Bangladesh Immigration Law 2026: Rules for Foreigners Entering, Staying and Working

Bangladesh immigration law in 2026: the framework at a glance

Bangladesh immigration law changed more in 2026 than it had in twenty years. The core statutes are old: the Foreigners Act 1946, the Passport Act 1920 and the Registration of Foreigners Act 1939 still give the Government its powers over entry, stay and removal. What changed is the policy that tells officers how to use those powers. On 10 August 2026 the Cabinet approved a new Visa Policy 2026, replacing the 2006 policy and every earlier visa circular, with 34 visa categories, tiered overstay penalties and fines on sponsoring employers.[11] [2]

This guide is the starting point for any foreigner, employer or family dealing with Bangladesh immigration law. It explains the statutes, who administers them now that the Home Ministry's two divisions have been merged, the visa categories and the conditions attached to them, visa on arrival, work permits issued by BIDA, BEPZA, BEZA and the NGO Affairs Bureau, registration and reporting, overstay, detention and deportation, and the basics of citizenship. It ends with practical advice on when to bring in an English-speaking immigration lawyer and what that lawyer can do. Detailed work visa and business visa procedure is covered in companion TRW guides.

Summary: Foreigners enter and stay in Bangladesh under the Foreigners Act 1946, the Passport Act 1920 and the rules made under them, administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Department of Immigration and Passports, Special Branch immigration police and Bangladesh missions abroad. The Visa Policy 2026 sets the visa categories, durations and conditions. Anyone who will work needs a work permit from the competent authority, applied for within 15 working days of first entry, and anyone who overstays now pays between Tk 1,000 and Tk 3,000 a day and risks prosecution.

Key point: A visa category cannot be changed after arrival except from a visa on arrival, and only into listed categories. A foreigner who enters on a tourist or business visa and starts work is breaching the visa condition, and the Visa Policy 2026 now fines the sponsoring organisation Tk 1,00,000 per person for a first violation and Tk 2,00,000 for each later one.[2]

At a glance

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Table of Contents

The statutes behind Bangladesh immigration law

There is no single immigration code. Bangladesh immigration law is a set of pre-1972 statutes, adapted after independence, under which the Government issues orders, rules and policies. The statutes give wide powers and leave the detail to subordinate instruments, which is why the visa policy matters so much in practice. Section 16 of the Foreigners Act confirms that it operates in addition to, and not in derogation of, the Registration of Foreigners Act 1939, the Passport Act 1920 and any other law in force.[1]

The Foreigners Act 1946

The Foreigners Act 1946 (Act No. XXXI of 1946) defines a foreigner simply as a person who is not a citizen of Bangladesh.[1] Section 3 is the central power. The Government may by order prohibit, regulate or restrict the entry of foreigners, their departure, and their "presence or continued presence" in Bangladesh, either generally or for a particular foreigner or class.[1]

Section 3(2) lists what such orders may require. A foreigner may be told not to enter, to enter only by a specified route and port, not to remain in Bangladesh or a particular area, to reside at a particular place, to report to an authority, to give photographs and fingerprints, to avoid specified activities or associations, or to give a bond. Clause (g) allows arrest and detention in the interest of security, but detention beyond six months requires a favourable report from a three-member Advisory Board after a personal hearing.[1]

Three further provisions shape everyday practice. Section 7 obliges anyone who provides lodging for reward, including hotels and landlords of serviced accommodation, to report information about foreign guests and keep records open to police inspection. Section 9 reverses the burden of proof: where it is disputed whether a person is a foreigner, that person must prove that they are not. Section 14 makes any contravention of the Act, an order under it or a direction punishable with imprisonment of up to five years and a fine, with forfeiture of any bond.[1]

