Sri Lanka Resident Guest Scheme | A Complete Guide

Visa Overview:

Sri Lanka’s Resident Guest Scheme (RGS) is a specialized visa program exclusively for individuals who are already legally residing in the country. Its purpose is to offer a long-term residency path to foreigners who can demonstrate a valuable economic or social contribution to Sri Lanka.

Currently, the RGS program presents applicants with two distinct economic pathways:

1. Investor Category:

Under this option, applicants are required to make a deposit of $250,000 into a local Sri Lankan bank. Should there be any accompanying secondary applicants, an additional $35,000 must be added to the deposit for each individual.

2. Professional Category:

This option requires applicants to commit to regularly transferring a specified sum of money from abroad into their Sri Lankan bank account each month. The exact amount of funds required is dependent on the number of accompanying family members with the main applicant:

• For a single applicant, a guaranteed monthly transfer of $2,000 is necessary.

• If there are accompanying secondary applicants, an additional $1,000 must be transferred each month for every extra individual.

Application Process:

The application process for Sri Lanka’s Resident Guest Scheme is refreshingly straightforward: simply gather all the necessary documents and submit your application at the Resident Guest Visa counter on the 4th floor of the Department of Immigration & Emigration in Colombo. From there, you’ll just await the visa’s issuance.

Required Documents for the RGS Program include:

• Applicant Identification: You’ll need valid passports for all primary and secondary applicants, along with two passport-sized photos. Proof of relationship, such as birth or marriage certificates for all primary and secondary applicants, is also required.

• Application Forms: You have the option to either fill out the application form in person at the Sri Lanka Department of Immigration & Emigration in Colombo, or you can download and complete it online.

• Proof of Investment/Income: Provide a series of documents, including bank statements, to clearly demonstrate your financial capability to make the required investment or consistently transfer income.

• Medical Report: All primary and secondary applicants must undergo a medical examination at the IOM Sri Lanka Migration Health Assessment Centre and obtain a medical report.

• Police Clearance: All adult primary and secondary applicants are required to provide a police clearance certificate issued by the law enforcement agency in their passport’s country of origin.