How to Apply for a Bangladesh Visa in 2026: Online Form, Documents and Steps

How to apply for Bangladesh visa in 2026: the rules that now apply

Knowing how to apply for Bangladesh visa permission correctly saves weeks of delay and, increasingly, real money. Most foreign nationals still need a visa before they travel, and the rules changed in August 2026, when the Ministry of Home Affairs published the Visa Policy 2026. It replaced the 2006 policy and every earlier visa circular, created 34 categories and took effect immediately.[1] [2] The policy now decides which category you need, which documents the mission will examine, whether you can extend or convert after arrival, and what happens if your application is refused.

This guide is a practical walk-through for tourists, business visitors, employees, investors, students and families. It covers choosing the visa type, completing the online application form, the documents and photographs missions ask for, submission, interview and collection at Bangladesh missions, the fees we have been able to verify, visa on arrival, the status of e-visa, extension and conversion inside Bangladesh, and how to deal with a refusal. The wider legal framework, including overstay, deportation and citizenship, is covered in our guide to Bangladesh immigration law.

Summary: Most foreigners apply to a Bangladesh mission abroad: complete the online form, print and sign it, attach photographs and the documents the Visa Policy 2026 lists for the chosen category, submit the original passport (valid for at least six months) in person, by agent or by post, pay the fee set by reciprocity and collect the passport with a machine-readable visa. Nationals of listed countries may instead obtain a 30-day visa on arrival. Extensions and changes of category are handled in Dhaka by the Department of Immigration and Passports.

Key point: Choose the category before you apply. Under the Visa Policy 2026 a visa category cannot be changed after entering Bangladesh, except for a visa on arrival, and visa fees are not refunded if an application is declined.[1]

At a glance

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Table of Contents

Who issues Bangladesh visas under the Visa Policy 2026

The Visa Policy 2026 is an executive policy of the Ministry of Home Affairs, published by its Immigration Wing in August 2026. The Cabinet approved the draft on 10 August 2026, expanding the categories from 33 to 34, and named the Ministry, the Department of Immigration and Passports and Bangladesh missions abroad as the bodies that implement it.[1] [2] Visas issued before the policy remain valid until they expire.[1]

The division of labour matters, because it tells you where to apply. Bangladesh missions are the visa-issuing authority abroad. Inside Bangladesh, the Department of Immigration and Passports issues No Visa Required endorsements, visas on arrival, transit visas, exit passes, route change permits and changes of category, and it handles extensions. The Ministry formulates policy and may decide any question the visa officer refers to it.[1] Special Branch of Bangladesh Police runs immigration at the ports and the visa on arrival portal.[3] [4]

How missions decide applications

The policy tells missions to consider each application individually, case by case, after careful examination of the documents, to issue a visa only when fully satisfied about the purpose of the visit, and to keep written records. Original passports must be submitted to the visa office for stamping, and every visa must be a machine-readable visa.[1] Bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding prevail where they exist, and reciprocity applies to anything the policy and those agreements do not cover.[1]

Which mission to use

Apply to the mission responsible for the place where you live. Missions enforce their consular jurisdictions: the Consulate General in Dubai, for example, accepts applications only from residents of Dubai and the Northern Emirates and sends Abu Dhabi residents to the Embassy.[9]

A foreign national living in a third country is not shut out. For tourism, the policy allows a mission in a third country, once satisfied, to grant a T visa to a citizen of any country other than a visa-prohibited country.[1] Missions may ask non-nationals for proof of lawful residence; London asks for a residence permit or valid visa where the applicant does not hold a British passport.[7]

Step one: choose the right visa category

Every decision about how to apply for Bangladesh visa permission flows from the purpose of the trip. The policy attaches a purpose, an eligibility class, a maximum duration, extension rules and a document list to each of its 34 categories.[1] Picking the wrong one is the most expensive mistake an applicant can make, because the category cannot be changed after entry unless you arrived on a visa on arrival.[1] The table below summarises the categories most applicants use. On a phone, scroll it sideways.

