01/02/2022
This is to inform you of a regulatory change made by the Sri Lankan Government regarding Foreign Currency Exchange.
All foreign passport holders are now required to settle all their purchases in foreign currency during their stay in Sri Lanka. This applies to hotels, restaurants as well as any other shops.
The travelers have the option of paying for goods and services in Sri Lankan Rupees only if they are able to produce the receipt of foreign exchange with an authorized money exchange.
However, since retaining these receipts is inconvenient to most tourists, we would recommend that clients use their credit cards for most of their purchases.
We believe that this is anyway the preferred method of payment for a majority of the tourists.
Furthermore, it is advisable to only exchange the currency requirement for things such as gratuities, tuk tuk rides etc. to avoid being stuck with too much of local currency.