Sri Lanka
Make employment in Sri Lanka easy. Let us handle payroll, benefits, taxes, compliance, and even stock options for your team in Sri Lanka, all in one easy-to-use platform.
- Capital City
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (legislative) Colombo (executive and judicial)
- Currency
Sri Lankan rupee (Rs, LKR)
- Languages
Sinhala, Tamil, and English
- Population size
21,803,000
Facts & Stats
- Capital City
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (legislative) Colombo (executive and judicial)
- Currency
Sri Lankan rupee (Rs, LKR)
- Languages
Sinhala, Tamil, and English
- Population size
21,803,000
- Ease of doing business
Medium
- Cost of living index
31.18 (2021)
- Payroll frequency
Monthly
- VAT - standard rate
8%
- GDP - real growth rate
2.3% (2019)
The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is an island nation just off the coast of India, famous for its rich cultural heritage, unique biodiversity, and a long history of tea production. The natural beauty of Sri Lanka is becoming more of a magnet for tourists and digital nomads as the cost of living is relatively low (especially when you factor in the allure of the pristine beaches in the nation’s south). Sri Lanka has one of Asia’s most literate populations, the education system is strong, and English is widely spoken, so global employers should consider this country’s top talent.
Grow your team in Sri Lanka with Remote
Want to hire employees in Sri Lanka? Companies hiring in Sri Lanka are typically required to either own a local legal entity or work with a global employment platform like Remote that can legally provide employment services in the country.
Remote can employ team members in Sri Lanka and keep you compliant. Remote can hire, onboard, and pay your Sri Lanka team so you don't have to set up local HR services in the region. Remote also makes it easy to pay contractors in Sri Lanka. now to get started or talk to an expert for more details.
Risks of misclassification
Sri Lanka, like many other countries, treats self-employed individuals or contractors and full-time employees differently. Misclassification of contractors in Sri Lanka may lead to fines and penalties for the offending company.
Employing in Sri Lanka
Provisions for employee protections and workers’ rights in Sri Lanka are spelled out across several government statutes, such as:
The Shop and Office Employees Act of 1956
The Factory Ordinance
The Minimum Wage Ordinance, and
The Maternity Benefits Ordinance
Employees in Sri Lanka enjoy protection against discrimination based on age, religion, gender expression, and race.
Common questions that could come up during the hiring process include the minimum wage, overtime rates, and guaranteed paid time off. Remote can help you offer a complete, competitive, and compliant benefits package to your employees in Sri Lanka.
Minimum Wage
Effective 3rd September 2024, monthly salary to Rs. 21,000 (±70 USD), which includes a basic wage of Rs. 17,500 and allowances totaling Rs. 3,500.
Onboarding Time
We can help you get a new employee started in Sri Lanka fast. The minimum onboarding time we need is only 18 working days.
Our team ensures your employees are onboarded and paid as quickly as possible while keeping your business compliant with all local employment legislation. The minimum onboarding time begins after the employee submits all required information onto the Remote platform. The onboarding timeline is also dependent upon registration with local authorities.
For all non-nationals of the country of employment, the Right to Work assessment (if applicable) will add three extra days to the total time to onboard. There may be extra time required if we need to follow-up on the right to work assessment.
Please note, payroll cut-off dates can impact the actual first day of employment. Remote has a payroll cut-off date of the 10th of the month unless otherwise specified.
23 Public holidays
Effortless HR Sri Lanka: Take the Tour
Competitive benefits package in Sri Lanka
At Remote, we’re passionate about helping you craft the best possible employee experience for your team. We are leading the way in developing globally competitive benefits programs. This means making sure employees everywhere have access to both the required and supplemental benefits they need to thrive, and that your company has the localized expertise needed to attract and keep the best global talent.
Our benefits packages in Sri Lanka are tailored to fulfill the local needs of employees. Typically, our packages contain some or all of the following benefits:
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Mental Health Support
Pension or 401(K)
Life and Disability Insurance
Transparent Pricing in Sri Lanka
Employer of Record
$599
paid annually, or $699/month paid monthly
Top features
Hire without opening a local entity
Guided onboarding
Local payroll paid on time, every time
Built-in security and compliance
Flexible, localized benefits
Offer equity incentives with tax assistance
Dedicated experts for local support
Contractor Management
$29
per contractor/month
Top features
Only pay for contractors you actively work with
Work with international contractors
Create, edit, and sign tailored, localized contracts
Approve contractor invoices with one click or auto-pay
Transparent payments with complete visibility
Payroll
$29
per employee/month
Top features
Powerful, transparent international payroll
Simple self-service platform
Personalized support from dedicated specialists
Adhere to local payroll regulations in every country
Integrated payroll, expense management, and HRIS solution
HRIS
$18
per employee/month
Top features
Guided onboarding and offboarding
Employee profile and document management
Contract templates and e-signing
Time off and time tracking
Expense management
Employee and manager self-serve experience
Mobile app