The Passport Act 1920 and the Passport Rules 1955

The Passport Act 1920 empowers the Government to make rules requiring people entering Bangladesh to hold passports, allows police of sub-inspector rank and empowered customs officers to arrest without warrant for breach, and, under section 5, allows the Government to direct the removal of anyone who has entered without a passport in breach of those rules.[3] The Passport Rules 1955 require every entrant to hold a valid passport and, for foreign nationals, a Bangladesh visa endorsed by a mission or other authorised authority. Entering in breach is punishable with up to three months' imprisonment, a fine, or both.[3]

The Bangladesh Passport Order 1973 governs passports issued to citizens; for foreigners its main relevance is its offences, such as using a passport issued to someone else.[3]

The Registration of Foreigners Act 1939 and Rules 1966

The 1939 Act authorises rules requiring foreigners to report their presence, movements and intended departure, and requiring hotels, boarding houses, ship masters and aircraft operators to report foreign guests and passengers. Breach by a foreigner is punishable with up to one year's imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 1,000, or both.[3] The Registration of Foreigners Rules 1966 set out the registration report in Form B, certificates of registration, and duties to report absences and changes of address. In practice the registration duty now applies only to a narrow group, discussed below.

The Control of Entry Act 1952 and the Foreigners Order 1951

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, provides for arrest without warrant, and allows the Government to order a non-citizen convicted under it to leave within a specified time, with further punishment and forcible removal on failure.[3] The Foreigners Order 1951, made under the 1946 Act, places carriers under a duty to remove a foreigner refused permission to enter and, if the Government requires, to carry a foreigner ordered to leave.[3]

Where the Visa Policy 2026 fits

The Visa Policy is not a statute. It is an executive policy of the Ministry of Home Affairs, published by its Immigration Wing in August 2026, which binds visa officers and missions and states the categories, durations, documents and conditions.[2] It repeals all earlier visa circulars, keeps previously issued visas valid until expiry, took effect immediately, and reserves to the Ministry the power to decide any question the policy does not answer and to amend it at any time.[2] Breach of a visa condition, however, engages the statutes: the policy itself refers prolonged overstay to prosecution under the Foreigners Act.[2]

Who administers immigration in 2026

Responsibility is split between policy, issuing, border control and sector authorities. On 3 September 2025 the Cabinet Division issued a gazette merging the Public Security Division and the Security Services Division into a single Ministry of Home Affairs, with immediate effect.[13] Functions that the Security Services Division used to perform, including visa policy, dual citizenship certificates and security clearance, now sit with the unified ministry. Older guidance that refers to the Security Services Division should be read in that light.

Under the Visa Policy 2026, the Ministry formulates visa and immigration policy. The Department of Immigration and Passports is the issuing authority inside Bangladesh, for visa extensions, No Visa Required endorsements, visas on arrival, transit visas, exit passes, route change permits and change of visa category. Bangladesh missions issue visas abroad, case by case, after examining documents and recording reasons.[2] Special Branch of Bangladesh Police runs immigration at the ports, foreigner registration and police reports, and the National Security Intelligence contributes to security reports.[4] [2]

Visa categories under the Visa Policy 2026

The Cabinet approved the policy with 34 categories, one more than the 2006 policy.[11] Each category has a stated purpose, an eligibility class, a maximum initial duration, extension rules and a document list. Choosing the right category before travel is the single most important decision under Bangladesh immigration law, because the policy states that a category cannot be changed after entry except from a visa on arrival.[2] The table below summarises the categories most foreign clients use; on a phone, scroll it sideways.

Business and investor visas

The B visa covers exploring investment, attending board, general and technical meetings, trade fairs, quality checks and negotiations. It is issued for up to one year with multiple entries and 90 days' stay per entry, extendable to two years, and requires an invitation from a Bangladesh-registered business with its incorporation certificate or trade licence and three to six months of the applicant's bank statements. Employment is prohibited.[2]

The PI visa is for a foreign investor in an industrial or commercial enterprise under foreign ownership or in a joint venture. It runs for up to one year with multiple entries, extendable up to five years or the validity of the work permit, on a recommendation from BIDA, BEZA, BEPZA, the Hi-Tech Park authority, the relevant ministry or PPA that the applicant is a bona fide investor. An investor who also works in the company needs a work permit.[2] Our guide to the Bangladesh business visa walks through the B and PI routes in more detail.

