Just Landed in Sri Lanka? Your First 7 Days

Mobile data is cheap, fast and the default way people get online in Sri Lanka; 4G covers Colombo and most towns well, with patchier coverage in the hill country, the far north and remote areas. Dialog and SLT-Mobitel have the widest reach. Home fibre and ADSL are available in cities through SLT-Mobitel and Dialog, but installation and activation can realistically take several days to a couple of weeks, so start the process as soon as you have an address.

Typical cost: Prepaid tourist SIM LKR 1,300-2,500; monthly data-heavy prepaid packs around LKR 1,000-3,000; home fibre from about LKR 3,000-6,000 per month depending on speed and provider.

Sri Lanka runs largely on cash despite growing card acceptance in Colombo malls, hotels and supermarkets. Keep physical rupees for markets, tuk-tuks, small restaurants and any rural travel; Visa and Mastercard work at larger outlets, and LANKAQR code payments are spreading, but neither is universal. Withdraw enough for a week at a time so you are not caught out by an empty ATM or a cash-only vendor.

Opening an account: Foreigners can open a rupee resident account or a foreign-currency (NRFC) account once they hold a residence visa; Commercial Bank, Sampath Bank, Hatton National Bank (HNB) and Bank of Ceylon (BOC) are the most foreigner-friendly and have English-speaking staff. Bring your passport, visa, proof of address and, usually, an employer or sponsor letter. Expect the process to take a visit or two, and ask about mobile and internet banking at sign-up.

Cash: Cash dominates daily life. Withdraw enough for weekly expenses, keep small denominations for tuk-tuks and street vendors who cannot break large notes, and expect ATMs to occasionally run empty or cap withdrawals around LKR 40,000-100,000 per transaction. Carrying a modest cash reserve at home for emergencies is normal.

Tipping: Tipping is appreciated but modest. Round up or leave about 10 percent in restaurants if no service charge is already added, tip LKR 100-500 for hotel and tour staff, and it is common to round up tuk-tuk and delivery fares for good service rather than to tip a fixed amount.

There is no general local address-registration requirement for arriving expats, and no town-hall step to complete on arrival. If you hold a residence visa you deal with the Department of Immigration and Emigration for all visa matters, and long-stay foreigners register, extend or renew their visa through that department rather than registering a home address. Hotels and licensed guesthouses log foreign guests with the authorities as a matter of course, so as a short-term visitor you have nothing extra to do. Your single most important obligation is to keep your visa valid and never overstay, as fines and complications at departure follow quickly.

Where: Department of Immigration and Emigration, Suhurupaya, Battaramulla (near Colombo), for all visa and residence matters.

Getting around means tuk-tuks (three-wheelers), ride-hailing apps, buses and trains. In Colombo, app-based tuk-tuks and cars are cheap and reliable and remove any haggling; intercity trains are famously scenic, especially the Kandy-to-Ella hill line, but slow, so book reserved seats ahead for long journeys. Long-distance buses are frequent, cheap and often crowded. Driving yourself is possible but chaotic, so most newcomers rely on apps and hired drivers at first.

From the airport: Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) is about 35 km north of Colombo. A PickMe or Uber car runs roughly LKR 3,000-5,000 and takes 45-75 minutes using the Airport Expressway (E03), which cuts the journey considerably. Cheaper alternatives include the airport shuttle and public buses, though these are slower and less convenient with luggage.

Expats mostly rent furnished apartments or houses in Colombo suburbs (Colombo 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7) or in coastal towns such as Mount Lavinia and the south around Galle and Unawatuna. Listings appear on ikman.lk and LankaPropertyWeb, in Facebook groups and through local agents, but word of mouth and WhatsApp still surface many of the best places before they are advertised. View in person where possible and confirm the backup power, water and internet situation.

Typical rent: A furnished one- to two-bedroom flat in central Colombo runs roughly LKR 100,000-250,000 per month; upmarket or serviced apartments cost considerably more, while suburbs, coastal towns and smaller cities are cheaper. Prices for foreign tenants are sometimes quoted higher, so compare a few options before committing.

Deposit norm: Landlords commonly ask for several months' rent upfront. Advance-plus-deposit arrangements of one to three months are typical, and annual lump-sum payments are still common, especially outside serviced buildings, so negotiate the split, the notice period and who pays for maintenance carefully and get everything in writing.

Public hospitals are free but crowded and under-resourced, so expats overwhelmingly use private hospitals in Colombo such as Nawaloka, Asiri, Lanka Hospitals and Durdans, where care is good, waiting times are short and English is spoken. Pharmacies are widespread and many medicines are sold over the counter, though you should bring a supply and the generic names of any regular prescriptions, as brands and availability vary.

How to access it: For non-emergencies, book directly with a private hospital or channel (book) a specialist through its outpatient department, either by walking in or through apps like oDoc for a video consultation. In an emergency, call the free Suwa Seriya ambulance on 1990, which is fast and reliable in populated areas, or go straight to a private hospital's emergency unit if you can travel safely yourself.

Insurance: There is no free care for foreigners at private hospitals, so arrange private or international health insurance before or immediately on arrival. Pay-as-you-go treatment is affordable by Western standards for minor issues, but the cost of surgery, an extended admission or medical evacuation adds up quickly, which is exactly what insurance is for.

• Remove your shoes and cover your shoulders and knees before entering temples, and never turn your back to a Buddha statue to take a photo.
• Use your right hand for eating, giving and receiving, as the left hand is traditionally considered unclean.
• Dress modestly away from beaches and resorts, and greet elders, monks and officials with extra politeness.
• Read the head movement: a gentle side-to-side wobble usually means yes, agreement or acknowledgement rather than no.
• Ask permission before photographing people, monks or religious sites, and put your camera away when asked.
• Accept offers of tea or food graciously where you can, as hospitality is central and refusing outright can seem cold.
• Learn a few words of Sinhala or Tamil such as a greeting and thank you, which locals appreciate warmly and which smooths daily interactions.

• Alcohol sales are restricted on poya (full-moon) days and some public holidays, when bars and liquor shops close and meat may vanish from menus, so plan ahead.
• Disrespecting Buddhism, including tattoos, clothing or gestures depicting or mocking the Buddha, is taken very seriously and has led to detention or deportation of foreigners.
• Public displays of affection are frowned upon, and LGBTQ+ residents should note that same-sex relations remain technically criminalised, though prosecutions are rare and discreet couples generally live without issue.
• Turning your back on or standing above a Buddha statue for a photograph is considered deeply offensive and is best avoided entirely.
• Political and ethnic topics can be sensitive given the country's history, so listen more than you opine until you understand the context.