Bangladesh Residence Permit 2026: Spouse Visas, NVR, Dual Nationality and Deportation Law

Bangladesh residence permit routes for long-term stay in 2026

A Bangladesh residence permit is not a single card issued at a single counter. Foreigners who want to live in Bangladesh for years rather than weeks build their status from several pieces: a long-term visa in the right category, extensions granted inside the country, a No Visa Required (NVR) endorsement where they qualify, and, for a smaller group, permanent residence or citizenship. Which pieces are available depends almost entirely on who the applicant is: the spouse of a Bangladeshi citizen, a person of Bangladeshi origin holding a foreign passport, a foreign investor, or a long-term professional.

This guide is written for those long-stay applicants and their families. It explains the spouse-of-citizen visa and the marriage evidence it requires, NVR eligibility and the procedure at missions and inside Bangladesh, when a dual nationality certificate is the better answer, where permanent residence and citizenship by investment fit, and the other side of the picture: deportation and removal under the Foreigners Act 1946 and the Control of Entry Act 1952, and how a removal or detention can be challenged. Visa categories, fees, extensions and the investor route each have their own TRW guide, which we link rather than repeat.

Summary: Bangladesh has no stand-alone residence card. Long-term stay rests on the Visa Policy 2026: the FBN visa for foreign spouses and children of citizens and for Bangladeshi-origin foreigners (two years, extendable to three, no employment), and the NVR endorsement, which lasts for the life of the passport. Dual nationality, permanent residence and citizenship sit in the Citizenship Act 1951 and the 1972 Citizenship Order. Removal powers sit in the Foreigners Act 1946, the Passport Act 1920 and the Control of Entry Act 1952, subject to constitutional safeguards and writ review.

Key point: For most families the decisive document is the NVR endorsement. The Visa Policy 2026 makes it available to Bangladeshi-origin foreigners up to the third generation, their spouses and children, the foreign spouses and children of citizens, and investors of USD 100,000, for a fee of USD 80 and for as long as the passport remains valid. It is a stay facility, not a work permit.

At a glance

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Table of Contents

What a Bangladesh residence permit means in 2026

Many countries issue a residence permit as a separate document after the visa. Bangladesh does not. Permission to stay is carried by the visa or endorsement in the passport, and long-term residence is achieved by holding the right category and renewing it, or by moving to a status that does not need renewal at all. The governing instrument for visas is the Visa Policy 2026, published by the Immigration Wing of the Ministry of Home Affairs in August 2026 and in force immediately, which replaced earlier visa circulars while keeping visas already issued valid until expiry.[1]

The building blocks

For long-term applicants, four instruments matter. The first is a long-duration visa: the policy lists 34 categories, and those that allow multi-year stays include the FBN family visa, the employment visas and the PI investor visa.[1] The second is the NVR endorsement. The third is citizenship status under the Citizenship Act 1951 and the Bangladesh Citizenship (Temporary Provisions) Order 1972, including dual nationality. The fourth is the permanent residence power in Article 4A of that Order.[4] [5] A full map of the categories is in our guide to the types of visas in Bangladesh.

Who decides

The Ministry of Home Affairs sets visa and immigration policy. The Department of Immigration and Passports issues visas, NVR, exit passes and changes of category inside Bangladesh, and Bangladesh missions issue visas abroad. Each application is decided case by case, after examination of the documents, and the issuing authority may refer a question to the Ministry.[1] Where a police or intelligence report is needed, the Special Branch or NSI is expected to report within 21 working days; if it does not, the authority may proceed on the footing that there is no objection.[1]

Why the category matters more than the duration

The policy does not allow a visa category to be changed after arrival, except a visa on arrival, which can be converted into a defined list of categories that includes FBN and NVR.[1] An applicant who arrives on a tourist or business visa and later decides to stay as a spouse usually has to leave and reapply. Choosing the right Bangladesh residence permit route before travel saves a second journey.

Choosing the right route for a Bangladesh residence permit

The route follows the applicant's connection to Bangladesh, not preference. A foreign spouse or child of a citizen starts with the FBN visa and moves to NVR; a foreign wife may also register as a citizen. A former Bangladeshi, or the child or grandchild of one, looks to NVR or a dual nationality certificate. An investor uses the PI visa, a work permit if working in the company, and NVR at USD 100,000. An employee renews an employment visa and work permit for as long as the job lasts. Investors should start with our guide to the Bangladesh investor visa; employees with our analysis of employment law for expatriates.

