Sri Lanka · Work
Sri Lanka Employment visa
First stay: 1 yr
Employment Category Residence Visa
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Employment visa is a work 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 yearResidence Visa fee (class 1) per year or part thereof; also charged for the spouse and each dependent child.
RenewalRenewable
The visa is valid for one year or the period the authority recommends, and can be renewed annually.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Sri Lanka
What you'll need
What you must show and pay1
- 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.
Documents4
- A request letter from the employing company or institute is required.
- Company registration documents are required.
- A recommendation from the BOI, line ministry or Central Bank is required.
- A Health Protection Plan is required.
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 assessmentPresence 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 Tax records checked
Full official text
Residence visa for personnel of government-approved projects, Board of Investment projects, banks (on Central Bank recommendation) and registered private-sector companies (on line-ministry recommendation), with dependants. 1 2
What you must show and pay
- 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. 2
Requirements
- A request letter from the employing company or institute is required. 1
- Company registration documents are required. 1
- A recommendation from the BOI, line ministry or Central Bank is required. 1
- A Health Protection Plan is required. 1
Stay
- One year or the period recommended by the authority; renewable annually.
- 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.
Work
Employment with the sponsoring project, bank or company.
Family
Dependants may be included.
Official sources
- Residence Visa categories (employment, investor, education, spouse, Resident Guest, Digital Nomad, others) · Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka · checked 2026-10-12
- Visa Fees · Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka · checked 2026-10-12
Employment visa and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment visa | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| LTR · Highly Skilled Thailand | Needs income of $80k+ a year | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Engineer/Specialist visa Japan | – | 5 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Golden Visa · Parent rep $25M Indonesia | Needs an investment from $25M | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Green · Skilled worker United Arab Emirates | Needs income of AED 15k+ a month ≈ $4,080 | – | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Employment visa?
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 Employment visa?
One year or the period recommended by the authority; renewable annually.
Can I work on the Employment visa?
Employment with the sponsoring project, bank or company.
Can I bring my family on the Employment visa?
Dependants may be included.
How are Employment visa holders taxed in Sri Lanka?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Employment 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
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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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.
- Residence Visa categories (employment, investor, education, spouse, Resident Guest, Digital Nomad, others) · Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka · checked 2026-10-12
- Visa Fees · 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, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.