The Faculty of medicine Peradeniya has been admitting international students for many years. Students are admitted for elective clinical clerkships in the professorial units, which consist of clinical attachments lasting for 2 to 3 months. Students from the United Kingdom, United States Australia and Germany have  successfully completed these clerkships and continue to do so.

Few years back the faculty started  to admit international students to its undergraduate medical course. The first MOU was signed with the government of Bhutan and ten  Bhutanese students have been admitted to the undergraduate medical course each year. These students are sponsored by the Bhutanese Government and are scholarship holders from that country. In 2014 students sponsored by the Maldivian government were also admitted to the Faculty.

The International students centre was set up in 2013 under the guidance of the Dean Prof MD Lamawanse by the students affairs committee with the view of addressing the issues of these students.

International students of the Faculty consists of

• Elective clinical clerkship students
• Overseas medical undergraduates