero preserved — entirely in your browser, with nothing sent to a server.
What a pass doesn’t tell you
A Sri Lankan postal code carries no check digit, so matching the 5-digit shape is the most a client-side tool can confirm — not that Sri Lanka Post has assigned it to a real town. Confirming that requires Sri Lanka Post’s own postcode lookup.
Scope: this page and tool cover format validation only — not address lookup or confirming a postal code is currently in use.
postal code FAQ
Why do so many Sri Lankan postal codes start with a zero?
Because Sri Lanka Post's numbering is anchored on Colombo, and Colombo's own codes run from 00100 upward — Colombo 1 (Fort, the GPO) is 00100, Colombo 10 is 01000, and so on. That leading zero is a real part of the 5-digit code, not padding.
When did Sri Lanka introduce postal codes?
Sri Lanka Post introduced its 5-digit postcode system in 1997, replacing the older informal 'Colombo N' district-number labels with structured codes nationwide.
Does a correctly formatted postal code mean it actually exists?
No. This tool only confirms the string is 5 digits — it doesn't check it against Sri Lanka Post's actual assignment list. Confirming a postal code is real, and seeing which town it names, requires Sri Lanka Post's own postcode lookup.