Covid-19 - Amendments to Foreign Exchange Regulations Concerning Inward and Outward remittances
2019新型冠状病毒 - 政府通知 - 关于汇款汇入汇出的外汇条例修正案

Amendments to Foreign Exchange Regulations


The Minister of Finance, Economic and Policy Development has with a view to inter-alia maintaining foreign currency reserves, amended Foreign Exchange (Classes of Capital Transactions in Foreign Exchange Carried on by Authorized Dealers) Regulations No. 1 of 2017 published in the Gazette Extraordinary Notification No. 2045/56 dated 17.11.2017 issued under the Foreign Exchange Act No. 12 of 2017 (FEA) with the objective of regulating the outflow of foreign exchange by imposing restrictions on the permitted outflow of foreign exchange whilst enabling control free inward remittances with waiver of otherwise applicable conditions. Remittances from Outward Investment Accounts which facilitates ‘permitted investments’ by persons’ resident in Sri Lanka to include investment in shares, debt securities, sovereign bonds and establishing of an overseas company of a Sri Lankan company being limited, with a ‘Special Deposit Account’ being established to facilitate inward remittances.
财政、经济和政策发展部部长为了维持外汇储备,修订了2017年第1号《外汇条例(经授权交易商进行的外汇资本交易类别)》(2017年11月17日第2045/56号特别通告,根据2017年第12号《外汇法》发布,目的是通过对允许的外汇外流施加限制,同时允许自由控制外汇流入,并豁免其他适用条件,从而规范外汇外流。《对外投资账户汇款》为斯里兰卡居民的“允许投资”提供了便利,包括投资于股票、债务证券、主权债券和设立斯里兰卡有限公司的海外公司,并设立了“特殊存款账户”,以便汇入汇款



In terms of Gazette (Extraordinary) No.2169/3 dated 02.04.2020 issued under the FEA effective as of 02.04.2020 for a period of 03 months:
根据外汇法于2020年4月2日发布的第2169/3号公报(特别),自2020年4月2日开始生效,为期3个月


  • (I) The general permission granted under the FEA and regulations for outward remittances via an Outward Remittance Account (OIA) held by a person resident in Sri Lanka stands suspended, excluding investments to be financed out of a foreign currency loan obtained by the investor from a person resident outside Sri Lanka under the provisions of the FEA or investments to be made to fulfil the regulatory requirement in that country
    根据外汇法法律法规,暂停执行对斯里兰卡境内居民通过境外汇款账户对外汇款的一般许可,但不包括投资者根据外汇法的规定从斯里兰卡境外居民那里获得的外币贷款或为满足该国监管要求而进行的投资

  • (II) The general permission granted under the FEA and regulations for outward remittances a Business Foreign Currency Account (BFCA) or a Personal Foreign Currency Account (PFCA) held by persons’ resident in Sri Lanka stand suspendedm, excluding, investments to be financed out of a foreign currency loan obtained by the investor from a person resident outside Sri Lanka under the provisions of the FEA or investments to be made to fulfil the regulatory requirement in that country provided that, the Head of Department of Foreign Exchange is satisfied with the fulfilment of such requirement
    根据外汇法和法规,暂停对斯里兰卡居民持有的商业外币账户(BFCA)或个人外币账户(PFCA)对外汇款给予的一般许可,但不包括投资者根据外汇法的规定从斯里兰卡境外居民那里获得的外币贷款或为满足斯里兰卡监管要求而进行的投资,但条件是外汇部主管认为已达到上述要求

  • The general permission granted under the FEA and regulations for repatriation of funds under the migration allowance through Capital Transactions Rupee Accounts(CTRA) by emigrants who have already claimed a migration allowance under the general permission granted under the relevant Regulation stands suspended; with restrictions on the limit of the migration allowance for emigrants who are claiming the migration allowance for the first time up to a maximum of US$ 30,000 and not US$ 200,000 as was otherwise the authorised maximum.
    根据外汇法和法规,暂停对已根据有关条例规定申请移民津贴的移民通过资本交易卢比账户(CTRA)将移民津贴资金汇回国内的一般许可;对首次申请移民津贴的移民,限额其移民津贴最高限额为30,000美元,而不是原来授权的最高限额200,000美元