Visitors: tourist, business and medical

The T visa covers recreation, tourism, casual visits to friends or relatives and attendance at conferences, workshops, study tours and seminars, for a total of up to three months with multiple entries.[1] The B visa covers investment scouting, board, general and technical meetings, recruitment of Bangladeshi manpower, trade fairs, quality checks and negotiations, for up to one year with 90 days' stay per entry.[1] Patients travel on MT visas for treatment at registered hospitals, clinics or diagnostic centres, with up to two MA attendants each.[1] All three are endorsed "Employment in Bangladesh prohibited".[1]

Workers, investors and NGO staff

Anyone taking up a job needs an employment-type visa: E1 for officials of development partners, E2 for experts and skilled employees and contractors, E3 for installation, commissioning, maintenance and technical support, N1 for staff of registered NGOs, J for journalists and P for performers on contract. Investors use the PI category on a recommendation from BIDA, BEZA, BEPZA, the Hi-Tech Park authority, PPA or the concerned ministry.[1] These routes involve a sponsor, a recommendation letter and a work permit, and are explained step by step in our guides to Bangladesh work visa requirements and the Bangladesh business visa.

Families, students and researchers

Dependants of principal visa holders travel on matching dependant categories, such as FE2 for the family of an E2 holder, coterminous with the principal visa and with employment prohibited. Foreign spouses and children of Bangladeshi citizens, and foreign citizens of Bangladeshi origin up to the third generation, can use the FBN visa or the No Visa Required endorsement. Students at government-approved institutions, including interns, use the S category, and researchers and trainees the R category.[1]

How to apply for Bangladesh visa online: the visa.gov.bd form

The standard route at a mission begins online. The High Commission in London instructs every applicant to complete the online application for a machine-readable visa first and states that manually filled applications are not acceptable; after submission the system produces a PDF of the application to download.[6] The Consulate General in Dubai likewise requires every application to be initiated through visa.gov.bd and warns that incorrect or inaccurate information may lead to outright rejection.[9] The online form generates the application; it does not issue the visa, and the file still has to be lodged with the mission.

Filling in the online form

Missions publish practical tips that are worth following to the letter. London asks applicants to check passport details, their address and telephone number in Bangladesh and their e-mail address with care, to avoid special characters, and to skip the online payment option. It warns that the form may not work on every browser or on a Mac, and recommends trying another browser if it fails.[6] For postal applications, London also tells applicants to skip the photograph upload, to select "Others" and write "none" for organisation if they have none, and to choose the London High Commission as the mission.[8]

Once submitted, download the PDF, print it and sign it. London requires a photograph to be glued, not stapled, to the top of the printed application.[8] Read every field against the passport before signing. A transposed passport number, a misspelt name or the wrong mission selected is one of the most common reasons a file is returned.

The downloadable Bangladesh visa application form

Many applicants search for a Bangladesh visa application form to download. Special Branch still hosts a one-page paper "Bangladesh Visa Application Form" as a PDF.[5]

The paper form is a useful checklist of the information a mission will want: full name, place and date of birth, nationality, profession, the number of entries required, passport number, place of issue and expiry, the names and nationalities of spouse and parents, home and business addresses, employer, purpose of visit, a contact in Bangladesh, the address while in Bangladesh, the date of arrival and intended stay, previous visits and companions, followed by a signed declaration.[5] Do not submit it in place of the online form where the mission requires online applications, as London does.[6]

Required documents and photographs

The Visa Policy 2026 sets a core document list for nearly every first visa: a filled-up visa application form and the applicant's passport with a copy of its information page.[1] Every visitor must hold a passport valid for six months.[1] Dubai adds that the passport needs at least two blank pages and must not be damaged or tampered with.[9] The policy then adds documents specific to the category, and missions add their own administrative requirements on top.

