Visa policy of Bangladesh

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Bangladesh requires all foreigners to obtain permission 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:

  • an eligible passport which is valid for 6 months after arrival in Bangladesh;
  • carrying US$500 or €500 in cash/credit;
  • having a booking with a hotel or tour company in Bangladesh;
  • having a return/onward air ticket or international train ticket or international bus ticket;
  • 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 West Agargaon, Dhaka City.[1] The issuance of a Visa On Arrival 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 to enter Bangladesh. Most diplomats can get a Visa On Arrival in Bangladesh if travelling with a diplomatic passport.

Visa policy map[]

  Bangladesh
  Visa exempt
  Specifically designated as "visa on arrival" eligible
  Visa on arrival (conditions apply)
  Specifically designated as "visa on arrival" ineligible
  Admission refused[2]

Visa exemption[]

Citizens of the following 25 countries are exempt from visa requirement:[3]

  •  Barbados
  •  Bhutan
  •  Botswana
  •  Burkina Faso
  •  Fiji
  •  Gabon
  •  Gambia
  •  Ghana
  •  Grenada
  •  Guinea
  •  Guinea-Bissau
  •  Jamaica
  •  Lesotho
  •  Malawi
  •  Maldives
  •  Papua New Guinea
  •  Saint Kitts and Nevis
  •  Samoa
  •  Seychelles
  •  Sierra Leone
  •  Tanzania
  •  Tonga
  •  Zambia

Visa on arrival[]

Visa on arrival issued to a foreign citizen 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][5]

  • European Union All European Union countries
  •  Australia
  •  Bahrain
  •  Canada
  •  Iceland
  •  Indonesia
  •  Japan
  •  Kosovo [6]
  •  Kuwait
  •  Liechtenstein
  •  Malaysia
  •  New Zealand
  •  North Korea [6]
  •  Norway
  •  Oman
  •  Palestine [6]
  •  Qatar
  •  Russia
  •  Saudi Arabia
  •  Singapore
  •  South Korea
  •   Switzerland
  •  Turkmenistan
  •  United Arab Emirates
  •  United Kingdom
  •  United States

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.[7]

According to data provided by IATA, citizens of certain countries may obtain a visa on arrival for the maximum stay of 30 days, except the following 26:[3]

  •  Algeria1
  •  Brazil1
  •  Egypt1
  •  Hong Kong1
  •  India
  •  Iran1
  •  Iraq1
  •  Jordan1
  •  Kenya1
  •  Lebanon1
  •  Libya1
  •  Mauritius1
  •  Mexico1
  •  Morocco1
  •  Myanmar
  •  Nigeria
  •  Pakistan
  •  Philippines1
  •  South Africa1
  •  Sri Lanka
  •  Syria1
  •  Thailand1
  •  Uzbekistan1
  •  Vietnam1
  •  Yemen

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

Admission Refused[]

Transit and entry is refused to Israeli passports holders due to the lack of any diplomatic relationship between Bangladesh and Israel. However, an exception is made for Palestinians who hold Israeli passports.[8] Transit and entry is allowed to holders of passports issued in other countries, even if they contain Israeli visas or stamps in them.

No Visa Required seal/vignette[]

Bangladesh missions provide a No Visa Required (NVR) seal or vignette (sticker) for Bangladeshis holding a foreign passport and nationality, as well as to non-Bangladeshis who are descendants or spouses of Bangladeshis.[9][10] The guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs do not explicitly indicate whether the spousal NVR entitlement only applies to opposite-sex couples.[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 passenger 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.[11] The NVR is valid until the validity of the passport and can be transferred to a new passport of the same person as and when required.[10]

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:

  •  Belarus
  •  China
  •  Estonia (diplomatic only)
  •  Eswatini
  •  India (45 days, diplomatic only)
  •  Indonesia
  •  Japan (90 days, diplomatic only)
  •  Malaysia
  •  Myanmar
  •  North Korea

  •  Philippines
  •  Russia
  •  South Korea
  •  Sri Lanka
  •  Thailand (diplomatic only)
  •  Turkey (diplomatic only)
  •  Ukraine
  •  United Arab Emirates.
  •  Vietnam

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

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.[13]

See also[]

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. ^ a b c "Country information (visa section)". Timatic. International Air Transport Association (IATA) through Gulf Air. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  4. ^ "Visa Policy of Bangladesh: Visa on Arrival". Bangladesh Tourism Board. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  5. ^ "Dhaka suspends on-arrival visa for Chinese nationals". The Independent. 2 February 2020.
  6. ^ a b c Travel Information Manual, International Air Transport Association (IATA)
  7. ^ "Bangladesh Berikan Fasilitas Visa on Arrival bagi WNI". The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Dhaka. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  8. ^ http://cms.olympicair.com/timatic/webdocsI/spdbmainv.html
  9. ^ a b 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.
  10. ^ a b "No Visa Required (NVR) for NRBs". Embassy of Bangladesh, Germany. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  11. ^ "Instructions and Requirements for NVR (No Visa Required)". Embassy of Bangladesh, Washington DC. Archived from the original on 27 April 2019.
  12. ^ "Focus on reciprocal investments". The Independent. 24 April 2019. Archived from the original on 24 April 2019.
  13. ^ CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK - UPDATE 14.03.2020, International Air Transport Association
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