The Tourism Department of Sri Lanka recently warned that foreigners from countries such as Israel, India, Russia, and Ukraine are engaging in business activities on tourist visas, allegedly violating regulations set by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).
According to SLTDA policy, foreigners wishing to travel, invest, or work in the hotel industry in Sri Lanka must apply for specific category visas, which are issued by the Immigration Department upon recommendation from the SLTDA. Foreign employees are only allowed to hold specific positions such as chefs, managers, or therapists, and the employer must be a certified hotel or dining establishment.
However, tourism officials have noted that many foreigners are illegally employed in small restaurants and cafes, which are often established by foreigners who arrived earlier and apply for visas for new employees of the same nationality by circumventing approval procedures. Some investors have also not paid the tourism development tax or deposited the required funds in the international resident account, yet they still obtain one-year residence visas.
The official suspects that these irregularities are related to corrupt practices among some immigration officers, and that there are loopholes in the visa system, affecting national regulation and tax revenue. More concerning is that some foreign businesses cater specifically to tourists from their own countries, settling transactions through foreign electronic payment systems, making it difficult for the Sri Lankan government to benefit.
In response, the Minister of Public Security, Ananda Wijepala, stated that the government has initiated an investigation and promised that once verified, foreigners violating visa regulations will be deported according to law. He emphasized that visa scrutiny and enforcement will be strengthened in the future to protect national interests and the dignity of the law.