  • The authority of the Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka is limited to grant special permission for investments on case by case basis, exceeding the limits specified in the general permission, only in instances of being satisfied of the criteria (I) and (II) above;
    斯里兰卡中央银行货币委员会只有在符合上述标准(I)和(II)的情况下,才有权根据个案情况给予特别许可,批准超过一般许可规定的限额的投资

  • The restrictions shall apply to only the identified capital transactions and not in respect of already permitted current transactions.
    这些限制仅适用于已确定的资本交易,而不适用于已获准的现有交易


In terms of Gazette (Extraordinary) No.2170/4 dated 08.04.2020 issued under the FEA effective as of 08.04.2020 for a period of 06 months:
根据外汇法于2020年4月8日发布的第2170/4号公报(特别),自2020年4月8日开始生效,为期6个月



  • Any Sri Lankan individual resident in or outside Sri Lanka to include Dual Citizens, Citizens of other States with Sri Lankan origin, non- nationals resident in or outside Sri Lanka, any person resident outside Sri Lanka including funds, corporate bodies, associations and other well-wishers, are permitted to open and maintain an account titled “Special Deposit Account” ( SDA) in the form of Term Deposits either as an individual or joint deposit, in any designated foreign currency or in Sri Lanka Rupees with a Licensed Specialised Bank or the National Savings Bank in Sri Lanka. Funds to such account will require to be inward remittances routed through the banking system with permission granted to any person having an Inward Investment Account (IIA) or an account at the Offshore Banking Unit (OBU) with a Licensed Specialised Bank in Sri Lanka being to remit funds through such accounts to the credit of the Special Deposit Account.
    任何居住在斯里兰卡境内或境外的斯里兰卡人,包括双重国籍公民、有斯里兰卡血统的其他国家的公民、居住在斯里兰卡境内或境外的非兰卡公民、居住在斯里兰卡境外的任何人,包括基金、法人团体、协会或其他善意者,允许以个人或联合存款的形式,以任何指定的外币或斯里兰卡卢比在斯里兰卡的持牌专业银行或国家储蓄银行开立和维持一个名为“特殊存款账户”的定期存款账户。这类账户的资金必须通过银行系统汇入,并允许斯里兰卡的持牌专业银行开立境内投资账户或在离岸银行业务部门开立账户的任何人通过这些账户将资金汇入特殊存款账户

    [For the purpose of this provision ‘designated foreign currencies’ shall mean United States Dollars (USD), Euro, Sterling Pound, Australian Dollars, Singapore Dollars, Swedish Kroner, Swiss Franc, Canadian Dollars, Hong Kong Dollars, Japanese Yen, Danish Kroner, Norwegian Kroner, Chinese Renminbi and New Zealand Dollars]
    在本规定中,“指定外币”是指美元、欧元、英镑、澳元、新加坡元、瑞典克朗、瑞士法郎、加元、港币、日元、丹麦克朗、挪威克朗、人民币和新西兰元

    The SDA shall be held for a minimum tenure of 06 months from date of deposit and upon maturity be convertible and be repatriated (if relevant) with no special approval required; interest payable shall be calculated at 1 percentage point and 2 percentage points per annum above the deposit interest rates otherwise applicable at the relevant time for a tenure of 6 months and 12 months, respectively, payable at maturity.
    特殊存款账户的最低存起为6个月,自存款之日起计算,到期后可予兑换和返还(如有需要),无需特别批准;到期应付利息按年利率上浮1个百分点和2个百分点计算,分别为6个月和12个月,到期时应支付

  • SDA’s will be exempted from any procedural requirements specified in the above mentioned Foreign Exchange (Classes of Capital Transactions in Foreign Exchange Carried on by Authorized Dealers) Regulations No. 1 to include the requirement to have all inward remittances for capital transactions and returns thereon to be routed via an Inward Investment Account (IIA) established by the foreign investor with a licensed Specialised Bank in Sri Lanka.
    特殊存款账户将不受上述外汇法(授权交易商进行的外汇资本交易类别)第1号条例中规定的任何程序性要求的限制,包括要求所有资本交易的汇款汇入和汇款必须通过外国投资者在斯里兰卡的持牌专业银行开立的境内投资账户(IIA)进行

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