23 June, 2017
The Sri Lankan Government is proposing to introduce draft legislation governing a special residency visa scheme for foreign nationals. The legislation is contained in the Special Deposit Account Bill. If the draft legislation is passed by Parliament, foreign nationals who invest a sum not less than US$500,000 in a Special Deposit Account (SDA) established with a commercial bank in Sri Lanka may obtain 10 year resident visas. The minimum deposit value can be made (in equivalent value) in British Pound, Euro, Australian dollar, Japanese Yen, Singapore dollar, Canadian dollar or Swiss franc.
斯里兰卡政府提议为外国公民制定一项特别居留签证立法草案。该项立法载于特殊存款账户账单。如果立法草案获得议会通过，在斯里兰卡商业银行设立的特别存款账户（SDA）投资不少于50万美元的外国人可获得10年的居留签证。最低存款金额（或等值）可按英镑、欧元、澳元、日元、新加坡元、加拿大元或瑞士法郎计算。
The minimum investment amount must be maintained at all times. In the event the SDA Holder fails to maintain the required minimum sum, he/she will be provided 30 days to increase the account balance to the required minimum balance, failing which the commercial bank that maintains the SDA will report details of the SDA Holder to the Controller of Immigration and Emigration and the visa will be cancelled forthwith.
须始终保持最低投资额。若特殊存款账户持有人不能保持所需的最低金额，他/她将有30天时间将账户余额增加到所需的最低余额，否则商业银行将向移民和移民管理局提供特殊存款账户持有人详细信息报告并立即取消签证。
The spouse of the SDA Holder is eligible for a 10 yr resident visa provided a further investment of US$ 300,000 is made by the SDA Holder (aggregating to US$ 800,000). A minor child of the SDA Holder is also entitled to a resident visa. No further investment is required to obtain a resident visa for a minor. The validity of the spouse visa and the minor child’s visa is dependent upon the validity of the visa of the SDA Holder, and in case of the minor child, the visa will be cancelled upon him/her attaining the age of eighteen.
如果特殊存款账户持有人追加投资30万美元（总额为80万美元），特殊存款账户持有人的配偶将有资格获得10年的居留签证。特殊存款账户持有人的未成年子女也有获得居留签证的权利。获得未成年人的居留签证不需要追加投资。配偶和未成年子女签证的有效性取决于特殊存款账户持有者签证的有效性，在未成年子女满18周岁时他/她的签证将被取消。
The SDA Holder is not permitted work. A separate work permit is required if the SDA Holder intends to work in Sri Lanka.
特殊存款账户持有人不允许工作。如果特殊存款持有人打算在斯里兰卡工作则需要单独的工作许可证。
The funds in the SDA constitute foreign sourced income of the SDA account holder. The SDA Holder is not subject to any taxes or levies on the interests accruing to the minimum investment.
特殊存款账户的资金是特殊存款账户持有人的外国收入来源。特殊存款账户持有人不受任何税收限制或征收最低投资所产生的利益的影响。
The Government proposes to levy an administrative or operational fee.
政府建议征收行政或营运费用
Death, being suspected of treason, bankruptcy, failure to route foreign exchange through the SDA for investment purposes, and closure of the SDA account are grounds for cancellation of the visa by the Controller of Immigration and Emigration.
移民和移民管理局取消签证的原因有：死亡、涉嫌叛国、破产、没有通过特殊存款账户进行外汇投资及关闭特殊存款账户。
For further information, please contact:
Savantha De Saram, Partner, D.L.&F. De Saram.
savantha@desaram.com