Employment visas: E1, E2 and E3

E1 is reserved for officials of development partners engaged under a grant, loan or technical cooperation agreement with a government body; contractors are expressly excluded. E2 covers experts and skilled workers employed in the public or private sector, branch, liaison and representative offices, and international contractors on EPC, G2G, turnkey, PPP and FDI projects. E3 covers installation, commissioning, maintenance, inspection and technical support, with 90 days' stay per visit.[2]

Each starts at up to six months with multiple entries. E2 and E3 are then extended in line with the work permit plus 15 days, or by 30 days while the work permit, police report or security clearance is pending. The first extension requires a TIN certificate and later extensions an income tax certificate.[2] Dependants travel on FE1, FE2 and FE3 visas coterminous with the principal, and may not work.[2]

Family, Bangladeshi-origin and No Visa Required

The FBN visa is for the foreign spouse and children of a Bangladeshi citizen and for foreign citizens of Bangladeshi origin up to the third generation, with their spouses and children. It is issued for two years with multiple entries, extendable to three years, on an affidavit of relationship and proof of the Bangladeshi link. Employment is prohibited.[2]

For the same families, the No Visa Required endorsement is usually better. NVR is available to Bangladeshi-origin foreign citizens outside SAARC countries, their second and third generations, and the foreign spouses and children of citizens, on documents such as a dual citizenship certificate, a Bangladeshi passport or NID of the relevant parent or spouse, a marriage certificate and an affidavit. It remains valid for the life of the passport, carries an application fee of USD 80, and requires police verification for spouses and children over 15.[2]

The policy also extends NVR to foreign investors certified by BIDA, BEPZA, BEZA or an investment authority. The published policy text sets the threshold at USD 100,000 in heavy industry or long-term business, while a press summary reported a much higher figure, so the current threshold should be confirmed with the authority before relying on it.[2] [12]

Students, researchers, tourists and patients

S visas are for study at government-approved institutions, for up to one year and extendable to five years or the full course; R visas for researchers and trainees run for the programme up to one year. The T visa allows tourism, family visits and attendance at conferences and seminars for a total of up to three months, with no employment. MT visas cover treatment at registered hospitals for up to three months, extendable to one year, with up to two MA attendants per patient.[2]

Conditions that apply to every visa

The policy imposes general conditions that catch many applicants out. Every visitor must hold a passport valid for six months. Visa fees follow reciprocity or bilateral arrangements and are not refunded if an application is refused. A valid visa in an old passport can be transferred to a new one on application. Labels for non-work categories must carry the endorsement "Employment in Bangladesh prohibited".[2] Where a police or intelligence report is required, the agency has 21 working days to respond, after which the visa authority may proceed as if there is no objection; a Home Ministry security clearance is valid for up to five years.[2]

Visa on arrival, transit and the online pre-application

Under the new policy, a visa on arrival is a 30-day single-entry visa granted at a designated port after the officer examines the invitation and supporting documents, such as a hotel booking, return ticket and evidence of funds.[2] It is available to investors and development partners invited by the Government or an investment authority; foreigners coming from countries with no Bangladesh mission; nationals of a listed group of countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Japan, South Korea, the Gulf states, Egypt, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Turkey, the United Kingdom and European countries, travelling for tourism or business; Bangladeshi-origin foreigners and their families; and diplomatic and UN passport holders.[2]

The grant is discretionary. Special Branch's portal stresses that issue is not guaranteed and rests with the immigration officer at the port. Applicants can register on the portal before travel, upload a photograph, passport bio-page and invitation letter, and print an acknowledgement receipt to present on arrival; at Dhaka airport the fee is paid at the Sonali Bank counter, which the portal currently lists as USD 50 or as fixed by the authority.[5] A transit visa on arrival can be issued up to the next connecting flight, for no more than 72 hours, for USD 20.[2]

The visa on arrival is the only visa that can be converted inside Bangladesh, and only into the categories the policy lists, including E1, E2, E3, J, PI, P, FBN and NVR. A conversion fee of USD 200 applies to those taking up employment, and conversion into E2, E3, J, P or PI needs a recommendation to the Home Ministry from BIDA, BEZA, BEPZA, BHTPA, PPA or another competent authority.[2] For a newly hired executive, arriving on a visa on arrival and converting is lawful; arriving on a T or B visa and starting work is not.