The Bangladesh visa for spouses of citizens: the FBN category

The FBN visa (family member of a Bangladeshi national, or foreign national of Bangladeshi origin up to the third generation) is the visa built for families. Its stated purpose is staying with family and travelling in Bangladesh.[1]

Spouse visa eligibility

Two groups are eligible: the foreign spouse and children of a Bangladeshi citizen, and a foreign citizen of Bangladeshi descent with his or her spouse and children.[1] The test turns on the Bangladeshi party's citizenship, not residence. A citizen living abroad can sponsor a spouse in the same way as one living in Dhaka, provided the citizenship can be proved with a Bangladeshi passport, national identity card, online birth registration or citizenship certificate.

Duration and conditions

An FBN visa is issued for two years with multiple entries and may be extended up to three years. It is one of the categories the policy says may be issued for the maximum duration of the category.[1] The label carries the condition "Employment in Bangladesh prohibited", and working in breach may lead to cancellation of the visa.[1] A spouse who intends to work needs an employment category and a work permit, not an FBN visa.

Marriage proof and documents

For a first FBN visa the policy requires a completed application form, the passport with a copy of the information page, an affidavit declaring the relationship with the Bangladeshi citizen or proof of Bangladeshi nationality for origin applicants, and a marriage registration certificate or birth certificate where necessary. Extensions need the same file, the passport pages showing the visa and arrival stamp and, if the issuing authority requires it, a police report.[1]

The marriage certificate does most of the work. A registered Nikahnama is the standard evidence for a Muslim marriage solemnised in Bangladesh. For a marriage abroad, missions ask for the civil record of the country where it took place: the High Commission in London, for example, asks for a council-registered certificate for a marriage in the United Kingdom.[6] Unregistered religious ceremonies, informal translations and certificates that spell names differently from the passports are the commonest reasons a family file stalls. Our guide to marriage registration in Bangladesh explains how to register or correct a marriage record.

Foreign wives and foreign husbands

Residence is gender-neutral; citizenship is not. Section 10(2) of the Citizenship Act 1951 entitles a woman married to a citizen of Bangladesh to registration as a citizen on application and, if she is an alien, on obtaining a certificate of domicile and taking the oath of allegiance.[4] A certificate of domicile under section 17 requires ordinary residence in Bangladesh for at least one year immediately before the application.[4] There is no equivalent provision for a foreign husband, who must rely on FBN and NVR for residence and on the general citizenship routes if he wants a Bangladeshi passport.

NVR endorsement: eligibility and procedure

The No Visa Required endorsement is the closest Bangladesh comes to an indefinite Bangladesh residence permit for families. The policy states that it is issued to facilitate entry and stay in Bangladesh, and it removes the need to apply for a new visa before each journey.[1]

NVR eligibility and requirements

Paragraph 28 of the mandatory visa conditions lists the groups who may hold NVR in a foreign passport: people of Bangladeshi origin who have acquired another citizenship, other than of a SAARC country; foreign citizens of Bangladeshi origin of the second and third generation and their spouses and children; foreign spouses and children of Bangladeshi citizens; and foreign investors.[1]

The documents differ by group. Bangladeshi-origin applicants provide a dual citizenship certificate, or the Bangladeshi passport, national identity card, online birth registration or citizenship certificate of the relevant parent or spouse, the certificate of naturalisation or other document showing how the foreign citizenship was obtained, an affidavit from the parent or spouse and, where relevant, marriage and birth certificates. Foreign spouses and children of citizens provide the citizen's Bangladeshi document, an affidavit of relationship, the Nikahnama or birth certificate, and undergo police verification for spouses and for children over fifteen.[1]

Visa options for Bangladeshis abroad holding foreign passports

A former Bangladeshi who has naturalised abroad has three practical options for travel home: a visa in the FBN category, a visa on arrival, which the policy allows for foreign citizens of Bangladeshi origin and their spouses and children for 30 days, or NVR.[1] For anyone who travels more than occasionally, NVR is the sensible choice because it lasts as long as the passport. Missions apply their own document rules on top of the policy. London, for example, accepts NVR applications from Bangladeshi-origin British or EU nationals who hold a Bangladeshi passport, national identity card or birth certificate, and from their spouses and children with sufficient documents.[6]

How to apply at a mission

The process at the London High Commission illustrates the standard sequence. The applicant completes the online form on the visa.gov.bd portal, prints the submitted application, books an appointment, and attends with the original documents, or applies by post. In-person applications are by appointment only; delivery time is stated as five to seven working days in person and 21 days by post, and the High Commission describes NVR as never an urgent service.[6]

