Register a company in Sri Lanka from abroad
For foreign investors and Sri Lankans living overseas. Start a private limited company in Sri Lanka, up to 100% foreign owned, without travelling here. We handle the name check, registration, remote signing, tax registration and bank paperwork.
2,100+ businesses set up with Bizadvisor
- Name approved
- Documents signed from London
- Certificate of incorporation
- Tax registration (TIN)
- Bank resolution
Company registration for foreigners and Sri Lankans overseas
United Kingdom · Australia · UAE · United States · Canada · India · China · Singapore · Germany · and anywhere else. Foreign ownership rules
Everything handled remotely
The things that would normally need you in Sri Lanka, done for you from here.
- Remote signing
- We email the incorporation documents. You print, sign, scan and send them back from wherever you are.
- Courier of originals
- When an original signed document is needed, you courier it to our office and we take it from there.
- Tax registration (TIN)
- Your company's Taxpayer Identification Number registered with the Inland Revenue Department.
- Bank account resolution
- The board resolution your bank asks for to open the company's account, prepared and signed.
- Company secretary
- Every Sri Lankan company needs a secretary. Bizadvisor acts as yours, keeps the records and files the annual return.
- WhatsApp and email first
- Everything can be handled in writing, so you never need a phone call during Sri Lankan office hours.
Can a foreigner own a company in Sri Lanka?
A person resident outside Sri Lanka can hold shares in a Sri Lankan company under the Companies Act, No. 7 of 2007. How much depends on what the company does.
Most businesses
IT and software, consulting and professional services, export and most manufacturing can be fully foreign owned.
Capped sectors
Education, mass communication, freight forwarding, travel and shipping agencies, and growing tea, rubber, coconut and spices. A higher share needs Board of Investment approval.
Excluded sectors
Pawn broking, coastal fishing, and retail trade with less than USD 5 million of foreign capital.
Not sure where your business fits? Read the guide to registering a company in Sri Lanka as a foreigner, or ask us and we confirm it on the first call.
How to register a company in Sri Lanka from overseas
Five steps, all done from where you live. We keep you updated at each one.
- 1
Check your name
OnlineSearch the Registrar's database with our free name check.
- 2
Get a quote and pay
By cardTell us about your directors and shareholders. We send an itemised quote, and you pay by card.
- 3
Fill in the form
OnlineDirectors, shareholders, share capital and the company's Sri Lankan address, filled in online.
- 4
Sign remotely
Email and courierPrint, sign, scan and return the documents. Originals go by courier if they are needed.
- 5
Get incorporated
Bizadvisor portalYou receive the certificate of incorporation and follow everything else from the Bizadvisor portal.
A quote for your company
Registering from abroad is quoted per company, based on your directors, shareholders and the remote services you need. We send an itemised quote, and you pay by card.
- Name reservation and company registration
- Remote signing, and courier of originals when needed
- Tax registration (TIN)
- Bank account resolution
- Bizadvisor as your company secretary
Prefer to do it yourself? Register online.
Common questions
Can a foreigner register a company in Sri Lanka?
Yes. A person resident outside Sri Lanka can own up to 100% of a Sri Lankan private limited company in most sectors, under the Companies Act, No. 7 of 2007. A few sectors are capped at 40% or closed to foreign shareholders. Foreign ownership rules in full.
Do I need to travel to Sri Lanka to register a company?
No. The documents are signed remotely and sent back by email, with originals going by courier when they are needed.
Does the company need a Sri Lankan director?
Director requirements depend on your company and its shareholders, so we confirm them on your first call. Every company also needs a company secretary, and Bizadvisor acts as yours.
Does anyone need to be in Sri Lanka?
Three things need a local presence. The company secretary, which Bizadvisor provides. The authorised person for beneficial ownership, who must be a person physically resident in Sri Lanka under section 130C of the Companies Act. And a registered address in Sri Lanka. What needs someone in Sri Lanka.
What documents do foreign directors and shareholders need?
A copy of your passport, your residential address, and an email address and phone number. Sri Lankans living abroad can use their NIC instead of a passport. Full list of registration documents.
How does a foreign shareholder pay for their shares?
Foreign money invested in a Sri Lankan company's shares goes through an Inward Investment Account (IIA) at a Sri Lankan bank, under the Foreign Exchange Act, No. 12 of 2017. We prepare the board resolution the bank asks for.
Do I need Board of Investment (BOI) approval?
Not for most companies. BOI approval is needed to go above 40% foreign ownership in a capped sector, or if you want to apply for BOI incentives.
How much does it cost to register a company from abroad?
We quote per company, based on your directors and shareholders and the remote services you need. Tell us about your company and we send an itemised quote, which you pay by card.
Can I register the company online myself?
Yes. On the Bizadvisor platform you check your company name, choose a package, add your foreign directors and shareholders, and pay by card, with no account or call needed. Your advisor then sends you the documents to sign remotely. Start your registration online.
I am a Sri Lankan living abroad. Is anything different for me?
If you hold a Sri Lankan NIC, you register as a director or shareholder the same way as someone living in Sri Lanka, with no foreign participation charge. The only difference is that we handle everything remotely.
Does the company need an address in Sri Lanka?
Yes. Every company must have a local Sri Lankan address, which the tax office, banks and customs will use. How to choose a registered address.
Can I open the company's bank account from abroad?
We prepare the board resolution the bank needs. Each bank sets its own rules on whether signatories must visit a branch, so we check with the bank you choose. How to open a company bank account.
Start your Sri Lankan company from abroad
Let us know your details, we will get back to you within 30 minutes.
- 1Send your detailsTell us what you need. It takes a minute.
- 2We call you backAn advisor gets back to you within 30 minutes.
- 3Get a clear planA free consultation and a quote, with no obligation.