Work permits: BIDA, BEPZA, BEZA, BHTPA and the NGO Affairs Bureau

Under Bangladesh immigration law, a visa permits entry; it does not permit work. The Visa Policy 2026 requires the passport of every E1, E2, E3, J, P, PI and N1 visa holder to be stamped with the instruction to apply for a work permit to BIDA, BEPZA, BEZA, BHTPA, the NGO Affairs Bureau, PPA or another competent authority within 15 working days of first entry.[2] The authority depends on where the employer sits: BIDA for most companies and branch, liaison and representative offices; BEPZA inside export processing zones; BEZA in economic zones; the Hi-Tech Park Authority in hi-tech parks; and the NGO Affairs Bureau for registered NGOs, whose foreign staff hold N1 visas extended in line with the Bureau's permit.[2]

BIDA applies staffing ratios between local and foreign employees. Its guidance gives 20:1 for industrial projects in the operational stage, 10:1 at the initial stage, and 5:1 for branch, liaison and representative offices and educational institutes.[10] Since 1 October 2025, security clearance against a BIDA work permit must be applied for only through the One Stop Service portal; clearance is deemed granted if no objection is raised within 21 working days of a complete application, and failure to apply within the period stated in the work permit renders the permit invalid.[9]

The detailed procedure, documents and timing for each authority are set out in our guide to Bangladesh work visa requirements, and foreign staff of NGOs should also read our note on foreign-funded NGOs. For employers, the important point is that the permit, the visa and the security clearance are three separate permissions, each with its own deadline, and each must be kept aligned.

Sponsor liability

The new policy shifts real risk to employers and sponsors. If a foreign national arriving for employment, investment, business or education conceals information or breaches a visa condition, the appointing or sponsoring organisation is fined Tk 1,00,000 per person for the first violation and Tk 2,00,000 for each similar later violation.[2] Companies that bring in technicians on business visas for "short" installation jobs, or let a dependant help in the office, are exposed. HR teams should keep a register of every foreign national's visa category, expiry, work permit and clearance, and review it monthly.

Legal requirements for moving to Bangladesh, step by step

For a foreigner relocating to live and work, the legal requirements follow a predictable sequence. The order matters: a step taken out of sequence, such as travelling before the visa recommendation is issued, usually forces a fresh application. The sequence we follow for clients is below.

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Families should plan the dependants' visas at the same time as the principal's, because dependent categories are coterminous with the principal visa and require registered marriage and birth certificates.[2] Investors setting up an entity should sequence the visa with company registration; our guide to foreign company registration in Bangladesh explains that side, and our branch and foreign company establishment team handles both together.

Registration and reporting obligations

Most foreigners no longer need to register with the police. The Visa Policy 2026 requires a person arriving from India or Pakistan with a visa of 90 days or more to register with the immigration authorities at the port of entry within 14 days of arrival, and exempts nationals of all other countries.[2] Special Branch guidance, which predates the new policy, says registration is free within seven days of arrival, with late fees of Tk 2,000 after seven days and Tk 5,000 after fifteen days, at the airport, a check-post, a district or city SB office or SB headquarters.[4] Until the guidance is updated, the safe course is to register within seven days.

