Photographs of a passport stamp featuring an animal resembling a tiger, have been circulating on social media, with posts claiming it is a new stamp introduced by Sri Lanka’s Department of Immigration and Emigration, and that the animal depicted represents the LTTE terrorist organisation’s emblem. We investigated the claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Social Media Posts :<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Posts on social media showed photographs of a passport stamp depicting an animal alongside an arrival date, with some users questioning which animal it represented and when this style of stamp was first introduced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Facebook<\/a> | Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n We investigated what animal the stamp depicts, when it was introduced, and whether it has any connection to the LTTE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fact-Check :<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n An examination of the current arrival and departure stamps used at Sri Lanka’s international airports shows that the Arrival stamp at the passenger arrival terminal is printed in blue and features a leopard, while the Departure stamp is printed in green and features a peacock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n These stamps have also been documented on the Reddit discussion platform since mid-2024, as seen here<\/a>, here<\/a>, and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the Immigration Department had recently introduced a new stamp, mainstream media would have reported it. Our search found no recent news about a newly introduced stamp. We then conducted a Reverse Image Search on the photographs circulating on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of Two New Airport Stamps Introduced by the Immigration Department in June 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The reverse image search led to news reports from June 2024 confirming that the Immigration Department had introduced two new stamps at that time. Those reports stated that the new stamps were designed to comply with international standards, incorporate security features to prevent forgery, and promote Sri Lanka’s tourism appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n ITN<\/a> | Dinamina<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A Mawbima newspaper report confirmed that the then-Controller General of Immigration, Harsha Ilukpitiya, announced on 1st<\/sup> June 2024 that the new stamps were introduced at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake. The stamps were subsequently rolled out to all other international airports in Sri Lanka as well. That report is available here<\/a> | Archived Link<\/a>. A key motivation for the change was that the old stamp, in use since 1948, had been widely forged. The new design was intended to eliminate that vulnerability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Department of Immigration and Emigration Explains the Stamps<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We contacted the Department of Immigration and Emigration directly. They confirmed that, consistent with international best practice, immigration authorities use secure stamps to prevent the forging of travel documents, to serve as an indicator of tourism appeal, and to encourage foreign investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sri Lanka’s mild climate, rich biodiversity, and scenic landscapes make it an attractive destination year-round. The Department stated that incorporating endemic and well-known Sri Lankan animals into the new immigration stamps was a deliberate decision to further strengthen that appeal. The Department also noted that crime statistics classify Sri Lanka as a source country for human trafficking, and that standardized, secure entry and exit stamps serve as a deterrent to such organised criminal activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Immigration department confirmed that the stamps introduced in 2024 use a combination of green, red, and blue wet inks, making them resistant to common forgery techniques. Additional security features include ultraviolet-reactive ink, unique font designs, and specialised characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Airport Category: What Each Stamp Depicts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Arrival Terminal – Sri Lanka Leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The arrival stamp features the Sri Lanka Leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya), a leopard subspecies endemic to Sri Lanka. It has been classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2020. This distinctive animal is a major draw for international wildlife tourists. The stamp clearly depicts a leopard, not a tiger. The LTTE used a tiger symbol; this is an entirely different animal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Departure Terminal – Peacock (Pavo cristatus)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The departure stamp features the peacock (Pavo cristatus), commonly found in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. The peacock holds a prominent place in Sri Lankan cultural heritage, religious traditions, and the island’s ecosystem, and has received significant international recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Planned Since 2019, Officially Launched on 1 June 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The project to design new immigration stamps dates back to 2019. By that year, the physical and mechanical condition of the stamps then in use had deteriorated significantly, and their design no longer adequately represented Sri Lanka’s national identity in official endorsements. A committee was established on 31 May 2019 under a Deputy Controller to develop new stamp sets for airports, seaports, and passenger vessels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The committee conducted a comparative study of stamp designs used by tourism-based countries and recommended that Sri Lanka similarly needs to modernize its stamps to meet international standards. Following approval by the Controller General in May 2023, the project was successfully completed, and the new stamps came into use at BIA on 1 June 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Artistic Immigration Stamps Used by Other Countries<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sri Lanka is not alone in using distinctive imagery in its passport stamps. Many countries incorporate nationally significant symbols:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seychelles<\/strong> – Arrival and Departure (Airport): Coco de Mer (Lodoicea maldivica), a rare palm tree seed endemic only to the Praslin and Curieuse islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Maldives<\/strong> – Arrival and Departure (Airport): symbols of a coral reef and the sun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n South Africa:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The latest immigration stamps for airports and seaports, introduced on 01 August 2025, feature a protected image of a lioness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n This confirms that Sri Lanka’s practice of incorporating wildlife imagery into its immigration stamps is in line with a well-established global standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Join us to learn more about our fact-check investigations.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Facebook<\/a> | <\/strong>Twitter<\/a> | <\/strong>Instagram<\/a> | <\/strong>Google News<\/a> | <\/strong>TikTok<\/a> | <\/strong>Youtube<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Conclusion :<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Our investigation confirms that the social media posts claiming that Sri Lanka’s Department of Immigration and Emigration has introduced a new passport stamp representing the LTTE are misleading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The stamp in question was introduced on 1 June 2024, as part of a redesign process that began in 2019, and was implemented before the current government took office. The animal it depicts is the Sri Lanka Leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya), an endemic subspecies unique to Sri Lanka, not the tiger symbol associated with the LTTE. The departure stamp separately features a peacock. Both animals were selected to represent Sri Lanka’s biodiversity in line with international practice for secure, tourism-promoting immigration stamps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-7.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-9.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-8.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-10.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-9.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-11.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n