Category-specific documents

• Tourist (T): Bangladeshi accommodation addresses and a return ticket.[1]
• Business (B): an invitation from a business registered in Bangladesh, its certificate of incorporation or trade licence, and three to six months of the applicant's bank statements.[1]
• Employment (E2, E3): a recommendation letter from the concerned ministry, BIDA, BEZA, BEPZA, the Hi-Tech Park authority, PPA or other applicable authority.[1]
• Investor (PI): a recommendation that the applicant is a bona fide investor from BIDA, BEZA, BEPZA, the Hi-Tech Park authority, the concerned ministry or PPA.[1]
• Student (S) and researcher (R): proof of admission or an offer letter and a bank solvency certificate or other proof of financial solvency.[1]
• Family (FBN) and dependants: an affidavit of relationship or proof of Bangladeshi origin, and registered marriage and birth certificates as relevant.[1]
• Medical (MT): a recommendation from a registered physician, hospital or medical centre in Bangladesh and proof of financial solvency.[1]

Photographs

Photograph rules are set by missions, not by the policy, so check the mission's page. London and Dubai both ask for two recent colour photographs with a white background, and Dubai specifies that they must not be older than six months.[7] [9] The University of Dhaka's guidance for students lists photographs of 45 x 35 mm, and a digital JPEG of no more than 300 KB for the online form.[10] The old Special Branch paper form asks for three copies at 37 x 37 mm, which shows how mission practice has moved on.[5]

Certified copies and translations

Dubai requires certified true copies of supporting documents, rejects uncertified copies and asks for a certified English translation of any document not in English. It also stresses that its document lists are not exhaustive and that additional documents may be requested.[9] Prepare a clean, indexed file: the printed form on top, then the passport and copy, the photographs, the category documents and the fee evidence. A tidy file is processed faster and is less likely to be returned.

Tourist visa application form specifics

The tourist visa is the category most people mean when they ask how to apply for Bangladesh visa permission, and it carries its own traps. Under the new policy the total duration is up to three months with multiple entries; if the visa is issued for less than three months, it may be extended for the remaining period, with a single entry.[1]

Mission pages written before August 2026 may still describe the old position. London's tourist visa page, for example, still refers to a single-entry visa of up to three months and an extension of up to one month.[7] Where the two conflict, the Visa Policy 2026 governs, but the mission will apply its own procedure, so ask before you apply.

The tourist form itself is short, but the purpose field matters. A T visa permits tourism and visits only, so do not describe meetings, site visits or "consulting" on a tourist application; that is business, and it belongs on a B visa. Dubai's tourist list shows what missions typically expect: the printed and signed online form, two photographs, the original passport with a copy of the photo page, residence documents, an employer's no-objection certificate for employed applicants, a flight reservation that is also uploaded with the online form, an invitation from a Bangladeshi citizen or organisation or a hotel booking, and a parental no-objection letter and passport copies for minors.[9]

Conference and seminar attendance sits inside the tourist category, but religious gatherings such as Tabligh Jamaat and Ijtema have their own RT category of up to 180 days, which requires a recommendation from the relevant Tabligh Markaz or organisation and the consent of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.[1]

Submission, interview and collection at a Bangladesh mission

Missions follow the same four-stage sequence, with local variations. London presents it as online application, appointment booking, document preparation and fee, then submission and collection.[6] Dubai uses the same four steps but channels submissions through an appointed service centre.[9] The practical sequence is below.

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Appointments, agents and postal applications

London runs an online appointment system for visa submissions.[6] It also accepts postal applications: the signed form with photograph, the documents, the fee by postal order or bank draft and a prepaid next-day recorded delivery return envelope, sent to the High Commission, with visas returned within 21 working days.[8] Dubai accepts applications only by appointment through its service centre, and allows an authorised nominee, travel agent or visa agent to submit on the applicant's behalf with a letter of authorisation.[9]

Interviews

An interview is not routine, but it is always possible. London states that an applicant may be called for interview if the visa officer considers it necessary, and Dubai says applicants will be notified of the date and time when an interview is required.[6] [9] Treat an interview as a chance to confirm the purpose of the visit. Bring originals of everything in the file, answer consistently with the form and do not volunteer plans, such as starting work, that the category does not allow.

