Visa policy of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is an independent, democratic and secular country that requires all foreigners to obtain permission, specifically a visa, to enter its territory. Visas are issued by Bangladesh diplomatic missions located throughout the world or, if applicable, on arrival in Bangladesh. Genuine tourists, investors in Bangladesh, and business travellers can get a Visa On Arrival in Bangladesh, if travelling with all of the following:

  • US $500 or €500 in cash/credit;
  • an eligible passport which is valid for at least 6 months after arrival in Bangladesh;
  • printout of a return/onward air ticket or international train ticket or international bus ticket;
  • printout of a booking, with a hotel or a tour company in Bangladesh, valid for the entire duration of the intended stay in Bangladesh; or an invitation letter from a business or a company operating in Bangladesh; or the contact details of Bangladeshi close relatives, residing in Bangladesh, who are expecting and will vouch for the visa seeker;
  • and entering Bangladesh by air, sea or road but not on a train.

The Visa On Arrival fee must be paid only in cash in US dollars or Euros when entering Bangladesh and the cost per person is US $51 or €51, with all taxes included. The maximum duration of this single-entry Visa On Arrival is 30 days and it can be extended for an additional 30 days. Applicants can apply for the extension of the Visa On Arrival up to a week before visa expiry but not sooner. Visa extensions are available at the Department of Immigration and Passports located in Shere-E-Bangla Nagar, West Agargaon, Dhaka City.[1] It is just adjacent to the main Dhaka Passport Office building in Agargaon. Most diplomats can get a Visa On Arrival in Bangladesh if travelling with a diplomatic passport. The issuance of a Visa On Arrival in Bangladesh is at the sole discretion of the immigration official at the port of entry in Bangladesh. Travellers who wish to enter Bangladesh for any purpose other than tourism, investment or business, and all foreigners who are not visa exempt, need a valid Bangladeshi visa beforehand to enter Bangladesh. Regular visas are available at all Consulates, Embassies and High Commissions of Bangladesh worldwide. A regular visa is usually a multiple-entry visa valid up to 60 months, unlike a Visa On Arrival, which is just a single-entry visa valid up to 30 days. All these visas can be extended or renewed at the Department of Immigration and Passports in Dhaka City.

Visa policy map
  Bangladesh
  Visa free
  Specifically designated as "visa on arrival" eligible
  Visa on arrival (de facto)
  Visa required in advance (Specifically designated as "visa on arrival" ineligible)
  Admission refused[2]

Visa exemption

Citizens of the following 23 countries are exempt from visa requirement for visits up to 90 days:[3]

Visa on arrival
Visa on arrival issued at Shahjalal International Airport

According to data provided by IATA, the following countries are specifically listed as countries whose citizens can obtain visa on arrival for the purpose of official duty, business, investment and tourism regardless of the Bangladeshi mission status:[3][4]

On 31 March 2021, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh posted on the official facebook page that on a basis of reciprocity, Bangladesh has offered “Free Visit Visa” facility to Indonesian nationals.

On 2 May 2021, the Indonesian Embassy in Dhaka confirmed the news on the official page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia.

It is elaborated that Indonesian citizens are now able to visit Bangladesh with free-of-charge visa on arrival facility.[5]


Other countries require a visa to enter Bangladesh but in fact, there is no exact data on this.

However, according to Henry & Partners and the Passport Index, citizens of the following countries are known to require a visa: [6]

1 — unless they are residing in a country without a Bangladeshi representation

Israel

Entry and transit is refused to Israeli nationals.[7]

No Visa Required seal/vignette

Bangladesh missions provide a No Visa Required (NVR) seal or vignette (sticker) for citizens of Bangladesh who have a foreign passport and dual nationality, as well as to non-Bangladeshis who are the legally married spouses or children of citizens of Bangladesh.[8][9] The NVR is placed on a blank page in the applicant's foreign passport. It is either in the form of a seal or a vignette (sticker), although the seal version is being phased out and replaced by the vignette. This NVR allows the passport holder to travel to Bangladesh an unlimited number of times without any restrictions on duration, or limits on entry, throughout the validity of the passport containing the NVR.[10] The guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs do not explicitly indicate whether the spousal NVR entitlement only applies to opposite-sex couples.[8] The NVR is valid until the expiry of the non-Bangladeshi passport the NVR is in. Once this passport expires, a new NVR can be placed in a new passport of the same person by showing the previous expired passport containing the expired NVR.[9]

Non-ordinary passports

Additionally, only holders of diplomatic and official passports of the following countries do not require visas for 30 days unless otherwise noted:

A visa waiver agreement was signed with  Brunei for holders of diplomatic and official passports in April 2019.[11] A visa waiver agreement was signed with  Oman for holders of diplomatic and official passports in March 2022. [12]

  •  Serbia and  Bangladesh signed an agreement of abolishing visas for diplomatic and service passports on 25th of may 2022. [13]

2020 pandemic travel restrictions

During the COVID-19 pandemic, visa on arrival was no longer available for persons who had previously visited China, Iran, Italy or South Korea. The same policy was imposed on all nationals of China.[14]

Visa on arrival resumed after the pandemic

Visa on arrival resumed after the pandemic by the letter No. 56.00.0000.041.01.002.22-59 of the Security Service Division, Ministry of Home Affairs, dated 17 May 2022, effective immediately.[15]

See also
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Bangladesh.

References
  1. "Visa Information". Embassy of Bangladesh, Washington, D.C. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  2. "National Israel (IL) / Destination Bangladesh (BD)". IATA TimaticWeb. IATA. 16 February 2015. Archived from the original on 26 July 2014.
  3. "Visa and passport". Timatic. International Air Transport Association through Emirates. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  4. "Visa Policy of Bangladesh: Visa on Arrival". Bangladesh Tourism Board. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  5. "Bangladesh Berikan Fasilitas Visa on Arrival bagi WNI". The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Dhaka. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  6. "Compare Destinations".
  7. "Aeronautical Information Publication" (PDF). Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh. 2 December 2021.
  8. পাসপোর্টে “No Visa Required for Travel of Bangladesh” সীল প্রদান প্রসংগে (PDF) (in Bengali). The Ministry of Home Affairs, Bangladesh Government. Retrieved 21 April 2019 – via Embassy of Bangladesh, Denmark.
  9. "No Visa Required (NVR) for NRBs". Embassy of Bangladesh, Germany. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  10. "Instructions and Requirements for NVR (No Visa Required)". Embassy of Bangladesh, Washington DC. Archived from the original on 27 April 2019.
  11. "Focus on reciprocal investments". The Independent. 24 April 2019. Archived from the original on 24 April 2019.
  12. "Oman, Bangladesh sign agreement on mutual visa waiver".
  13. "Историјска посета министра Селаковића Бангладешу".
  14. CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK - UPDATE 14.03.2020, International Air Transport Association
  15. "Bangladesh visa on arrival in 2023: Everything you need to know about". 8 June 2023.
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