Sri Lanka cabinet of ministers has cleared a proposal to give visas for up to one year for foreign visitors who can work remotely and stay in the country for long periods.
A government statement said:
“Facilitating such tourists has been a growing trend in the tourism industry.
Digital travellers often stay in restaurants, public libraries and other such venues and provide their services online through devices with Internet access.
Availability of high speed internet, long term visas, affordable accommodation, tax exemption for earnings are among requirement to draw such visitors”.
Several countries in Asia and Europe now offer ‘digital nomad’ visas for remote workers who can prove a foreign income.
Some countries also offer nomad visas to remote free lancer workers abroad to come to the country and stay for a long period. They will therefore spend their income within the country.
Some countries also offer e-residency.
Fast growing East Asian nations generally have a liberal visa regime for foreign nationals and investors with countries like Singapore providing a naturalization track especially for high income earners.
Sri Lanka enacted an extreme nationalist immigration law barring thousands of years of naturalization shortly after independence from British rule making many who were born in the country also stateless, critics say.