Registered foreigners carry continuing duties. Special Branch states that a registered foreigner who spends more than seven days in another city or district must inform the registration officer and register with the local office, and must surrender travel documents and collect a travel permit before leaving.[4] Diplomatic passport holders, non-diplomatic mission staff, government officials and children under 16 are exempt.[4]

Reporting does not stop with the individual. Section 7 of the Foreigners Act requires anyone providing lodging for reward to report information about foreign guests and keep the record open to police inspection, and the 1939 Act extends similar duties to hotels and carriers.[1] [3] Landlords, serviced apartments and guest houses that host foreign staff should keep copies of passports and visas.

Overstay: fines, regularisation and leaving lawfully

An extension must be applied for 15 days before the visa expires. If the application is lodged after expiry, the stay is treated as an overstay and the penalty and a visa regularisation fee apply.[2] For years overstay was the cheapest breach of Bangladesh immigration law: a 2002 Home Ministry circular set Tk 200 a day for unauthorised stay up to 15 days.[3] The Visa Policy 2026 now sets the following scale for foreigners who came on valid visas.[2]

• Days 1 to 15: Tk 1,000 per day.
• Day 16 to day 90: Tk 2,000 per day.
• Beyond 90 days: Tk 3,000 per day, and a case may be filed under the Foreigners Act on the initiative of the Additional Inspector General of Police, Special Branch.

The policy builds in relief. Fines may be waived for Bangladeshi-origin foreigners and for the foreign spouses and children of citizens. Students' fines may be waived for up to three months, after which a maximum of Tk 3,000 may be charged, with the 90-day rule applying beyond six months. Overstay caused by natural disaster, accident or flight cancellation is not treated as illegal.[2]

Waiver applications

For illness, the Department of Immigration and Passports examines a medical certificate from the Civil Surgeon or a professor or associate professor, with a hospital admission certificate if the illness-related overstay exceeds five days, and forwards a recommendation to the Ministry. For other credible reasons the Department may send a reasoned proposal; recommendations must be signed at Director level or above.[2] The Ministry may also take account of a note verbale from the foreigner's embassy on humanitarian grounds.[2] A waiver file built on documents, not explanations, is far more likely to succeed.

Leaving after a short overstay

A person who has overstayed for up to seven days can leave by appearing before the Department or the immigration authority at the airport or land port and paying the fine, service charge and visa fee. Cash is not accepted: the amount must be deposited under the prescribed code at a scheduled bank and the receipt produced, and the overstay period and fine are recorded in the passport.[2] Longer overstays need regularisation or an exit pass from the Department before travel.

How enforcement has changed

Enforcement tightened before the new policy. After a December 2024 notice requiring undocumented foreigners to regularise, the Home Ministry reported that more than 12,000 foreigners left with exit visas between 8 December 2024 and 31 January 2025, paying about Tk 15 crore in fines, while over 33,000 were estimated to remain without valid documents. Employers were warned that they too faced action.[14] The 2026 policy's higher rates and sponsor fines continue that direction.

Detention, removal and deportation

Bangladesh has no separate deportation statute. Removal rests on several powers. Section 3 of the Foreigners Act allows an order that a foreigner "shall not remain in Bangladesh", and section 11 allows the authority and any police officer to use reasonable force to secure compliance.[1] Section 5 of the Passport Act allows removal of a person who entered without a passport, and the Control of Entry Act allows a removal order after conviction.[3] Carriers can be required to take back foreigners refused entry.[3]

In practice, most cases end with a fine and departure rather than formal deportation. Prosecution follows where the overstay is long, documents are false, or the person has worked without permission. A conviction under section 14 of the Foreigners Act carries up to five years' imprisonment and a fine.[1] Passport offences add further exposure, including using a passport issued to another person.[3] A removal or prosecution is also likely to affect any future visa application.

