Digital Nomad Visa

Overview

Sri Lanka launched its Digital Nomad Visa in February 2026, so it is genuinely new and still bedding in. It is for foreign professionals who want to live in Sri Lanka while working remotely for clients or employers based outside the country - remote employees, freelancers serving international clients, and owners of businesses not registered in Sri Lanka. The programme is run jointly by the Ministry of Digital Economy, the Department of Immigration and Emigration, and the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, and applications go to the Department's Residence Visa Division online, with a recommendation letter from the Ministry of Digital Economy among the documents. The visa lets you reside for up to a year and renew annually, but it does not permit local employment or earning from Sri Lankan sources. Good to know: indicative figures circulate (for example a monthly income threshold around USD 2,000), but you should always defer to the official page, as a new scheme can change.

Eligibility

Application pathway

1. 01

   Check the route fit

   Confirm you work remotely for clients or a company outside Sri Lanka and meet the income requirement.

2. 02

   Build the evidence pack

   Obtain a recommendation letter from the Ministry of Digital Economy and gather your income and employment evidence.

3. 03

   Submit through the official channel

   Submit the application online to the Department of Immigration and Emigration Residence Visa Division.

4. 04

   After approval

   After approval, reside in Sri Lanka and renew annually, noting that later renewals may require proof of tax registration.

Matches these professions

Also explored by

Compare Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka with

• 🇲🇾 Malaysia
• 🇹🇭 Kingdom of Thailand
• 🇵🇭 Republic of the Philippines

Related routes

• My Dream Home Visa Programme (retirement / long-stay residence)

  For you if you are an older applicant who wants to retire or live long term in Sri Lanka: the My Dream Home programme grants a renewable residence visa to people who can support themselves from abroad.

• Residence Visa (Employment Category)

  For you if a Sri Lankan employer or approved project needs your services: the employment-category residence visa lets foreign professionals live and work in Sri Lanka, usually a year at a time and renewable.

• Visit Visa (Business Purpose)

  For you if you are visiting Sri Lanka for short business activities like meetings or conferences: the business-purpose visit visa covers commercial trips - but it is not for taking up employment.