--- title: "Sri Lanka Education visa requirements 2026: 1-year stay" url: https://settleanywhere.com/countries/sri-lanka/education-residence-visa/ lang: en updated: 2026-10-12 --- Sri Lanka · Student # Sri Lanka Education visa **First stay:** 1 yr Education Category Residence Visa Checked against official sources on 12 Oct 2026 [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/) - **Savings needed:** $1,500 a year (Savings of at least $1,500 a year · Bank encashment receipts per person for a year (students at other approved institutions and one guardian of a student under 16). A fee of $200 a year · Residence Visa fee (class 1) per year or part thereof; also charged for the spouse and each dependent child.) - **First stay:** 1 yr (One year or the period recommended by the line ministry or institution; renewable.) - **Who can apply:** Any passport ## Key facts Education visa is a student route for Sri Lanka. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source. - **Government fees:** $200/yr - **First stay:** 1 yr ## Cost, time and long term **Government fees: $200/yr** - $200 a year Residence Visa fee (class 1) per year or part thereof; also charged for the spouse and each dependent child. **Shown, not spent: $1,500+/yr** - $1,500 a year Bank encashment receipts per person for a year (students at other approved institutions and one guardian of a student under 16). **Renewal: Renewable** The visa is valid for one year or the period the ministry or institution recommends, and can be renewed. [Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka](https://www.immigration.gov.lk/pages_e.php?id=18) ## Why this route may not fit Check this before you apply. - Needs a place at a school or university in Sri Lanka ### What you'll need #### Who can apply - University students need a recommendation of the Ministry of Higher Education and a university letter. - Other students need a request letter from the academic institution and a recommendation of the relevant embassy or high commission. #### What you must show - Bank encashment receipts of USD 1,500 per person for a year apply to students at other approved institutions and one guardian of a student under 16. ## What happens at day 183 How Sri Lanka decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records. - **Stay on this route:** **1 year at first, renewable** - **Tax residence:** - **At least 183 days in any 12-month period commencing or ending during the year of assessment** Presence makes an individual resident - **Foreign-source income:** A resident is chargeable on income from Sri Lanka and on foreign-source income (global income); a non-resident only on gains and profits arising or derived from Sri Lanka. [All tax rules for Sri Lanka](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/sri-lanka/tax/) Tax records checked 11 Oct 2026 **Full official text** Residence visa for university students, students at government-approved institutions, volunteers and interns; a guardian of a student under 16 may be included. (sources 1, 2) #### What you must show and pay - Savings of at least $1,500 a year · Bank encashment receipts per person for a year (students at other approved institutions and one guardian of a student under 16). (source 1) - A fee of $200 a year · Residence Visa fee (class 1) per year or part thereof; also charged for the spouse and each dependent child. (source 2) #### Requirements - University students need a recommendation of the Ministry of Higher Education and a university letter. (source 1) - Other students need a request letter from the academic institution and a recommendation of the relevant embassy or high commission. (source 1) - Bank encashment receipts of USD 1,500 per person for a year apply to students at other approved institutions and one guardian of a student under 16. (source 1) #### Stay - One year or the period recommended by the line ministry or institution; renewable. - Initial permitted stay: 12 months. - Visa validity: 12 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay. - Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal. #### Family One guardian of a student under 16 may be included. Checked 2026-10-12 ## Official sources 1. [Residence Visa categories (employment, investor, education, spouse, Resident Guest, Digital Nomad, others)](https://www.immigration.gov.lk/pages_e.php?id=18) · Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka · checked 2026-10-12 2. [Visa Fees](https://www.immigration.gov.lk/pages_e.php?id=45) · Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka · checked 2026-10-12 ## Education visa and its alternatives | Route | Money needed | Stay | Work | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Education visa | – | 1 yr, renewable | – | | [Study visa (ED)](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/thailand/nonimmigrant-ed-study/) Thailand | – | 3 mo, renewable | No | | [Student visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/japan/student/) Japan | – | 4.3 yr, renewable | Limited | | [Student visa · Non-formal](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/indonesia/e30-education/) Indonesia | – | 4 yr, renewable | No | | [Student visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/united-arab-emirates/student-visa/) United Arab Emirates | – | – | – | ## Questions people ask ### How much money do I need for the Education visa? Savings of at least $1,500 a year. Bank encashment receipts per person for a year (students at other approved institutions and one guardian of a student under 16). A fee of $200 a year. Residence Visa fee (class 1) per year or part thereof; also charged for the spouse and each dependent child. ### How long can I stay on the Education visa? One year or the period recommended by the line ministry or institution; renewable. ### Can I bring my family on the Education visa? One guardian of a student under 16 may be included. ### How are Education visa holders taxed in Sri Lanka? No special regime in our records is tied to the Education visa. The standard rules apply: A resident is chargeable on income from Sri Lanka and on foreign-source income (global income); a non-resident only on gains and profits arising or derived from Sri Lanka. From 1 April 2025 the rates on taxable income are 6% to LKR 1,000,000, (≈ $3,020) 18% to LKR 1,500,000, (≈ $4,530) 24% to LKR 2,000,000, (≈ $6,050) 30% to LKR 2,500,000 (≈ $7,560) and 36% above, after an aggregate personal relief of LKR 1,800,000 (≈ $5,440) for residents and citizens. ## More in Sri Lanka [Digital nomad visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/sri-lanka/digital-nomad-residence-visa/) [Employment visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/sri-lanka/employment-residence-visa/) ## Study visas elsewhere [🇰🇷 D-4 language study](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/south-korea/d4-language-trainee/) [🇭🇰 Student visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/hong-kong/student-visa/) [🇦🇺 Student visa 500](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/australia/student-500/) [🇳🇿 Student visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/new-zealand/fee-paying-student/) [🇰🇭 Student extension (ES)](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/cambodia/es-student-extension/) [🇮🇳 e-Student visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/india/e-student-visa/) ≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated. ## How this was checked **Checked on 2026-10-12 against 2 official sources.** Status: verified against the official sources. Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out. 1. [Residence Visa categories (employment, investor, education, spouse, Resident Guest, Digital Nomad, others)](https://www.immigration.gov.lk/pages_e.php?id=18) · Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka · checked 2026-10-12 2. [Visa Fees](https://www.immigration.gov.lk/pages_e.php?id=45) · Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka · checked 2026-10-12 Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the [changes page](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/), and the [methodology page](https://settleanywhere.com/methodology/) explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email [contact@stayglobe.app](mailto:contact@stayglobe.app?subject=Correction) with a link to the official source.