Sri Lanka Nomad Visa

What is the Sri Lanka digital nomad visa?

It is a one-year residence visa for people who live in Sri Lanka while working for employers or clients abroad. The Department of Immigration and Emigration runs it, and the government launched it in February 2026, with the first visas handed over at a ceremony that month.

The programme is open and the department publishes its rules in an official category guide. Holders can rent property, open personal bank accounts, use local telecoms and utilities and enrol children in international or private schools. They cannot take a job in Sri Lanka: all income must come from foreign sources.

Who can apply for the Sri Lanka digital nomad visa?

Foreign nationals aged 18 or over who work remotely for clients or companies outside Sri Lanka. The department's guide covers three types of work:

• Remote employment with an employer outside Sri Lanka.
• Freelancing for clients outside Sri Lanka.
• Owning a business that is not registered in Sri Lanka and serves clients outside the country.

A spouse and dependants can be included in the application. The guide does not set an upper age limit or a list of excluded nationalities.

How much income do you need for the Sri Lanka digital nomad visa?

The main applicant must remit at least US$2,000 a month into Sri Lanka. If you bring more than two dependants, add US$500 a month for each extra person.

Notice the word remit. The test is not only what you earn but what you send into the country, so plan to move at least that amount each month and keep the records. An independent guide, WorkInSriLanka, reports that the main holder must meet the US$2,000 alone, without combining a partner's income.

How long can you stay, and can you renew it?

The visa is issued for one year and can be renewed each year. At renewal you submit the same documents as the first time plus proof that you have registered for tax with the Inland Revenue Department.

You must tell the Department of Immigration and Emigration within 30 days about any change in your job, income or dependants. Breaking the visa conditions can lead to immediate cancellation.

How much does it cost?

US$500 per person per year. That applies to the main applicant, a spouse and each dependant, so a couple with two children pays US$2,000 a year in visa fees.

Other costs sit outside that fee: international health insurance, a medical clearance, a police certificate and the cost of getting into the country first. The department does not publish amounts for those.

What documents do you need?

The department's guide lists these for every applicant:

• Completed visa application form and a request letter.
• Copy of your passport, valid for at least six months, and two recent passport photos.
• Completed security clearance form.
• Medical clearance report.
• Police clearance certificate from your home country or country of residence, not older than three months.
• International health insurance that covers medical care in Sri Lanka.
• A recommendation from the Ministry of Digital Economy.
• Proof of the minimum monthly remittance for you and your dependants.
• Marriage certificate for a spouse and birth certificates for children.

For a Nigerian applicant, the police certificate will normally come from the Nigeria Police Force. Request it early, because it must be less than three months old when you apply.

How do you apply from Nigeria?

You apply to the Residence Visa Division of the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Battaramulla. The official guide does not say whether you can file from abroad, and getting into Sri Lanka is a separate step for Nigerians.

1. Secure remote income of at least US$2,000 a month from outside Sri Lanka. If you are still looking, browse our remote jobs.
2. Gather the documents above, including a recent police certificate, a medical report and international health insurance.
3. Ask for the Ministry of Digital Economy recommendation that the guide requires; the department can tell you how to request it.
4. Sort out entry. Sri Lanka's ETA site says Nigerian visitors cannot use the normal online ETA and must apply through a Sri Lankan sponsor at the department's head office, with a police clearance report and proof of accommodation.
5. Submit the DNV application to the Residence Visa Division and pay US$500 per person.
6. After approval, the visa is endorsed in your passport.

Before you book anything, email the visa division (contvisa@immigration.gov.lk, listed in the official guide) to confirm whether you should apply from Nigeria or after arrival. Our Premium membership includes nomad visa assistance if you want help with the file.

How long does processing take?

The department does not publish a processing time. The file passes through document review and a security check, and the Ministry of Digital Economy recommendation is a separate step, so allow several weeks and do not fix travel dates until you have answers.

Do you pay tax in Sri Lanka on a digital nomad visa?

The official guide says holders must comply with Sri Lanka's tax and legal obligations, and renewal requires proof of tax registration with the Inland Revenue Department. It does not give a special tax exemption for nomads.

Local tax advisers report that Sri Lanka's Inland Revenue Act treats someone present for 183 days or more in a twelve-month period as tax resident. Check your position with the Inland Revenue Department before the first renewal. This is general information, not tax advice.

Can you bring your family?

Yes. A spouse and dependants are eligible, each pays US$500 a year, and you need marriage and birth certificates. Once you have more than two dependants, your required monthly remittance rises by US$500 for each extra person. Dependent children can enrol in international or private schools.

What to know before you move

• Working hours: Sri Lanka is on UTC+5:30, four and a half hours ahead of Lagos (WAT, UTC+1). A 9am Lagos call is 1:30pm in Colombo.
• Banking: holders can open personal bank accounts in Sri Lanka, which helps with the monthly remittance rule. Keep every transfer record for renewal.
• Health insurance: it must be international cover that pays for care in Sri Lanka.
• Renting: the visa expressly allows rental and lease agreements.
• Leaving: to end the visa yourself, the guide asks for two months' written notice and 14 working days' notice before you leave permanently.

To compare nearby options, see Thailand and Dubai.