Workers from Sri Lanka.
English and qualifications as standard

Sri Lanka has the highest literacy rate in South Asia (around 92%) and a well-developed national vocational qualification system (NVQ). English is a link language used in schools, administration and the entire tourism industry, so candidates communicate noticeably better than the regional average. It is the right direction for companies that value calm, structured teams and roles involving guest contact or English-language instructions – hotels, catering, manufacturing, warehousing and construction.

1) Needs analysis, quotation and contract with a demand letter, 2) recruitment and verification of candidates in Colombo and Kandy – experience, references and NVQ certificates, 3) type A work permit at the voivodeship office, 4) contract registration with the SLBFE (Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment), medical checks and a national D visa, 5) arrival from Colombo, accommodation, registration of residence, PESEL number and onboarding.

Realistically 4–5 months from signing the contract to the first day at work. The longest stage is the work permit (usually 30–60 days), and on the Sri Lankan side the contract registration with the SLBFE and the visa appointment. For larger groups the stages overlap, so later batches arrive faster.

The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment is the state body supervising the foreign employment of Sri Lankan citizens. Every overseas contract must be registered with it, and the worker completes mandatory pre-departure training and is covered by state migrant insurance. For the employer this is a real advantage: contract documentation is formalised and the risk of dishonest intermediaries on the sending side is significantly lower.

English has the status of a link language in Sri Lanka and is present in schools, public administration and the whole tourism sector. Candidates from hospitality and catering often speak fluently, production candidates at a communicative level. We always verify the level during the interview and describe it in the candidate profile; for larger groups we appoint a team leader who acts as an interpreter.

The basis is the national NVQ framework (levels 1–7) supervised by TVEC, with training delivered by NAITA and VTA – for welders, electricians, mechanics, machine operators, tailors, cooks and hospitality staff. On top of that come references from contracts in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, South Korea and Israel. We verify qualifications with documents before presenting a candidate.

Hospitality and catering above all (thanks to English and a service culture), the garment industry and light manufacturing, food production and processing, warehousing and logistics, and construction and finishing works. They also perform well in agriculture and horticulture – this is an economy built on tea, rubber and spices.

The budget consists of official fees in Poland (type A work permit, visa and service fees), costs on the Sri Lankan side (SLBFE contract registration, pre-departure training, medical checks, document legalisation), the flight from Colombo and the agency fee. We present a precise calculation for the specific role and headcount before the process starts – with no hidden items.

Yes. Pay and other employment conditions must be no worse than for Polish employees in a comparable role – it is a condition for issuing the work permit and a point checked by the Labour Inspectorate and the Border Guard.

The standard is accommodation provided by the employer or the agency. We arrange flights from Colombo, airport transfer, housing that meets sanitary requirements, residence registration, a PESEL number and a bank account. We also suggest simple cultural solutions: access to a kitchen and spices, vegetarian options and accounting for Buddhist and Tamil holidays in the roster.

Noticeably better English and a higher level of general education, a strong hospitality and catering profile, and a formal, state-supervised departure procedure (SLBFE). In exchange, the candidate pool is smaller than in India or Bangladesh – this is a direction for teams of five to thirty people rather than for filling a hundred positions at once.

Within the agreed trial period we provide a free replacement. Throughout the contract one coordinator looks after your company and the team, reacting to issues before they turn into turnover.