Sri Lanka officially launches Digital Nomad Visa facility; first recipients welcomed

Sri Lanka has officially introduced the Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) facility at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake. The launch event took place yesterday afternoon, October 26, and was led by Eranga Weeraratne, the Deputy Minister of Digital Economy. This event marks an important step for the country’s growth in the digital and economic sectors. The Digital Nomad Visa is aimed at foreign nationals aged 18 and above who want to live in Sri Lanka while working online for companies based outside the country. To qualify, applicants must show that they have a minimum monthly income of USD 2,000 from foreign sources. Visa holders can live in Sri Lanka but are not allowed to take local jobs or start businesses within the country. However, they can enroll their children in international or private schools here. The visa is valid for one year and requires a thorough review process. Applicants need to provide police clearance certificates and medical reports from their home countries, which will be examined by officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Immigration and Emigration. After the visa is issued, the Department of Inland Revenue, the Ministry of Tourism, and the Department of Immigration and Emigration will keep an eye on the recipients’ bank accounts and tax obligations. The first recipients of this visa are Daria Gordiienko and her husband Yaroslav Kovelchuk from Ukraine. The ceremony was attended by several notable officials, including Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eng. Eranga Weeraratne, Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, who is a Presidential Adviser on Digital Economy, and Nayana Senaratne, the Controller (Visa) of the Department of Immigration and Emigration.