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Why not purchase a ticket that has full refund available. Get the return ticket and once there and settled cash in the return leg. You can get return tickets which are good for 12 months.

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to get retired in Sri Lanka? It doesn't need a return ticket.

We’ll need to enter on an ETA visa before applying for the Dream Home Visa.

Can we get an ETA without a return ticket?

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Stumpy: we’ll be checking out your suggestion at the ticket office later today.

Many thanks to you both for your advices.

I spoke to the ETA . For an ETA You will be given only for 30 days visa. You will need the return ticket to apply for the visa. MUST!!
To my knowledge, as a first timer, you will not be able to extend your visa. But for the second time you can apply to extend. But pls verify with the number I gave to you.

We went to the air ticket office today to ask about open dated tickets & refunds and are keeping fingers firmly crossed.

If that doesn’t/can’t work we’ll probably buy an onward ticket to someplace close (Madras) and give it to the needy.

We’ve had so much help and messages from members on here that we’ll have to organize a tea party when we arrive – but with our present financial state I’m not so sure about the milk & sugar

Thank you everybody!

Could someone advise what are the income tax implications of being on the Retirement Visa in Sri Lanka please?

It looks as if 2.5% per annum tax will be deducted from interest on monies on deposit whilst on the Retirement Programme - does this sound right?

When I spoke to a lady at Standard Chartered the other day she told me no tax on our deposit interest.

Eeek, I haven’t even arrived yet & I’m an ‘expert’ already!

HELP!

I'm trying to get our ETA visa completed but am asked for the email address of our hotel.

We'll be staying at the Dammika Home Hotel in Mount Lavinia - I think their phone number is +94777309175.

If someone would be kind enough to give them a call (I tried but just couldn't communicate) they will live forever and people the earth with their offspring. Otherwise you'll have to settle for a beer or two when we arrive

Many thanks

If I am correct, what you need is a itinerary, not a confirmed ticket.
Friend of mine visit here during last July. She had only a one way ticket. She extended it for additional 60 days before moving to Canada.

You can get the visa filed and get the visa through new online interface at

Mal implied (above) that it was necessary to leave the country and return to activate the granting of the Retirement Visa, so a real ticket is necessary. Its a bit of a grey area still.

Thanks sounds like a very grey area indeed.
So we’ll have to re-enter and get ANOTHER ETA visa?
I think we’ll ticket Ukraine-Columbo-Madras and re-enter from Madras. To return to Ukraine would be a helluva journey!

Meanwhile does anyone have the email address for the Dammika Home Hotel in Mount Lavinia? (#9)

Thanks again for all your input.

Hi Jayce
leave me a message tomorrow if you still couldn't get to dammika hotel, I'll be around Mt lavinia tomorrow

Thank you, that is very kind of you indeed. I’m feeling as though we have friends in Sri Lanka already!
I’ve checked everywhere but can’t find their email address & I need it to complete the ETA visa application.
If you could send it via message or email ( jayceyukraine913@gmail.com ) I will be greatly in your debt.
It would be great to meet up with you when we arrive next month.
Regards Jaycey & Valentyna.

No problem you'll get it tomorrow,

Hi Jaycey
I spoke to the guy in Dammika Hotel twice, in the morning and afternoon. He said he is going to text me email I didn't get it yet. The phone no you mentioned is working.
Just put a different email address not the same you use for registering for ETA. take It easy

Your help is much appreciated – I am experiencing government communication problems already! How anyone can complete all these forms without inside help is quite beyond my understanding.
I’ll put dammikahomehotel@yahoo.com as a wild guess on the ETA application.

Now I learn that I must have an Import licence to bring our toy poodle (1.5kg) to Sri Lanka but have to give the telephone number of the importer on the application form. Again I’ll have to take a chance and put the telephone number of the hotel on the form. I wonder if they will check - there is no way she would survive quarantine.

Or would you mind if we put your phone number on the form – or would that mean that you would need to apply for an import licence? It never ends!!!

Am I right in assuming that you are an English expat in Colombo? We’ll be owing you more than a few beers by the time we arrive 

Cheers Jaycey

The 30 day quarantine is at your own premises/location not in a centre, according to this link.

Thanks for that - I surely hope so. I’ve just about given up trying to complete the form for importing a pet – ie. fax number is a mandatory field and we haven’t had a fax machine for 30 years!

Could you make yourself an email using part of the hotel name, so any correspondence goes straight to you? I get the impression is just they want to know where to contact you.

I'm not that clever - I'll just put in my own email address & see what happens.

Well that didn’t work but at least we got our ETA visas through today!

Now the only problem is paperwork for our tea cup poodle Mitzi weighing in at a massive 1.5kg. I thought of smuggling her in my pocket but probably not a great idea. All her paperwork & passport will be in order but we still need an import permit.

As said before the import permit application form requires names, addresses, fax numbers etc of the importer & the consignee but as we are bringing her in ourselves these don’t apply. Will there be a big hassle when we arrive at the airport without an import permit? It seems that if she has to be quarantined she will only be confined to the hotel. Am I missing something here?

Well the write-up I sent you said that she would be re-exported if you dont have your import permit, so beware - these things are not taken lightly. Immigration is very beaurocratic in Asia, so dont expect to bend any rules and talk your way out of lack of compliance.

My wife and I were told we required a return ticket but we flew from Oman on single tickets without any problems. We retired to Sri Lanka 3 months ago. As a British national I required a US dollar 15000 deposit in a bank from which I can use the interest and reclaim the money if I depart Sri Lanka for good and a monthly income of US dollar 2250 for both of us. Hope this helps

Toggy2408 - Did you get your visa just recently, or when you first started coming to SL please?

Tourist visa on arrival on 02 Jan 2015. Residency visa applied for end of Jan. Received 25th Feb 2015. All previous visas were tourist on arrival.

If you dont mind me asking, what type of bank account did they want to see? e.g. wealth i.e. can afford the USD 15k deposit, or monthly income i.e. pension of a certain level? I ask because I keep my accounts separate and have a running fund and various savings funds.

It was my UK account. Monthly income should be US 1500 which I proved by submitting a downloaded statement from my UK internet bank site. As you say you are in receipt of UK pensions. Are these paid into a UK bank or Malaysian. If a UK bank that should be all you need. By the way our visas are Dream Home scheme
Hope this helps