Constitutional protection for foreigners

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".[7] Article 33 requires that an arrested person be told the grounds of arrest, be allowed to consult and be defended by a legal practitioner of their choice, and be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours.[8]

Two limits matter. Article 33(3) disapplies those safeguards for an enemy alien and for a person held under a preventive detention law, which can include security detention under section 3(2)(g) of the Foreigners Act, subject to the Advisory Board review after six months.[8] [1] And section 8 of the Foreigners Act makes a nationality determination by the prescribed authority final and not open to challenge in any court, though the Government may revise it.[1] Where an order is made without lawful authority, the remedy is usually writ proceedings in the High Court Division, handled by our constitutional and writ litigation team. Departure restrictions on foreign directors are covered in our analysis of travel restrictions on foreign directors.

Immigration and citizenship laws: the basics

Citizenship is governed by the Citizenship Act 1951 and the Bangladesh Citizenship (Temporary Provisions) Order 1972 with its 1978 rules.[3] For foreigners, the 1951 Act sets the main routes. Section 4 confers citizenship by birth in Bangladesh, excluding children of foreign envoys with immunity. Section 5, as amended in 2009, confers citizenship by descent where the father or mother is a citizen, with registration at a Bangladesh mission required where the parent is a citizen by descent only and the child is born abroad.[6]

Naturalisation and marriage

Section 9 allows the Government to register as a citizen by naturalisation a person granted a certificate of naturalisation under the Naturalisation Act 1926, and also to register a person without that certificate.[6] Section 10(2) entitles a woman married to a Bangladeshi citizen to registration on application and, if she is an alien, on obtaining a certificate of domicile and taking the oath of allegiance.[6] The provision is framed for wives only; a foreign husband has no equivalent statutory route and relies on naturalisation, or on FBN or NVR status for residence.[6] [2]

A certificate of domicile under section 17 requires ordinary residence in Bangladesh for at least one year immediately before the application and the acquisition of domicile.[6] Citizenship by registration starts on the date of registration, and section 16 allows deprivation for fraud or concealment and, for naturalised citizens, for disloyalty or certain criminal sentences within five years of naturalisation.[6]

Dual nationality

Section 14 provides that a citizen who is also a national of another country ceases to be a citizen unless they renounce the other nationality, with an exception for persons under 21.[6] In practice the Government issues dual citizenship certificates to Bangladeshis who acquire the citizenship of specified countries, and the Visa Policy 2026 accepts that certificate as evidence for NVR.[2] Families with cross-border ties should take advice before a child applies for a second passport or turns 21; our cross-border family lawyers advise on these questions.

Legal support under Bangladesh immigration law: engaging an English-speaking lawyer

A competent HR team can handle routine filings; a lawyer adds value where the stakes are higher or the facts unusual. Searches for an immigration lawyer "near me" usually start after something has gone wrong; the better time is before the first visa application. Bangladesh immigration law gives officers wide discretion, so the quality and consistency of the file often decide the outcome.

Engage counsel at once in these situations:

• Before hiring or deploying foreign staff: to choose the visa category, the work permit authority and the timeline, and to check BIDA ratios.[10]
• When a visa, extension, conversion or security clearance is refused or delayed: to identify the reason, cure the file and, where justified, escalate to the Ministry.
• On overstay: to assess whether the regularisation, waiver or exit route is available and prepare the evidence.[2]
• On arrest, detention or a removal order: to secure access, insist on the Article 33 safeguards and challenge unlawful orders.[8]
• On citizenship, NVR or dual nationality questions: for spouses, children and Bangladeshi-origin families.
• When a sponsor fine or inspection is threatened: to audit the workforce and respond.

What to look for in a lawyer

Choose an advocate enrolled with the Bangladesh Bar Council, because only a Bangladeshi advocate can appear before Bangladeshi courts and tribunals. Look for working fluency in English for client advice and in Bangla for dealing with officials and court papers, experience across visa, work permit and criminal procedure, and a firm that can act in Dhaka and at the ports. Clients abroad can instruct remotely, since most preparation is documentary. TRW's global mobility and business immigration practice and immigration and visa services team work in English for international clients.