Two mission rules catch spouses out. First, a spouse's own NVR does not qualify the other spouse: the Bangladeshi party must hold a Bangladeshi passport, national identity card or birth certificate, and the same applies to children through a parent. Second, for a spouse application the applicant and the Bangladeshi spouse must attend the interview together, with a declaration of marriage.[6]

Applying inside Bangladesh

Inside Bangladesh the issuing authority for NVR is the Department of Immigration and Passports.[1] A person who entered on a visa on arrival may apply to convert it to NVR without leaving the country, which is useful where the marriage or family documents were completed after arrival.[1] Holders of other visas generally cannot convert and should plan to obtain NVR at a mission or on a future entry.

Fee, validity and transfer to a new passport

NVR remains valid for as long as the passport is valid, and the application fee is USD 80 or the equivalent. It is issued only after the certificates have been verified, and it must be machine-readable. When a holder renews the foreign passport, NVR is reissued in the new passport on payment of the fee; for the foreign spouse of a Bangladeshi-origin citizen, the transfer application needs an affidavit from the spouse.[1] Fee detail by mission is in our guide to Bangladesh visa fees.

Investors and investment-based citizenship abroad

Foreign investors qualify for NVR on an investment of USD 100,000 in heavy industry or long-term business, supported by a certificate from the investment authority. Where a Bangladeshi-origin person or a family member obtained foreign citizenship or permanent residence through investment, NVR requires a favourable report from the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit together with the investigating agency.[1] Applicants holding a citizenship-by-investment passport should expect source-of-funds questions and prepare the evidence in advance.

NVR is a stay facility, not a work right or citizenship, and it ends with the passport.

NVR or dual nationality certificate?

For a former Bangladeshi, the real choice is often between NVR and a dual nationality certificate. They answer different questions. NVR concerns entry and stay as a foreigner. A dual nationality certificate concerns citizenship: it confirms that the holder remains, or is granted the status of, a Bangladeshi citizen while holding another nationality.

The legal basis and eligible countries

Section 14 of the Citizenship Act 1951 provides that a Bangladeshi citizen who is also a citizen of another country ceases to be a citizen of Bangladesh unless he or she renounces the other nationality, with an exception for persons under twenty-one.[4] Article 2B of the 1972 Order qualifies that rule: a citizen does not lose citizenship merely by being or becoming a citizen of a state specified under Article 2B(2), and the Government may grant citizenship to a citizen of any state in Europe or North America or of any other state notified in the official Gazette.[5]

The notified list has grown in stages. On 27 February 2023 the Cabinet approved 44 further countries, taking the total from 57 to 101, including 19 in Africa and others in South America, the Caribbean and Oceania.[7] By January 2026 international reporting put the list at 103 countries.[8] SAARC nationalities remain outside the NVR origin category, and an applicant should confirm the current Gazette position for his or her nationality before filing.

How to apply for a dual nationality certificate

Applications are made online to the Security Services Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The applicant completes the form, uploads the supporting documents and pays by card; the certificate is then generated as a PDF to download and print. Applicants abroad do not need the Tk 300 non-judicial stamp and may use a notarised affidavit instead, and a person without Bangladeshi documents can rely on a foreign birth certificate naming a parent together with that parent's Bangladeshi passport, national identity card, birth certificate or dual nationality certificate. The London High Commission estimates three to six months.[9] Our detailed guide to the dual nationality certificate in Bangladesh covers the portal stages and the evidence file.

Which one to choose

A dual nationality certificate is the stronger status for anyone who qualifies, because it restores the holder's position as a citizen rather than a privileged foreigner, and the Visa Policy 2026 accepts it as evidence for NVR in the foreign passport.[1] NVR is the practical answer where the foreign nationality is not on the notified list, where a spouse has no Bangladeshi descent, or where the applicant simply wants to travel without engaging the citizenship system. Many families hold both: dual nationality for the Bangladeshi-born parent and NVR for the foreign spouse.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

No new citizenship statute has replaced the existing framework. In February 2016 the Cabinet approved a Bangladesh Citizenship Bill of 28 sections, intended to address gaps in the 1951 Act and the 1972 Order and to broaden dual citizenship, but the official Laws of Bangladesh database still carries the 1951 Act and the 1972 Order as the governing texts in October 2026.[10] [4] [5]

The issue that did move in 2026 was political. Before the February 2026 election the Election Commission heard objections about the alleged dual citizenship of 25 candidates and upheld 23, in several cases after candidates filed documents or affidavits stating that they had renounced, or applied to renounce, foreign citizenship, against the background of Article 66(2) of the Constitution.[8] Dual nationals who may seek public office should treat renunciation as a formal, completed step, not an intention.

