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Publishing an app on Google Play from Sri Lanka

A guide by AppKade · Facts checked

Developers in Sri Lanka can open a Google Play developer account and a payments profile, so they can publish free apps and sell paid apps and in-app purchases, with earnings in US dollars. A new personal account must first run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days before Google Play lets the app go public.

The developer account

You publish on Google Play from a Play Console developer account. Google lists Sri Lanka among the countries where developers can register, and where they can register as a merchant to sell paid apps and in-app purchases. The account's default currency for developers in Sri Lanka is US dollars.

Registration costs a one-time fee of US$25. Choose the account type with care: a personal account is for an individual; an organisation account is for a registered business and needs its details, such as a D-U-N-S number.

The 12-tester rule for new personal accounts

If you created a personal developer account after 13 November 2023, Google Play asks you to run a closed test before your app can be published to everyone. At least 12 testers must stay opted in to the closed test for at least 14 days in a row. You then apply for production access in Play Console, and Google asks what the testers found and what you changed.

Organisation accounts don't have this rule. For a personal account, plan the two weeks into your launch date, and recruit more than 12 testers so that one person leaving doesn't restart the count.

  • Ask early. Friends, classmates and other developers are the usual testers. They need a Google account and an Android phone, and must accept the test invitation and install the app.

  • Swap with other developers. Other Sri Lankan developers have been through the same test and often test each other's apps. Once you both have an app live on AppKade, you can record the swap on your Rewards page, and both of you get the Tester Swap Helper badge. A swap is for testing only, never for reviews or ratings.

  • Keep notes. Write down what testers reported and what you fixed. The production-access form asks for it.

A store listing people find

The store listing is what Google Play search reads. The app name can be up to 30 characters, the short description up to 80 and the full description up to 4,000. Put what the app does in the name or the short description ("POS for small shops"), not only a brand name.

You can add store-listing translations in Play Console: open your store listing and choose Manage translations. Sinhala (si-LK) and Tamil (ta-IN) are both on Google Play's list, and people whose phone is set to that language see the translated listing.

  • Screenshots. Show the real app, with a short caption on each one saying what it does.

  • Privacy policy. Google Play asks for a privacy policy link for most apps. Host it on your own website.

  • Same name everywhere. Use the same app name and icon on Google Play, your website and your AppKade listing, so people and search engines know they are the same app.

Android developer verification

Google is introducing developer verification for apps installed on certified Android phones, including apps installed from outside Google Play. Enforcement began in a few countries on 30 September 2026, and Google says it will reach other countries from 2027. Developers who publish only on Google Play are registered through Play Console.

Google also describes a limited-distribution account for students and hobbyists, for sharing an app with a small number of devices without identity verification. Check Google's page for the dates that apply to Sri Lanka before you plan around them.

And Apple's App Store?

Publishing on the App Store needs the Apple Developer Program, which costs US$99 a year. App Store Connect offers 50 languages for store listings; Sinhala is not one of them, so a Sinhala description has to live on your own website and your AppKade listing.

Listing a Google Play app on AppKade

Once the app is public on Google Play, start an AppKade listing from its Google Play link: the details are filled in for you to check. The listing links to your Play page and your website, and buyers in Sri Lanka can contact you directly. Listing is free.

List your app on AppKade

Free for Sri Lankan developers. Every listing is reviewed by a person, and buyers contact you directly.

Get started

Common questions

Can I publish on Google Play from Sri Lanka?

Yes. Google lists Sri Lanka as a country where developers can register a Play Console account and a merchant account for paid apps and in-app purchases. The default currency is US dollars.

How much does a Google Play developer account cost?

A one-time registration fee of US$25. There is no yearly fee for Google Play, unlike Apple's US$99 a year.

Why does Google Play ask for 12 testers?

Personal developer accounts created after 13 November 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in for 14 days in a row before applying to publish to everyone. Organisation accounts are exempt.

Can my Google Play listing be in Sinhala or Tamil?

Yes. Play Console lets you add store-listing translations, and both Sinhala (si-LK) and Tamil (ta-IN) are supported.

Sources

Checked on 20 October 2026. Rules and prices change: follow each link for the current version.