Other legal support foreigners commonly need

Immigration rarely stands alone. Foreigners living in Bangladesh also need help with employment contracts and tax registration, since a TIN and income tax certificate are conditions for visa extension; with tenancy and property; with company and branch set-up; with family matters such as marriage registration and custody; and with police matters, including false complaints and travel restrictions.[2] One adviser who sees the whole picture avoids fixing the visa while breaching the tax or employment position.

Mistakes that cause the most trouble

• Working on a tourist or business visa: the visa states that employment is prohibited, and the sponsor now faces a fine.[2]
• Missing the 15-working-day window: a late work permit application disrupts the visa extension and security clearance chain.[2]
• Not applying for security clearance on time: the permit becomes invalid.[9]
• Applying for extension after expiry: overstay penalties apply from the first day.[2]
• Assuming conversion is possible: only a visa on arrival can be converted, and only into listed categories.[2]
• Short passport validity: six months' validity is required for every visitor.[2]
• Ignoring registration for Indian and Pakistani nationals: late fees and penalties follow.[4]

What to watch in 2026 and 2027

Three developments will shape Bangladesh immigration law over the next year. First, implementation of the Visa Policy 2026: missions, the Department of Immigration and Passports and Special Branch will issue procedures and forms, and older online guidance will lag behind, as the registration rules already show.[4] [2] Second, digitisation: the policy anticipates an e-visa system, Special Branch already takes visa on arrival applications online before travel, and work permit security clearance is fully online.[2] [5] [9]

Third, enforcement. Higher overstay rates and sponsor fines give officials stronger tools, and the 2024 to 2025 regularisation drive shows a willingness to use them.[14] For employers the practical response is a compliance audit now, rather than a negotiation after an inspection. TRW can review your foreign workforce, prepare applications and respond to refusals; contact TRW to discuss a specific case.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main immigration laws in Bangladesh?

The Foreigners Act 1946, the Passport Act 1920 and Passport Rules 1955, the Registration of Foreigners Act 1939 and Rules 1966, and the Control of Entry Act 1952, applied through the Ministry of Home Affairs' Visa Policy 2026.[1] [3] [2]

What changed with the Visa Policy 2026?

It replaced the 2006 policy and all earlier circulars, set 34 visa categories, introduced tiered overstay fines from Tk 1,000 to Tk 3,000 a day and fined sponsors whose foreign nationals breach visa conditions.[11] [2]

Can I work in Bangladesh on a business or tourist visa?

No. B and T visas are endorsed "Employment in Bangladesh prohibited". Work requires an employment-type visa and a work permit from the competent authority.[2]

Can I change my visa category after arriving?

Only a visa on arrival can be converted, and only into the categories the policy lists. A USD 200 conversion fee applies to those taking up employment.[2]

Who can get a visa on arrival?

Invited investors and development partners, nationals of listed countries travelling for tourism or business, travellers from countries with no Bangladesh mission, Bangladeshi-origin foreigners and their families, and diplomatic and UN passport holders. It is a 30-day single-entry visa and grant is discretionary.[2] [5]

How much is the overstay fine?

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 that, when a case may also be filed under the Foreigners Act.[2]

Do foreigners have to register with the police?

Only Indian and Pakistani nationals arriving with visas of 90 days or more, within 14 days under the Visa Policy 2026. Special Branch guidance says registration is free within seven days.[2] [4]

Can a foreigner be deported from Bangladesh?

Yes. The Government can order a foreigner not to remain under section 3 of the Foreigners Act and enforce it with reasonable force, and can remove people who entered without passports under the Passport Act.[1] [3]

Can a foreign spouse become a Bangladeshi citizen?

A foreign wife of a citizen is entitled to registration under section 10(2) of the Citizenship Act 1951 after obtaining a certificate of domicile and taking the oath. A foreign husband must rely on naturalisation, or on FBN or NVR status for residence.[6] [2]

Do I have rights if I am arrested as a foreigner?

Yes. Article 31 protects every person in Bangladesh, and Article 33 guarantees the grounds of arrest, a lawyer of your choice and production before a magistrate within 24 hours, except under preventive detention laws.[7] [8]