Hosting a paid yoga retreat on a standard tourist visa
2 Answers from travellers
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No, this is a direct violation of Sri Lankan immigration law. A tourist ETA explicitly prohibits the holder from engaging in any form of business, employment, or paid work. Hosting a retreat for profit requires you to have a proper business or resident visa, and often requires registering the business with a local partner. Doing this on a tourist visa can lead to immediate deportation.
The authorities have been heavily cracking down on this on the south coast recently. They actively check Instagram and Facebook for unauthorized retreats run by foreigners.
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Someone befriends you and offers a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to buy gems at wholesale prices and resell them abroad for huge profit. They may show you fake export certificates. The gems are worthless glass or low-quality stones.
Restaurants without visible prices. Bill arrives with inflated charges (500 LKR coconut becomes 1500 LKR). "Service charges" added without disclosure.
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