Your first 90 days in Sri Lanka: the arrival checklist
The visa got you in — this is what turns you into a functioning resident: the registration clock, the ID number everything else depends on, and the money, healthcare, and license steps in the order they actually unlock. Each step links the official source so you can verify the current rule.
Checked against official sources · September 2026 · how we verify
The catch that burns new arrivals
Currency repatriation is the thing to get right at the start — which account your money lands in determines whether you can take it out, and the rules changed sharply during the 2022 economic crisis. Confirm the account type in writing with the bank before you transfer any significant sum.
The checklist, in the order it unlocks
Apply to the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Colombo for a residence visa — employment, investor, or the My Dream Home retirement visa
Before your ETA or visa expires — the electronic travel authorisation gives 30 days, extendable to 6 months, and residence must be applied for inside that
The My Dream Home programme is the main self-sponsored route for over-55s, requiring a fixed deposit in a Sri Lankan bank and proof of monthly foreign income. Employment visas are sponsored by the employer through the Board of Investment or the relevant ministry.
Get your TIN (taxpayer identification number) from the Inland Revenue Department
Employment income, property and any IRD filing key off it, and banks increasingly ask for it at onboarding.
Registered with the Inland Revenue Department, now largely online; residents are taxed on Sri Lanka-source income and, since the 2023 reforms, on foreign income remitted in certain cases.
Open a bank account
Commercial Bank, Sampath and HNB open accounts for residence-visa holders. The account type matters: a Personal Foreign Currency Account or the Inward Investment Account governs whether funds can be repatriated, and the My Dream Home deposit must sit in a specified account type. Exchange controls tightened during the 2022 crisis and have not fully unwound.
Enrol in healthcare
Public healthcare is free and reaches the whole island, with genuinely good outcomes for a country at this income level, but facilities are crowded. Private hospitals in Colombo (Nawaloka, Asiri, Lanka) are inexpensive and used by most foreign residents; complex cases go to India or Singapore.
Sort your driver's license
A foreign licence with an International Driving Permit must be endorsed by the Automobile Association of Ceylon to be valid; residents then convert to a Sri Lankan licence through the Department of Motor Traffic. Driving is on the left, and the roads are demanding.
Deadlines and requirements vary by nationality, visa type, and region, and they change — this is information current as of 2026, not legal or immigration advice. Verify each step with the official source before you rely on it.
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Information only, not legal advice — we never file anything with any government. Requirements change; verify with the official source or a licensed immigration advisor before you apply.
First 90 days in Sri Lanka: FAQ
What do I have to do first after arriving in Sri Lanka?
Apply to the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Colombo for a residence visa — employment, investor, or the My Dream Home retirement visa — Before your ETA or visa expires — the electronic travel authorisation gives 30 days, extendable to 6 months, and residence must be applied for inside that. The My Dream Home programme is the main self-sponsored route for over-55s, requiring a fixed deposit in a Sri Lankan bank and proof of monthly foreign income. Employment visas are sponsored by the employer through the Board of Investment or the relevant ministry. Verify the current rule with the official source before you rely on it.
What is the TIN and do I need one?
TIN (taxpayer identification number) from the Inland Revenue Department is Sri Lanka's personal tax/ID number. Employment income, property and any IRD filing key off it, and banks increasingly ask for it at onboarding. Registered with the Inland Revenue Department, now largely online; residents are taxed on Sri Lanka-source income and, since the 2023 reforms, on foreign income remitted in certain cases.
Can I drive in Sri Lanka on a US license?
A foreign licence with an International Driving Permit must be endorsed by the Automobile Association of Ceylon to be valid; residents then convert to a Sri Lankan licence through the Department of Motor Traffic. Driving is on the left, and the roads are demanding. Rules differ by nationality and change — check the official source before the window closes.
How do I get healthcare after moving to Sri Lanka?
Public healthcare is free and reaches the whole island, with genuinely good outcomes for a country at this income level, but facilities are crowded. Private hospitals in Colombo (Nawaloka, Asiri, Lanka) are inexpensive and used by most foreign residents; complex cases go to India or Singapore. See our healthcare-systems guide for how Sri Lanka's system treats foreign residents.