Spouses, children and third-generation descendants of Sri Lankans applying for dual citizenship would receive it free of charge under a proposal in the 2027 Budget presented to Parliament on Thursday.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced the proposal as part of a new initiative to strengthen ties between Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan communities living overseas.
According to the Budget Speech, the government plans to introduce a “Global Sri Lankan Heritage Citizen” programme aimed at second- and third-generation members of the diaspora.
Under the proposed scheme, the spouses and children of dual citizenship applicants, as well as third-generation children, would be eligible for dual citizenship without paying the applicable fees.
The President said the initiative aims to connect the knowledge, skills and abilities of overseas Sri Lankans and their descendants with the country’s future development. The proposal also seeks to strengthen the relationship between younger generations of Sri Lankan origin abroad and their ancestral homeland.
The measure is one of several initiatives in the 2027 Budget to encourage greater engagement with Sri Lankans overseas. Further details on eligibility requirements and implementation are expected to be announced.
Background
Dual citizenship allows a person to hold Sri Lankan citizenship together with the citizenship of another country. In Sri Lanka, applications are handled by the Department of Immigration and Emigration, and applicants have until now been required to pay the applicable fees.
The Budget Speech does not say how many people the new programme could cover, what documents second- and third-generation applicants would need to show, or when it would begin. Those points are expected to be set out later, as the speech itself says that further details will be announced.
Budget proposals in Sri Lanka are first announced in the Budget Speech. Measures that need changes to law or regulations take effect only after the relevant approvals are given, so the scheme described on Thursday remains a proposal for now.
What it means
If the scheme is approved as announced, the spouses and children of Sri Lankans who apply for dual citizenship would no longer have to pay the fees that apply to such applications. The same would apply to third-generation children, such as grandchildren of Sri Lankans who live abroad.
Families with Sri Lankan roots in countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada, which are home to large Sri Lankan communities, may find the cost of keeping a formal link with Sri Lanka lower if the plan goes ahead. People who are considering applying should wait for the official eligibility rules and the application process, and check the current requirements on the Department of Immigration and Emigration website before submitting any documents.
