Visa Policy for Bangladesh
The visa policy designed for Bangladesh states the rules and restrictions that all foreigners must obey to enter this country. Very few countries can enter Bangladesh without a visa, but the good news is that most nations are eligible to apply for a visa on arrival or similar documentation.
The visa requirements vary depending on the traveler’s nationality. They also vary according to other factors like the intended length of stay and what the traveler plans to do in the country.
Any traveler wishing to enter Bangladesh should be informed about the visa requirements first. Only 24 countries are exempt from visa requirements, while over 25 countries can obtain a visa on arrival for official duty, business, investment, and tourism regardless of the Bangladeshi mission status. Some nationalities eligible for the visa on arrival can stay in Bangladesh for 30 days, while others can stay for more.
Any traveler that is not eligible for an electronic visa must get a visa at an embassy or consulate. These visas can be granted for a variety of purposes, and they can also vary with the maximum stay allowed.
Continue reading the information in this article to learn more about the Bangladesh Visa Policy and which visa is needed depending on the traveler’s country of origin.
Tourist Visa Policy for Bangladesh
Getting ready for a trip to Bangladesh requires having the travel documentation ready, as travelers need diverse visa requirements depending on their country of origin and what purposes they have in the country.
More than 150 countries can travel to Bangladesh for tourism or business by applying for a Bangladesh Visa on Arrival. This document is obtained once the traveler arrives at the Bangladeshi airport. It is an important part of the Bangladesh Visa Policy.
In case the traveler requires a tourist embassy visa, he or she will have to attend a consular appointment and offer a range of supporting documents.
There’s also another option for some nationalities around the globe: the Bangladesh Visitor Visa, which allow the traveler to enter the country by having a paper visa, but the traveler can do the entire process via online form.
Bangladesh Visa on Arrival
The Bangladesh Visa on Arrival is a travel authorization that the traveler receives once he or she arrives at the airport. It’s based on a stamp in the passport, and it allows the visitor to stay in the country for a short-term stay. This document is one of the most used according to the general information about the Bangladesh Visa Policy.
The following list of countries can obtain this visa upon arrival and stay in Bangladesh for 30 days:
- All European Union countries
- Australia
- Bahrain
- Canada
- Iceland
- Japan
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Liechtenstein
- Malaysia
- New Zealand
- North Korea
- Norway
- Oman
- Palestine
- Qatar
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Switzerland
- Turkmenistan
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
However, there are other countries that can obtain the Visa on Arrival but for fewer days. These are:
- Algeria
- Brazil
- Egypt
- Hong Kong
- India
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Morocco
- Myanmar
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
- Syria
- Thailand
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
- Yemen
Bangladesh Visitor Visa
The Bangladesh Visitor Visa is another type of visa that is often mentioned in the Bangladesh Visa Policy. This document allows passengers to enter Bangladesh. It generally allows entry for a maximum stay of 30 days in total and may be either single, double or multiple entry. This document is available through an online form, so it’s not difficult to obtain in comparison to other paper visas.
The only thing the traveler has to do in person is to submit the document at the nearest Bangladesh Visa Application Center, but the initial part of the process is available completely online.
The Bangladesh Visitor Visa is available for citizens of over 100 nationalities. It’s possible to check the nationalities by using iVisa’s Visa Checker.
Travelers with this visa cannot seek for paid work or live in the country. This document is designed only for tourism.
To obtain this document, the traveler will only have to report some personal information in the application form. It will also be necessary to submit a high-quality passport photo while applying. Plus, the passport must have at least 6 months of validity and 2 blank pages so that it can receive the stamp once the visa is approved.
While the coronavirus pandemic is stil present, all travelers must present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure to Bangladesh.
24 countries do not need a visa nor a Visa on Arrival to enter Bangladesh. These are:
- Barbados
- Bhutan
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Indonesia
- Jamaica
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Maldives
- Papua New Guinea
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Samoa
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Tanzania
- Tonga
- Zambia
Also, Bangladesh missions offer a No Visa Required (NVR) seal or vignette (sticker) for Bangladeshis having a foreign passport and nationality, as well as to non-Bangladeshis who are descendants or spouses of Bangladeshis. The NVR seal is placed on a blank page in the applicant’s passport, and it can be offered as a seal or a vignette (sticker). This seal or vignette allows the traveler to visit Bangladesh for an unlimited number of times without any restrictions on duration, or limits on entry, throughout the validity of the passport containing the NVR.
Another information to keep in mind about the Bangladesh Visa Policy is that transit and entry is refused to Israeli passport holders due to the lack of any diplomatic connection between Bangladesh and Israel. Nevertheless, there’s an exception for Palestinians who have Israeli passports. This restriction does not apply for holders of passports issued in other countries, even if they have Israeli visas or stamps in them.
Certain tourists; investors; and business travellers may need some extra requirements if applying for a Visa on Arrival. Some of these extra requirements are: carrying US$500 in cash/credit; having a return/onward air ticket or having an international train ticket or international bus ticket (if applicable).
It’s important to always verify which document could be necessary to enter Bangladesh, which is why we remind all travelers that we have a Visa Checker available at our website. This way, any traveler can confirm if it is necessary to obtain a Paper Visa or not when entering this country.