DFCC Bank has introduced Sri Lanka’s first automated teller machines and cash recycler machines (CRMs) that operate in eight languages, allowing international visitors and local customers to withdraw or deposit cash in the language most familiar to them, the Daily FT reported.

The machines support English, Sinhala, Tamil, French, Chinese, Russian, Hindi and German. Users select a language at the start of the transaction and follow on-screen instructions in that language.

The service is currently available in the arrivals area of Bandaranaike International Airport and at DFCC locations in Hiriketiya, Ella and Arugam Bay — three destinations that draw heavy foreign traveller traffic. The bank said a wider rollout across its countrywide network is planned, but did not give a timeline.

Cash recycler machines differ from conventional ATMs in that they accept deposits as well as dispensing cash, redistributing deposited notes to customers making withdrawals. That reduces the frequency of cash replenishment runs and eases pressure on branch counters.

Aimed at the tourism corridor

Placing the machines at the airport arrivals hall means the facility may be among a visitor’s first encounters with a Sri Lankan service provider. The bank framed the rollout around tourism, which continues to be a significant contributor to the economy. Sri Lanka welcomed 2.36 million visitors in 2025 and a further 1.15 million in the first six months of 2026, according to Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority figures cited in the report.

“Banking cannot be truly accessible if language remains a barrier,” DFCC Bank CEO Thimal Perera said. “Service beyond borders begins with understanding who is using the service and removing the barriers they face.”

For domestic customers, the same system allows self-service banking in Sinhala, Tamil or English.

The launch is the latest in a series of moves by the bank aimed at cross-border customers, following its AlfaNow remittance push targeting the Middle East and UAE.

Source: Daily FT — DFCC Bank breaks barriers with Sri Lanka’s first eight-language ATMs, CRMs.