Frequently asked questions

SL Post prices are exact base postage from its published tariffs. Courier prices are exact at the weights we collected from the carrier and marked Est. in between. Each source and its date are listed on our rate methodology page. Always confirm the final price with the carrier when you send.

The most common reasons are registration or insurance, customs handling, volumetric weight for a large box, or a rate change since our data was dated. Please let us know so we can check it.

No. Import duties and taxes are set by the destination country and are usually paid by the receiver. Some carriers offer to collect them in advance; ask the carrier.

Weigh the item fully packed, including the box and packing material. Part grams count as a full gram, and each carrier then rounds up its own way, for example to the next 0.5 kg.

Couriers may charge large, light boxes by size instead of weight. A common formula is length × width × height in centimetres ÷ 5000. If the result is more than the actual weight, the carrier charges the higher figure. Our prices use actual weight, so check bulky parcels with the carrier.

Enter your box size in the calculator and we'll check it against SL Post's published limits for that country (longest side, length plus girth, and weight). For example, India allows up to 100 cm on the longest side, 200 cm length plus girth and 20 kg. Letters and U-Packets can weigh up to 2 kg.

Where a carrier states a delivery time, it's shown on the row in working days, for example "3-7 working days". SL Post doesn't publish delivery times for most services; EMS is its express service, and Sea Parcel is the slowest.

Each row is labelled. EMS, Tracked Delivery Service (TDS) and the Colombo Mail services listed have end-to-end tracking. U-Packet tracking may not be end to end. Airmail letters have no tracking unless you pay for registration.

Use our Track a parcel page. Enter the number from your receipt and we'll check it, tell you what kind of item it is, and link you to SL Post, the courier or the destination country's post.

SL Post sends surface (sea) mail in consignments on dates it publishes each month. Some countries travel in another country's consignment; for example, Germany and Thailand go with the Japan shipment. See the Despatch days tab in the calculator. Some routes, such as Canada and the Maldives, are currently suspended.

For countries on SL Post's air mail despatch schedule, we show the next closing day and the deadline. Items must reach the Central Mail Exchange in Colombo by 12 noon the day before the closing day. Public holidays can change the schedule.

No. LankaShip only compares prices. You book and pay with the carrier you choose, at a post office or on the carrier's own website.

Either the carrier doesn't offer it there, the weight is outside its limits, or we don't yet hold a verified price. A note under the results says which. We'd rather show nothing than show a price we can't back up.

Yes, we plan to add more carriers. Couriers who want to be listed can contact us with their published rates.

No. We're an independent comparison service and aren't connected with any carrier.