Missing signature of former President delays Digital Nomad Visa issuance

• Published date: 09 August 2022
• Publication title: Daily Financial Times

Sri Lanka's plans to introduce a long-term digital nomad visa for foreign professionals have been delayed with former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in his capacity as the Technology Minister failing to sign the relevant Cabinet paper agreed by all connected authorities to put the system in order.

The Daily FT learns that the Immigration and Emigration Department has received around 40 applications, but it cannot proceed with the visa issuance as the former Technology Minister Rajapaksa had not authorised the proposal which was ready in February, thus it never got passed to the Cabinet.

In July 2021, the Cabinet of Ministers cleared a proposal to offer visas for foreign visitors looking to work remotely and stay in Sri Lanka for long periods. The move came in the wake of the country being ranked second-best for Digital Nomads in 2021 by the influential French travel and tourism operator - Club Med.

The implementation of the Digital Nomad Visa was originally assigned to Sri...