Permanent residency and citizenship by investment

Permanent residence is the only status that resembles a Bangladesh residence permit in the conventional sense, and it is the least used. Article 4A of the 1972 Order allows the Government, on an application made in the prescribed manner, to grant a right of permanent residence to any person on such conditions as may be prescribed.[5] The Visa Policy 2026 contains no permanent residence category; it offers investors the PI visa and NVR instead.[1]

The investment figures quoted for residence and citizenship come from industrial policy rather than statute and have changed several times, and citizenship on application or by naturalisation remains discretionary. Our analysis of Bangladesh permanent residency sets out the thresholds, the role of Invest Bangladesh after the 2026 merger and the citizenship rules, so we do not repeat them here. For investors the sequence is the PI visa and work permit first, NVR once the investment is certified, and permanent residence or citizenship only when the facts clearly meet the policy.

Keeping long-term status lawful

Most long-term residents who face removal have let a visa lapse, worked on the wrong category or failed to register. An extension must be sought 15 days before expiry; after expiry the overstay penalty runs at Tk 1,000 a day for the first 15 days, Tk 2,000 a day up to 90 days and Tk 3,000 a day beyond, when a Foreigners Act case may also be filed.[1]

Arrivals from India or Pakistan on visas of 90 days or more must register at the port of entry within 14 days.[1] And a sponsor whose foreign national breaches a visa condition faces a fine of Tk 100,000 per person, rising to Tk 200,000 for repeat violations.[1] Procedure and documents are in our guide to the Bangladesh visa extension.

Bangladesh deportation law: grounds and powers

Bangladesh has no single deportation statute. Removal rests on a cluster of older laws, each with its own trigger. Understanding which power is being used is the first step in any response, because the safeguards and the remedies differ.

The Foreigners Act 1946

The Foreigners Act defines a foreigner as a person who is not a citizen of Bangladesh. Section 3(1) gives the Government power, by order, to prohibit, regulate or restrict the entry of foreigners, their departure and "their presence or continued presence" in Bangladesh, generally or for a particular foreigner or class.[2]

Section 3(2) lists what an order may require: that the foreigner shall not remain in Bangladesh or in a prescribed area, shall reside in a particular place, shall report, give photographs and fingerprints or submit to medical examination, shall not associate with specified persons or engage in specified activities, or shall give a bond.[2] An order under section 3(2)(c) that a person "shall not remain in Bangladesh" is the legal core of most deportations.

Detention in the interest of security

Section 3(2)(g) allows a foreigner to be arrested and, in the interest of the security of Bangladesh, detained or confined. Detention beyond six months is lawful only if a three-member Advisory Board, two of whom must be or be qualified to be Supreme Court judges, reports after a personal hearing that there is sufficient cause.[2] Section 11 lets the authority and any police officer use reasonable force to secure compliance with an order.[2]

Offences and penalties

Section 14 makes it an offence to contravene the Act, an order made under it or a direction given under it, punishable with imprisonment of up to five years and a fine, with forfeiture of any bond.[2] Section 13 extends liability to attempts, abetment and those who help an offender avoid arrest, and to the master or pilot of a vessel or aircraft that carries a foreigner in breach unless due diligence is shown.[2] The Visa Policy 2026 links this to overstay: beyond 90 days a case may be filed under the Foreigners Act, and the Special Branch may take the steps to file it.[1]

The Control of Entry Act 1952

The Bangladesh (Control of Entry) Act 1952 was enacted to control the entry of Indian citizens. It requires a passport with a visa authorising entry, punishes contravention with imprisonment of up to one year, a fine or both, and allows police, customs and other empowered officers to arrest without warrant a person reasonably suspected of contravening it, who must then be taken before a magistrate or a police station without unnecessary delay.[3] Section 7 allows the Government to order a non-citizen convicted under the Act to remove himself within a specified time; failure to leave is a further offence, and the Government may then remove the person using such means as are necessary.[3]

The Passport Act 1920 and the Foreigners Order 1951

Section 5 of the Passport Act allows the Government to direct the removal of a person who entered without a passport in breach of the rules, with officers given the powers needed to enforce the direction. The Foreigners Order 1951 obliges the master, pilot, owner or agent of the vessel or aircraft that brought a foreigner refused entry, or who entered without permission, to remove that person, and requires carriers to take on board a foreigner ordered not to remain, with dependants.[3] These provisions explain why removal is so often carried out on the next scheduled flight.

