Buying land in Sri Lanka from abroad: a guide for diaspora buyers and dual citizens
A Sri Lankan citizen, including a dual citizen, can buy land freehold from abroad. A former Sri Lankan who took another nationality without keeping or resuming citizenship is a foreigner under the 2014 land law and can only lease. Most overseas buyers act through a registered power of attorney, have their own lawyer check the title, and pay through an Inward Investment Account.
Can I buy land in Sri Lanka if I live abroad?
It depends on your citizenship, not where you live.
- Sri Lankan citizen living abroad (still holding only Sri Lankan nationality, or permanent residence elsewhere): you buy freehold like any other citizen.
- Dual citizen: you hold Sri Lankan citizenship alongside another, so the 2014 Act's ban on foreigners does not apply and you buy freehold.
- Former citizen who acquired another nationality and did not retain or resume Sri Lankan citizenship: you are a foreigner. You can lease land for up to 99 years, buy an apartment or inherit land, but not buy land freehold. See can a foreigner buy land in Sri Lanka.
If you plan to buy freehold and qualify for dual citizenship, get it before you sign an agreement to sell.
How does dual citizenship work?
The Department of Immigration and Emigration grants dual citizenship under section 19 of the Citizenship Act: section 19(2) for a former citizen who wants to resume citizenship, and section 19(3) for a citizen about to take another nationality who wants to retain it. You must fall into one of the Department's categories:
| Category | Condition |
|---|---|
| Age | 55 or over |
| Professional | at least a one-year diploma or a professional qualification |
| Property | land or other immovable property in Sri Lanka worth Rs 2.5 million or more |
| Fixed deposit (rupees) | Rs 2.5 million or more in an approved bank, held for 3 years |
| Fixed deposit (dollars) | USD 25,000 or more in an NRFC, RFC or SFIDA account, held for 3 years |
| Securities | USD 25,000 in Treasury Bonds or a Security Investment Account, held for 3 years |
A spouse and unmarried children under 22 can apply with a qualifying parent. You apply directly to the Department in Battaramulla or through a Sri Lankan embassy or consulate, with a sworn affidavit and certified documents. The fee (USD 2,000 for the main applicant, about LKR 665,200) is paid after the Minister approves, and dual citizenship takes effect on the date you pay.
How do I buy land without being in Sri Lanka?
Most overseas buyers appoint a trusted person in Sri Lanka, often a relative or their lawyer, under a special power of attorney for that one property.
- Draft it with your Sri Lankan lawyer. For a land transaction it must describe the land by its boundaries and extent and give the land's prior registration; it also carries your signature and thumb impression and a copy of your passport bio page.
- Sign it abroad in the presence of two witnesses and before a Sri Lankan ambassador, high commissioner, diplomatic or consular officer, or a person authorised to attest powers of attorney under the law of the country where you sign (Powers of Attorney (Amendment) Act No. 28 of 2022). Because Sri Lanka has not joined the Apostille Convention, a document signed before a local notary normally needs authentication by the Sri Lankan mission; your lawyer will tell you which route the Registrar will accept.
- Register it with the Registrar General's Department within three months of signing, with a notarised copy, the attorney's affidavit and certified identity documents. An attorney who lives abroad must give a local address.
- Keep it narrow. A power limited to one named property, one transaction and a set price is safer than a general power to deal with all your affairs.
How do I check the deed from abroad?
The checks are the same as for a buyer on the spot; your lawyer and surveyor do them for you.
- Title search: your lawyer pulls the Land Registry extracts and traces ownership back at least 30 years. See how to check a land deed.
- Deed type: make sure the seller holds a private deed or a Bim Saviya certificate of title, not a Land Development Ordinance permit or grant, which cannot be freely sold. See land deed types.
- Survey plan: a licensed surveyor checks the boundaries on the ground against the plan; ask for photos and a short video of the boundary stones.
- Reservations: coastal zone, paddy, road access and any state or archaeological claim. In the east and north, where many families were displaced during the war and by the 2004 tsunami, check carefully for competing claims.
Family land is a special case: if you are buying out relatives or receiving inherited land, have the lawyer confirm that every heir has signed and that any testamentary case has been closed.
How do I send the money?
Pay from your own account abroad into an Inward Investment Account (IIA) in your name at a licensed bank, then pay the seller by bank transfer from the IIA against the agreement to sell and the deed. The IIA documents the inward remittance, which you need to send rental income or sale proceeds back abroad later. Dual citizens, Sri Lankans with foreign citizenship or permanent residence and Sri Lankans working abroad can all open one. Never pay a deposit in cash or through informal channels. See sending money to buy property.
Budget about 5% to 7% on top of the price for stamp duty, legal fees and survey. On a plot at the south coast median asking price of LKR 907,856 a perch, 20 perches cost about LKR 18.2 million (about USD 54,600), so allow roughly LKR 0.9 to 1.3 million more. See the real cost of buying land.
Frequently asked questions
Can a dual citizen buy land in Sri Lanka?
Yes. A dual citizen is a Sri Lankan citizen, so the 2014 Act's ban on foreigners does not apply, and you can buy land freehold in your own name. Your lawyer will need your dual citizenship certificate and Sri Lankan passport or identity card.
I gave up my Sri Lankan citizenship. Can I still buy land?
Not freehold, unless you resume citizenship under section 19(2) of the Citizenship Act. As a foreigner you can lease land for up to 99 years, buy a condominium apartment or inherit land. Check your eligibility with the Department of Immigration and Emigration or the nearest Sri Lankan mission.
Do I have to travel to Sri Lanka to buy land?
No. You can act through a power of attorney registered with the Registrar General's Department, and your lawyer and surveyor can do the checks. Many buyers still visit once to see the land and meet the lawyer before paying the deposit.
Is an apostilled power of attorney accepted in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille alone is not the route. Sign before a Sri Lankan diplomatic or consular officer, or follow your lawyer's instructions for authentication, and register the power within three months.
How long does dual citizenship take?
The Department does not publish a fixed time. The fee is charged only after the Minister approves, and citizenship takes effect from the payment date, so apply well before you plan to sign. Check with a Sri Lankan lawyer before you commit to a purchase that depends on it.
Sources
- Dual citizenship: Citizenship Act No. 18 of 1948 section 19(2) and 19(3), eligibility categories, fees (USD 2,000, USD 500), process, Department of Immigration and Emigration
- Registration of a power of attorney (signing abroad, three-month deadline, documents required, Act No. 28 of 2022), Registrar General's Department
- Powers of attorney in Sri Lanka: land description, thumb impression, attorney's affidavit and local address, D. L. & F. De Saram
- Sri Lanka: HCCH conventions in force (Apostille Convention not listed), Hague Conference on Private International Law
- Inward Investment Account: Directions No. 15 of 2021 under the Foreign Exchange Act No. 12 of 2017 (sources in sending money to buy property).
- Land (Restrictions on Alienation) Act No. 38 of 2014 (sources in can a foreigner buy land in Sri Lanka).
- Perch & Acre price snapshot of 3 November 2026: south coast land median LKR 907,856 per perch (n = 160). US dollar figures at LKR 332.6 per US dollar.
General information, not legal advice. Laws and rates change; confirm every point with your own Sri Lankan lawyer before you pay a deposit.
