1200 work visas required for foreigners in SL
Sri Lanka is currently in need of approximately 1,200 one-year work visas for foreign workers who have established offices in top locations and rented more than 200 apartments in Colombo, officials said.
“They have set up officers in locations such as Shangri-La, Mireka, and Cinnamon Life, and have rented over 200 apartments in Trizen and Havelock City. Although a nomad visa for online foreign workers was introduced in 2022, the Supreme Court has prohibited the use of the VFS system and electronic visas, complicating the visa process,” an official in the rental apartment business told The Sunday Times Business. The Board of Investment (BOI) is inhibited from issuing work visas unless companies employ nine times more local employees than foreigners. Additionally, the Port City Commission has ceased issuing Authorised Persons status since April 2025, following an agreement with the IMF in December 2023 that bars new tax concessions. However, this status was granted to certain connected parties from January to September 2024, creating a monopoly, the official said.
As of July 7, 2025, it was substantiated that no Authorised Persons status will be issued until the Port City Act is amended to include tax concessions. Furthermore, foreign investors from the US, UK, Japan, India, and Singapore are refraining from investing in Sri Lanka due to the lack of tax incentives and the country’s inability to meet debt obligations in the next three years, another official said.
Sri Lanka has approved a Digital Nomad Visa programme permitting remote workers to stay for up to one year, but as of late 2024, it has not yet been put into practice, with the official launch date still to be set. The visa, when available, is anticipated for freelancers and employees of foreign companies, requiring a minimum monthly income of $ 2,000, a $ 500 application fee, and health insurance. Applicants will need to show their remote work status and cannot work for local Sri Lankan businesses.
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