Enforcement in practice

Enforcement has tightened since late 2024. The Home Ministry issued a warning notice on 8 December 2024 and set 31 January 2025 as the deadline for foreigners staying or working illegally to regularise. By that date about 4,500 applications had been made, more than 12,000 foreign nationals had left with exit passes after paying fines of about Tk 15 crore, the Ministry estimated that over 33,000 remained without valid documents, and an 11-member task force was formed to coordinate action.[11] Most cases still end in a fine and departure; the risk of prosecution rises with the length of overstay and any unauthorised work.

The deportation procedure step by step

Because the powers are scattered, the procedure varies, but most cases move through the same stages.

1. Detection. An overstay or breach is identified at exit, during a visa or work permit application, through hotel or employer reporting or in a police check. Hotel keepers are under a statutory duty to report foreign guests.[2]
2. Regularisation or exit. For an overstay of up to seven days, the person can leave by appearing before the immigration authority and paying the fine, service charge and visa fee through a bank deposit, not cash.[1] Longer overstays are handled through regularisation or an exit pass from the Department of Immigration and Passports.
3. Arrest. Where an offence is suspected, the person may be arrested. An arrested person must be told the grounds, may consult a lawyer of choice and must be produced before the nearest magistrate within 24 hours.[13]
4. Prosecution or order. The authorities either prosecute under section 14 of the Foreigners Act or the Control of Entry Act, or make an order under section 3 that the person shall not remain in Bangladesh.[2] [3]
5. Removal. The order is enforced with reasonable force where necessary and through the carrier that brought the person or another scheduled carrier.[2] [3]

A removal is recorded and is likely to be considered on any future visa or NVR application, so the way a case ends matters as much as how quickly it ends.

Challenging deportation and detention

Foreigners are not outside the Constitution. Article 31 makes the protection of the law, and treatment only in accordance with law, the inalienable right of every citizen and "of every other person for the time being within Bangladesh", and forbids action detrimental to life, liberty, body, reputation or property except in accordance with law.[12]

Writ proceedings in the High Court Division

Article 102 lets the High Court Division, where no other equally efficacious remedy is provided by law, direct a public authority to refrain from doing what the law does not permit, declare an act done without lawful authority to be of no legal effect, and, on the application of any person, direct that a person in custody be brought before it so that it may satisfy itself that the person is not held without lawful authority or in an unlawful manner.[14] The last is habeas corpus, the standard remedy for a foreigner held after a sentence has ended or without a lawful order. Our constitutional and writ litigation team acts in these cases.

Grounds that carry weight

Challenges succeed on legality, not sympathy. The strongest grounds are an order made by an authority without power or without following the Act, detention beyond six months under section 3(2)(g) without a favourable Advisory Board report, failure to produce an arrested person before a magistrate within 24 hours, and continued custody after a sentence or after the person has agreed to leave.[2] [13] A person who is in fact a citizen, including a dual national holding a certificate, is not a foreigner at all, and the Act cannot be used against him or her.

Limits on the remedy

Three limits apply. The safeguards in Article 33(1) and (2) do not apply to an enemy alien or to a person detained under a preventive detention law, though the six-month Advisory Board rule in Article 33(4) still applies to the latter.[13] A decision on nationality by the prescribed authority under section 8 of the Foreigners Act is final and cannot be called in question in any court, subject to the Government's power of revision, and section 9 puts on the person the burden of proving that he or she is not a foreigner.[2] And section 15 protects officials from suit for anything done in good faith under the Act.[2]

Non-litigious routes

Litigation is often not the quickest route. Where the facts allow it, regularising the stay, seeking a waiver of the fine on illness or other credible grounds through the Department of Immigration and Passports, or asking the embassy to send a note verbale on humanitarian grounds can resolve a case without a removal record.[1] For spouses and Bangladeshi-origin family members, the policy's power to waive the overstay fine should be invoked expressly.[1] Departure bans on foreign directors, which arise from different powers, are covered in our analysis of travel restrictions on foreign directors.

Building a Bangladesh residence permit file

A strong file is consistent across every document. The sequence below is how we prepare a long-stay application for a family or investor.

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Long-term status routes compared

The table compares the statuses that can serve as a Bangladesh residence permit. On a phone, scroll it sideways.

