Recently, Sri Lanka announced to introduce a permanent visa for people of Sri Lanka descent, who currently live in another country. Holders of a permanent visa may stay in Sri Lanka for an unlimited amount of time and are allowed to travel to the country as often as they want.
New possibility to acquire a permanent visa
Sri Lanka will soon introduce a new way to acquire a permanent visa or residence permit for the country. This will allow people of Sri Lankan descent to visit the country more easily.
Who is eligible for the permanent Sri Lanka visa?
The permanent visa will be available for people of Sri Lankan descent. Applicants have to prove that their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents were born in Sri Lanka or that they are citizens of Sri Lanka. The visa is also available to people who used to be citizens of Sri Lanka, but whose citizenship has ceased.
The main applicant may also apply for a permanent visa for their spouse and/or children. The couple has to be married for at least 6 months for the spouse to be eligible for the visa. Also, the validity of the visa may be revoked if the couple decides to divorce within 5 years.
How long is the permanent visa valid for?
Even though the visa is called a ‘permanent visa’ or a ‘permanent residency’, the visa is not valid forever. The permanent visa for people of Sri Lankan descent is issued for a period of 10 years to begin with. Afterwards, the visa holder may apply for an extension.
Which activities are allowed with a permanent visa?
Permanent residents may travel to Sri Lanka as often as they wish, without having to apply for a new visa. Also, they may stay in Sri Lanka as long as they wish, and seek employment or invest in Sri Lanka. Permanent residents may, for example, buy a house in Sri Lanka. However, they do not have the right to vote or to participate in Sri Lankan elections as a candidate.
How much does it cost to apply for a permanent visa?
Applying for a permanent visa as a person of Sri Lankan descent costs 1000 USD. This amount applies to the main applicant. A possible spouse and children of the main applicant only have to pay a reduced rate of 400 USD per person.
Why does Sri Lanka introduce a new visa?
People of Sri Lankan descent who are not citizens of Sri Lanka do not have any way to stay in Sri Lanka for extended periods of time until the new visa is introduced. Recently, this has been a prominent topic in the media. A well-known issue is that the new home country of a Sri Lankan emigrant may not allow the emigrant to have double nationalities. Therefore, the emigrant has to renounce their Sri Lankan citizenship in order to fully naturalise in their new home country.
As Sri Lankans who have lost their citizenship are not allowed to stay in Sri Lanka for extended periods of time, they are said to lose their relationship to Sri Lanka completely. They have to apply for a visa for a limited stay every time they want to travel to Sri Lanka. Therefore, they are unable to maintain sustainable relationships in Sri Lanka and to invest in Sri Lanka long-term, e.g. in a house. The new permanent visa will allow people of Sri Lankan descent living abroad to stay in Sri Lanka long-term. This will allow them to travel to Sri Lanka regularly, to stay in contact with family and friends, and to possibly build a new livelihood in the country.
What are the alternatives to the permanent visa?
Sri Lanka recently introduced a new e-visa. The e-visa is available in different variants, which allow their holders to stay in Sri Lanka for short and longer periods of time. The regular tourist e-visa for Sri Lanka is valid for a stay of 30 days and can be applied for online.