By Miyuru Asiri Dissanayake | Australian solicitor and Attorney-at-Law of Sri Lanka | Published 18 June 2026

Many Sri Lankans living in Australia still have important family, property and inheritance matters connected to Sri Lanka. A person may live in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, Darwin or regional Australia, but still own land, a house, an apartment, bank accounts or family assets in Sri Lanka.

One common question is whether a will intended for use in Sri Lanka can be signed while the person is physically in Australia.

The practical answer is that it may be possible, but it must be handled carefully. The key issue is not simply where the person signs the will. The important question is whether the will is prepared, signed, witnessed and documented in a way that is suitable for the place where it may later need to be used.

Why this issue matters

A will is not just a document. It is a document that may later be relied on by family members, lawyers, banks, land offices, courts or other authorities after the person has passed away.

If a will is not prepared properly, it can create serious problems later. Family members may face delay, uncertainty, disputes or additional legal costs. In some cases, a document that was intended to make things simple may instead create confusion.

This is especially important where a person lives in Australia but has assets in Sri Lanka. The family may need the document to be accepted in Sri Lanka, not just understood in Australia.

Australian signing, Sri Lankan use

A Sri Lankan living in Australia may want to sign a will here because they cannot easily travel to Sri Lanka. This is common for elderly parents, busy professionals, dual citizens, permanent residents and people with family responsibilities in Australia.

However, the fact that the person signs in Australia does not automatically mean the document will be straightforward to use in Sri Lanka. The wording, witnessing, identification documents, attestation, certification and supporting records may all matter.

That is why the process should be planned before the will is signed.

What should be considered before signing

Before signing a will in Australia for Sri Lankan purposes, the person should consider several practical matters.

First, what assets are involved? A will dealing with land in Sri Lanka may need more careful preparation than a simple document dealing only with personal items.

Second, who are the intended beneficiaries? The names, identity details, family relationships and addresses should be clear. Ambiguity can cause difficulty later.

Third, is the person making the will freely and with proper understanding? This is important because wills can later be challenged if there are questions about pressure, confusion, capacity or unfair influence.

Fourth, who will keep the original document? For many cross-border matters, the original signed will may become very important. A scan or photograph may not be enough in practice.

Fifth, will the document need to be used with Sri Lankan institutions or authorities? If so, the signing process should be arranged with that end use in mind.

Why coordinated advice is useful

For Sri Lankans in Australia, the safest pathway is often to obtain guidance before signing anything. The issue may involve both Australian practical requirements and Sri Lankan legal expectations.

A person may need help understanding whether the will should be prepared by a Sri Lankan lawyer, whether Australian witnessing or certification is suitable, whether the document should refer clearly to Sri Lankan assets, and how the original will should be stored.

The goal is not only to sign a document. The goal is to create a document that can later be located, understood and used without unnecessary dispute.

Common risk areas

Some common problems arise when wills are prepared casually.

The will may use unclear property descriptions. The witnesses may not be suitable. The person signing may not have kept proper identity documents. The original may be lost. The wording may not match the family or property situation in Sri Lanka. There may also be old wills, family arrangements or property disputes that have not been considered.

These issues can become serious after death, when the person who made the will is no longer available to explain what they intended.

Practical next step

If you are living in Australia and want to make a will connected to Sri Lanka, it is sensible to get advice before signing. This is especially important if the will involves land, inheritance, family property, elderly parents, second marriages, children from different relationships, or possible family disagreement.

Miyuru Asiri Dissanayake is an Australian solicitor and an Attorney-at-Law in Sri Lanka. This dual background assists Sri Lankan clients in Australia to understand the practical pathway when a document must be signed in Australia but later used in Sri Lanka.

If you are a Sri Lankan living in Australia and you need guidance about a will, power of attorney, Sri Lankan property document or Australia–Sri Lanka legal issue, you can contact Australanka Lawyers to discuss the correct pathway.

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