Land deed types in Sri Lanka: sinnakkara, Bim Saviya, LDO permits and grants

What is a sinnakkara deed?

"Sinnakkara" is the everyday name for privately owned freehold land, as opposed to state land. The title document is a notarially attested deed (of transfer, gift, inheritance or declaration) registered at the Land Registry for the area, for south coast plots usually Galle or Matara. Under the deed system the State does not guarantee ownership: your title is only as good as the chain of deeds behind it. That is why your lawyer traces the registry extracts back at least 30 years. Since the Notaries (Amendment) Act No. 31 of 2022, a notary must lodge a deed for registration within 30 days if executed within the notary's division, or 60 days if outside it.

What is a Bim Saviya certificate of title?

Bim Saviya is the government programme that moves land from the deed system to title registration under the Registration of Title Act No. 21 of 1998. The State investigates ownership first, then issues a certificate of title, and the title register becomes conclusive evidence of ownership. A first class title vests absolute ownership subject to recorded encumbrances. A second class title records bona fide possession without full ownership, and the holder may apply to convert it to first class after ten years. Land under title registration is generally safer to buy, but your lawyer should still check the register, the cadastral map and any encumbrances.

What are LDO permits and grants (Jayabhoomi, Swarnabhoomi)?

The Land Development Ordinance lets the State alienate state land to individuals, usually rural families, first as a permit and later as a grant.

• A permit is a temporary, conditional right. The holder must develop the land, cannot transfer it without the Divisional Secretary's permission, and can lose it if the conditions are broken.
• A grant (issued under names such as Swarnabhoomi, Jayabhoomi, Ranbhoomi and Ranbima) gives ownership signed by the President, but with conditions: transfer is generally limited to a spouse, children or blood relatives, subdivision is restricted, and succession follows the Ordinance's schedule of relatives (replaced by the Land Development (Amendment) Act No. 11 of 2022).
• Urumaya, the previous government's programme to give grant holders freehold deeds, was suspended; the Sunday Times reported in August 2025 that some holders who surrendered their Swarnabhoomi and Jayabhoomi documents had received no deed.

The State owns roughly 82% of Sri Lanka's land (Advocata Institute), so it is worth confirming early that a plot is private land at all.

For a buyer, especially a foreign or diaspora buyer, land held on a permit or grant is a red flag: the seller may not be able to give you a lease or transfer that the Land Registry will accept.

Which deed should I look for?

• Best: a first class Bim Saviya title, or a private deed with a clean 30-year chain, all co-owners signing, and a fresh survey plan that matches the land.
• Workable with care: a deed of declaration (prescriptive title) or inherited land with several heirs; your lawyer must confirm every heir signs and that the prescription claim is sound.
• Avoid: LDO permits, grants and anything described as crown or state land, unless your lawyer confirms in writing that the transfer or lease is permitted and approved.

The checks are set out in how to check a land deed.

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreigner hold any of these deeds?

Not as freehold owner. The Land (Restrictions on Alienation) Act No. 38 of 2014 bars transfer of land title to a foreigner, so a foreigner takes a lease of up to 99 years registered against the owner's deed or title. See the 99-year lease explained.

Is a Bim Saviya title better than a deed?

Generally, yes. The title register is conclusive evidence of ownership, and errors can be compensated from the Title Insurance Fund by court order. Under the deed system, ownership depends on every earlier deed being valid.

Can I buy Jayabhoomi or Swarnabhoomi land?

Normally no, if you are not a relative of the grantee. Grants restrict transfer, and permit land needs the Divisional Secretary's prior approval. Ask the seller for a private deed or title instead, and have your lawyer confirm the land's status at the Land Registry and the Divisional Secretariat.

What is a deed of declaration?

A deed in which the seller declares title by long, undisturbed possession (prescription, at least ten years under the Prescription Ordinance) rather than by an earlier transfer. It is common on the coast but weaker than a transfer chain; your lawyer should check the possession evidence and that no one else holds a paper title.

Where are south coast deeds registered?

At the Land Registry for the area where the land lies, which for most south coast plots means the Galle or Matara Land Registry. Your lawyer obtains the registry extracts there.

Sources

1. Sri Lanka property registration: title vs deed system (Registration of Documents Ordinance No. 23 of 1927, Registration of Title Act No. 21 of 1998, first and second class titles, Notaries (Amendment) Act No. 31 of 2022), D. L. & F. De Saram, October 2025
2. Title registration, Registrar General's Department
3. Land Development (Amendment) Act No. 11 of 2022, Government of Sri Lanka
4. Land and Utilities: applicable law (LDO permits and grants, transfer and succession limits), National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka
5. Unlocking land for development: the government owns approximately 82% of Sri Lanka's land, Advocata Institute
6. Persons who surrendered Swarnaboomi, Jaya boomi titles for Urumaya deeds left without any deeds, Sunday Times, 31 August 2025

General information, not legal advice. Laws and rates change; confirm every point with your own Sri Lankan lawyer before you pay a deposit.