Sri Lanka Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in Sri Lanka, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals.
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Licensing Requirements for Professional Services
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Sri Lanka restricts market access for foreign professionals. Employment of foreign personnel is permitted only when there is a demonstrated shortage of qualified local labor. Intracompany transferees may work in foreign companies, with approval granted on a case-by-case basis.

Medical Specialists: Foreign medical specialists may offer health care services in hospitals approved by the Board of Investment (BOI), subject to a strict registration process. The Sri Lanka Medical Council issues temporary licenses for such personnel.

Lawyers:  Sri Lanka does not operate a limited license scheme for foreign lawyers. Foreign lawyers may qualify as Sri Lankan lawyers, work as employees, or practice outside the scope of reserved legal services. Individuals should consult the Sri Lanka Bar Association for current requirements on practicing law in the country.

Check information on practicing law in Sri Lanka.

Accounting:  Sri Lanka has an active accounting profession based on the British model. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka issues national accounting standards, which are regularly updated to reflect international accounting and audit standards. KPMG, Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Deloitte are present in Sri Lanka; their offices are staffed by Sri Lankan nationals. Foreigners generally cannot provide accounting services in Sri Lanka.

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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