Sri Lanka Permanent Residence Visa (PRV) 2026: Who Qualifies, Documents, Fees and Rights

Team LiveInLanka · October 3, 2026 · 8 min read · Relocation Advice

Sri Lanka's Permanent Residence Visa (PRV) is one of the most searched-for — and most misunderstood — routes to living on the island long term. It gives holders the right to enter and remain in Sri Lanka, work, run a business, and access public services, on a renewable card valid for up to 10 years.

But it is not a visa that any foreigner can apply for. It is built for people with a real family tie to Sri Lanka: those of Sri Lankan descent, former Sri Lankan citizens, their foreign spouses, and their children.

This guide summarises the official guideline published by the Department of Immigration and Emigration, based on Extraordinary Gazette No. 2383/17 of 7 May 2024. We link to every official document at the end.

Important: LiveInLanka is not a law firm and this is not legal advice. Immigration rules can change, and the Department can ask for additional documents. Always confirm current requirements directly with the Department of Immigration and Emigration before you apply.

At a glance

Only categories (a), (b) and (c) can apply as the primary applicant. Spouses under (d) and children under (e) are linked to a primary applicant.

On approval, the PRV card itself costs Rs. 1,000, is valid for up to 10 years, and is renewable for another Rs. 1,000.

Who is the PRV actually for?

It helps to be blunt here, because this is where most confusion starts.

The PRV is for you if:

• You were born a Sri Lankan citizen and later lost that citizenship (for example, by taking up another nationality)
• You are of Sri Lankan descent
• You are a foreign national who has been married to a Sri Lankan citizen for more than five years
• You are the foreign spouse or child of one of the people above

The PRV is not for you if you are a remote worker, retiree or investor with no Sri Lankan family connection. In that case, look at other routes such as the Sri Lanka Digital Nomad Visa or a residence visa category that matches your situation.

The five-year marriage rule

For every spouse-based category, the marriage must have lasted more than five years:

• (b) married to a Sri Lankan citizen for more than five years at the time you apply
• (c) married for more than five years at the time of your Sri Lankan spouse's death, and you have not remarried
• (d) married to a former Sri Lankan citizen (category a) for more than five years at the time you apply

If you have been married for less than five years, you will not yet qualify under these categories.

Documents you need, by category

Every category starts with a valid passport, a colour photograph, and a Police Clearance Report. The rest depends on how you qualify.

Category (a) — Sri Lankan descent or former citizen

• Valid foreign passport
• Police Clearance Report from your present country of citizenship, obtained within one year
• Proof of the Sri Lankan citizenship you previously held, such as:
• Sri Lankan Citizenship (5(2)) Certificate, if you were born outside Sri Lanka
• Your existing Sri Lankan National Identity Card
• Any Sri Lankan passport(s) you hold
• Sri Lankan birth certificate
• A colour photograph

Category (b) — foreign spouse of a Sri Lankan citizen

• Valid passport of the foreign spouse
• Valid passport or National Identity Card of the Sri Lankan spouse, or their dual citizenship certificate
• Police Clearance Report from the spouse's country of domicile
• Marriage certificate — if you married abroad, an English translation certified by the Consular Office of that country
• A request or consent letter from the Sri Lankan spouse
• A colour photograph

Category (c) — widowed foreign spouse

• Valid passport of the foreign spouse
• Police Clearance Certificate from your present country of citizenship, obtained within one year
• Marriage certificate (certified English translation from the Consular Office if you married abroad)
• Death certificate of the Sri Lankan spouse (certified English copy from the Consular Office if the death occurred abroad)
• Proof of your late spouse's Sri Lankan citizenship (5(2) certificate, NIC, passport(s) or birth certificate)
• A colour photograph

Category (d) — foreign spouse of a former Sri Lankan citizen

• Valid passport of the foreign spouse
• Police Clearance Report from your country of citizenship, obtained within one year
• Marriage certificate (certified English copy from the Consular Office if you married abroad)
• A request or consent letter from your former-Sri-Lankan spouse
• Proof of the Sri Lankan citizenship your spouse previously held
• A colour photograph

Category (e) — children

Children can apply only if they are under 22. Every child needs:

• A valid passport
• A birth certificate (an English copy from the Consular Office if born abroad)
• A Police Clearance Report if the child is 16 or older, from their country of foreign citizenship
• Proof linking them to their Sri Lankan, former-Sri-Lankan or deceased Sri Lankan parent, such as the parent's citizenship documents and the parents' marriage certificate

The exact documents differ slightly depending on which parent the child applies through, so check the official guideline for your child's specific sub-category.