For most foreign spouses, the FBN visa is the first step and NVR the destination. For most former Bangladeshis, the dual nationality certificate is worth obtaining if the foreign nationality qualifies, with NVR for family members who do not. Our Bangladesh immigration and visa services team advises on choosing and sequencing these routes, and our cross-border family lawyers handle the marriage and parentage evidence behind them.

Mistakes to avoid

• Arriving on the wrong visa: only a visa on arrival can be converted inside Bangladesh, so a spouse who arrives as a tourist usually has to leave and reapply.[1]
• Relying on a spouse's NVR: NVR in one spouse's passport does not qualify the other; the sponsoring spouse must hold Bangladeshi documents.[6]
• Inconsistent records: names and dates that differ between passports, Nikahnama and birth certificates delay verification and invite police queries.
• Working on family status: FBN and NVR do not authorise employment, and the sponsor carries its own fine.[1]
• Assuming dual nationality: keeping Bangladeshi citizenship depends on the foreign state being in Europe, North America or the notified list.[5]
• Letting a passport lapse: NVR ends with the passport and must be transferred, with a fee, to the new one.[1]
• Ignoring an overstay: beyond 90 days the daily fine rises and a Foreigners Act case may follow.[1]

The wider statutory framework, including registration and the agencies involved, is in our guide to Bangladesh immigration law.

What to watch in 2026 and 2027

Three developments will shape long-term stay over the next year. First, how missions and the Department of Immigration and Passports implement the Visa Policy 2026, including updated FBN and NVR forms, fees and processing practice.[1] Second, whether the elected government revives a consolidated citizenship law of the kind the Cabinet approved in 2016, which would affect dual nationality, spouse registration and residence periods.[10] Third, enforcement against undocumented foreigners, which has relied on the Foreigners Act and a dedicated task force since early 2025.[11]

The safest approach is to build status in layers and keep every layer current: the right visa on arrival, extensions filed in time, NVR or dual nationality once the family link is documented, and permanent residence only where the investment clearly supports it. If removal is threatened, act within hours, not days. To discuss a Bangladesh residence permit, a spouse or NVR application, or a removal, contact TRW.

Frequently asked questions

Does Bangladesh issue a residence permit card to foreigners?

No. Permission to stay is carried by the visa or NVR endorsement in the passport. Long-term residence is achieved through long-duration visas such as FBN, NVR, dual nationality or, rarely, permanent residence under Article 4A of the 1972 Order.[1] [5]

Which visa should the foreign spouse of a Bangladeshi citizen apply for?

The FBN visa, issued for two years with multiple entries and extendable to three years, on an affidavit of relationship, proof of the spouse's citizenship and the marriage registration certificate. Employment is prohibited.[1]

Can a foreign spouse work in Bangladesh on an FBN visa or NVR?

No. The FBN label states that employment is prohibited, and NVR is a stay facility only. A spouse who wants to work needs an employment visa and a work permit.[1]

Who is eligible for NVR?

People of Bangladeshi origin who hold another citizenship, other than of a SAARC country; Bangladeshi-origin foreigners of the second and third generation and their spouses and children; foreign spouses and children of citizens; and foreign investors of USD 100,000.[1]

How long does NVR last and what does it cost?

It lasts as long as the passport is valid, and the application fee is USD 80 or the equivalent. It must be reissued, for a fee, when the passport is renewed.[1]

Is a dual nationality certificate better than NVR?

For those who qualify, usually yes, because it concerns citizenship rather than a foreigner's permission to stay, and it is accepted as evidence for NVR. It is limited to citizens of Europe, North America and other notified states.[1] [5]

How many countries are on the dual citizenship list?

The Cabinet raised the list from 57 to 101 countries in February 2023, and reporting in January 2026 put it at 103. Check the current Gazette position before applying.[7] [8]

Can a foreign husband of a Bangladeshi woman become a citizen by marriage?

Not by registration. Section 10(2) of the Citizenship Act 1951 applies to women married to citizens. A foreign husband relies on FBN and NVR for residence and on the general citizenship routes.[4]

On what legal basis can a foreigner be deported from Bangladesh?

Mainly an order under section 3 of the Foreigners Act 1946 that the person shall not remain in Bangladesh, removal under section 5 of the Passport Act 1920, or a removal order after conviction under the Control of Entry Act 1952.[2] [3]

How can a deportation or detention be challenged?

By a writ petition in the High Court Division under Article 102, including habeas corpus for unlawful custody, relying on Articles 31 and 33 and the six-month Advisory Board limit in section 3(2)(g) of the Foreigners Act.[14] [12] [2]