How to endorse an IDP at AA Colombo?

Swing by the Automobile Association of Ceylon (AAC) office in Colombo, bring along your passport, the physical International Driving Permit (IDP), your national driving licence, and passport-sized photographs. The staff there will run the application through the system and then issue the mandatory local endorsement certificate, most of the time within an hour.

If you drive without that local endorsement, then it is technically illegal in Sri Lanka, even if you still have a valid IDP. The administrative fee is rather modest, and the office works during normal weekday business hours, so it becomes an easy first stop before you go pick up a rental vehicle.