Two forms, and the security clearance

Applications are made using two official forms:

1. Application for the Grant, Issuance or Extension of a Permanent Residence Visa
2. Personal Particulars Form for the Security Clearance

The Department can also:

• Ask for additional documents it considers necessary to confirm your identity, citizenship, relationship and security clearance
• Ask you to provide biometric information

How the decision is made

Your application and documents are forwarded to the PRV Committee for scrutiny. Once the Committee decides, you are notified.

One line in the guideline is worth reading twice: submitting an application with all the required documents does not, by itself, qualify you for a PRV. Approval is a decision, not an entitlement.

What a PRV lets you do

Under the guideline, a PRV holder is entitled to:

• Enter and remain in Sri Lanka
• Access education, health and other public services, as provided for by other laws
• Engage in any lawful occupation, as provided for by other laws
• Engage in any lawful business or commercial activity
• Inherit, transfer or alienate property in Sri Lanka, as provided for by other laws

Notice the repeated phrase "as may be provided for by any other written law." The PRV does not override other legislation. Questions such as property ownership or specific professional licensing are still governed by their own laws, which is exactly where a qualified lawyer earns their fee.

When a PRV can end

It automatically stops being valid if:

• A spouse in category (b) or (d) divorces before five years from the date of the marriage
• A widowed spouse in category (c) enters into another marriage — before five years from the date of the original marriage — with someone who is neither a Sri Lankan citizen nor a permanent resident

It can be cancelled if:

• It was obtained through fraud, false representation or concealing a material fact
• The holder acts against the Constitution of Sri Lanka
• The holder assisted an adversary against Sri Lanka during civil strife or war
• The holder is sentenced to imprisonment for more than two years by a court in any country after the PRV was granted
• It has ceased to be valid under the rules above
• It is necessary in the interests of Sri Lanka's sovereignty, integrity or national security
• The holder (in categories a, b or c) asks for it to be cancelled

Practical tips before you apply

• Watch the one-year window. Several categories require a Police Clearance Report obtained within one year. Time it so it is still valid when you submit.
• Get consular certification early. Foreign marriage, birth and death certificates need certified English copies from the relevant Consular Office, which can take weeks.
• Gather old Sri Lankan documents now. NICs, old passports and 5(2) certificates are often the hardest part for former citizens — start looking before anything else.
• Mind the age limit for children. Children must be under 22 to apply, so families with older teenagers should not leave this late.
• Use the official forms only. Download them from the Department's own website, linked below.

How LiveInLanka can help

We are not immigration lawyers, and we never submit applications on your behalf. What we do is help you get organised and introduce you to the right people:

• A Discovery & Plan session to work out whether the PRV, the Digital Nomad Visa or another route actually fits your situation
• A Lawyer Briefing with an accredited Sri Lankan lawyer, briefed on your case in advance
• A clear document checklist for your category, so nothing is missing when you submit

Not sure where you fit? Take the free assessment and we will tell you honestly.

Official sources

• Department of Immigration and Emigration — Permanent Residence Visa page
• Guideline for the Permanent Residence Visa (PDF)
• Application for the Grant, Issuance or Extension of a PRV (PDF)
• Personal Particulars Form for the Security Clearance (PDF)
• Extraordinary Gazette No. 2383/17 of 7 May 2024 — English (PDF)

Department of Immigration and Emigration: "Suhurupaya", Sri Subhuthipura Road, Battaramulla · Hotline 1962 / +94 112 101 500

Not sure which route fits you? Try our free visa & residency pathway finder. It compares the Digital Nomad Visa, Golden Paradise Residence Visa, PRV and other routes against your situation in about two minutes.