Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2021-07-12

Introducing a Long-Term Visa Category to promote Sri Lanka as a favorable destination for digital nomads

- Digital nomads are people who use digital technologies to earn a living and spend their lives in a nomadic manner. Facilitating such nomads has become a trend in the tourism sector at present. Digital nomads provide their services through the use of internet devices staying in restaurants, public libraries and such other places or recreational vehicles. Availability of high speed internet access for communication, long term visa, cost effective accommodation, tax exemption for their earnings has been very helpful in attracting such nomads. It will be possible to earn a huge amount of foreign exchange by way of attracting digital nomads to Sri Lanka and facilitating them to stay a longer period in this country. Accordingly, the proposal made by the Minister of Tourism to implement a promotion programme by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau in order to attract digital nomads and to introduce a long term visa category (up to one year) for digital nomads, was approved by the Cabinet.