Sri Lanka launches easy digital nomad visa with low income requirements

Share the article

For all the digital nomads who have become disillusioned with Europe’s overly bureaucratic routes to residency, or who are tired of waiting for Mexico to finally revoke that remote work visa: one of the fastest growing expat hubs in Asia has just dropped its operations own DNV.

Sri Lanka, a tropical island south of India, surrounded by the beautiful Indian Ocean, introduces a Digital Nomad Visa with some of the the easiest requirements we have already seen.

No impossible-to-reach financial thresholds, none of the usual truckloads of documents, and certainly no intrusive checks and biometric hoops: Sri Lanka makes it (almost) problem-free for western nomads to move.

Do you earn more than $2,000 per month? You’re in!

With a few caveats…

According to that of Sri Lanka Ministry of Immigration and Emigration (Residence Visa Division), a Digital Nomad Visa category, was created to attract foreigners who want to “live and work remotely from Sri Lanka while serving clients or businesses outside the country.”

Before we discuss the specific features, let’s first delve deeper into the core of it.

To live in the sun-drenched country, you must meet the following list of requirements:

• Be a freelancerown a company not registered in Sri Lanka, or be employed by a company based abroad
• Have a minimum monthly income of $2,000 USD*
• Take out health insurance that covers the duration of your stay
• Have suitable accommodation for the duration of your stay (e.g. an Airbnb rental)
• Refrain from participating in politics or disruptive activities while in the country**
• Provide proof of a clean criminal record from your home country

*If you are bringing family or more than two dependents, the amount will increase by $500 per additional person.

**I’m not sure, but you won’t find me at the nearest Greta Thunberg rally anytime soon, so it sounds good enough for me.

The important thing here, apart from proving to the Sri Lankan authorities that you are of good character and not a public agitator, is of course that you meet the financial requirement of $2,000. Most nomads earn cash in USD way more than that monthly, so that’s basically not a problem.

By comparison, European DNVs, or even some Latin American ones, expect nomads to provide proof of income more than $4,000–⁠$5,000or even much higher.

Aside from the grueling application process, that’s usually it mainly barrier for aspiring regular expats who are not tech moguls or social media giants.

Everything else you need to know about the visa

Based on what we know so far, anyway…

The visa is initially valid for 1 year, but can be extended annually for an unlimited number of years, provided that the initial conditions for obtaining the visa are still met.

The procedure is also quite simple:

• Complete the visa application form
• Write a request letter
• Make sure you have a photocopy of your passport (it must be valid for at least 6 months)*
• Two recent passport photos
• A medical clearance report
• A police statement (not older than 3 months)
• International health insurance that covers medical care in Sri Lanka
• Recommendation from the Ministry of Digital Economy*

*If you are bringing dependents, a marriage certificate for the spouse and birth certificates for the children are required

**This part is unclear, but we will know more details once the first applications are received. The system has now been live for less than 2 days.

How to Apply for the Digital Nomad Visa for Sri Lanka

Here’s how the process itself unravels:

• Submit the required documentation to the Immigration and Emigration Department (Residence Visa Division)
• Wait for documents to be reviewed for eligibility and compliance*
• Once approved, the visa endorsement will be placed on the applicant’s passport**

*Waiting times have not been disclosed.

**The Sri Lankan authorities are yet to clarify whether this is a fully online procedure, or whether contacting Sri Lankan missions abroad and submitting your passport is required for the visa issuance.

As for extensions, they to have revealed that to be eligible for visa extensions, applicants must provide proof of tax registration through the Inland Revenue Department. Yes, if I understand the official statement, you are not completely exempt from paying taxes while you are in the country.

Since you will need to purchase health insurance and fully support yourself and your family members, we assume this is not significant. More clarification is needed and we will be sure to report back in due course once we know more.

What you can and Can’t Do with this visa

On the other hand, as a Sri Lankan DNV holder you are entitled to:

• You can stay in Sri Lanka as long as your visa is valid
• Open and manage bank accounts in the country
• Enter into rental or lease agreements for real estate
• Enroll your children in international/private schools
• Participate in co-working spaces, ICT programs and tourism-related events organized by government or private sector entities

At the same time, so are you expressly prohibited for:

• Be involved in local employment in Sri Lanka
• Participate in political activities as a non-citizen

The statement also states that changes in employment, income or the status of dependents must be reported to the Ministry of Immigration and Emigration. within 30 days.

Any violation of these conditions will result in the ‘immediate’ revocation of the visa and, depending on the severity of the matter, further legal action.

Why choose Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is one of the most affordable countries to establish yourself as a Digital Nomad:

As seen on Nomads.coma crowdsourced platform that tracks the trends of digital nomads around the world, the monthly cost of living is on average from only $663 to $1,304. That’s the price of rent alone in your average mid-sized American or European city!

The Sri Lankan capital Colombo is likely where a majority of expats will go: it has the best infrastructure, nationwide connectivity and English is more widely spoken thanks to its thriving global community.

Other promising hubs include Weligama, a seaside resort known for its relaxed atmosphere and golden sandy beaches, and Kandy, an equally beautiful city that combines Buddhist heritage with seaside relaxation.

Read more about Sri Lanka here and start planning your move.

Vinicius Costa

Vini, our senior head writer at Travel Off Path, has over 60 countries to his name (and is currently weaving stories from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative stories that will have you packing your bags.