Processing time and collection

Dubai asks for applications at least five working days before travel and says a standard application needs a minimum of seven working days, longer where clearance from the Government of Bangladesh is required. It advises applicants not to buy tickets until the passport and visa have been returned, and passports are collected on the date shown on the payment slip.[9] Missions also warn that a visa's validity runs from the date of issue, not the travel date on the form.[7] [9] When you collect the passport, check the category, number of entries, validity and any endorsement on the label before you leave the counter.

Visa fees: what we can verify

There is no single Bangladesh visa fee. The policy states that fees apply on the basis of reciprocity or an agreement, arrangement or memorandum of understanding, that official and diplomatic categories (A, A1, A2, FA2, D and ND) are gratis, and that fees are not refunded if an application is declined.[1] Each mission therefore publishes its own schedule by nationality. London's schedule, for example, lists £105 for United Kingdom nationals and £146 for United States nationals for a standard visa, and shows Indian and Japanese nationals as requiring a visa without fees.[7] Schedules change without notice, so confirm the current figure with the mission on the day.[9]

The fees the Visa Policy 2026 itself fixes in figures are few:

• Transit visa on arrival: USD 20 or equivalent, for a stay up to the next connecting flight and no more than 72 hours.[1]
• Conversion of a visa on arrival: USD 200, payable only by those who take up employment, with exemptions for UN passport holders and some official categories.[1]
• No Visa Required endorsement: USD 80 or equivalent, valid for the life of the passport.[1]

For the standard visa on arrival, the Special Branch portal lists USD 50, excluding processing fees, or the fee fixed by the authority, paid at the Sonali Bank counter at Dhaka airport.[3] Extension fees also vary by nationality; the University of Dhaka's guidance notes that the processing fee "varies from country to country".[10] We do not quote extension or regularisation fees that we have not seen in an official schedule.

How to apply for Bangladesh visa on arrival

For eligible travellers, knowing how to apply for Bangladesh visa on arrival can replace the mission process altogether.

The policy grants a 30-day single-entry visa at the designated port of entry to: investors and development partners invited by the Government or an investment authority; foreigners travelling from countries where Bangladesh has no mission; nationals of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Japan, South Korea, Brunei, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Turkey, the United Kingdom and other European countries travelling for tourism or business; foreign citizens of Bangladeshi origin and their spouses and children; officials of diplomatic missions and UN organisations in Bangladesh; diplomatic and UN passport holders; and foreigners with prior Ministry approval.[1]

Documents and discretion

The officer grants the visa after examining the invitation and supporting documents, such as a hotel reservation, a return ticket and proof of funds in card or cash.[1] Special Branch is explicit that issue is not guaranteed and rests with the immigration officer at the port.[3] Anyone whose trip cannot fail, such as a project engineer or a speaker with a fixed date, should obtain a visa from a mission instead.

The online visa on arrival application

Special Branch runs an online visa on arrival portal. Applicants register with an e-mail address, choose the type of visa on arrival (on-arrival or transit), complete the traveller information, upload a recent facial photograph, the passport bio-page and a valid invitation letter, each up to 5 MB, and submit to receive a tracking ID. The acknowledgement receipt is then downloaded or received by e-mail and presented on arrival.[3] At Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, the visa on arrival area sits at the foot of the escalator in arrivals: pay at the Sonali Bank counter, then join the queue beside it with the printed acknowledgement.[3]

Transit

Two transit routes exist. The TR visa, issued by a mission, allows up to 96 hours for transit, or for seafarers signing on or off vessels, on proof of a third-country visa and onward ticket.[1] A transit visa on arrival is limited to the next connecting flight and 72 hours.[1]

E-visa: the position in October 2026

Bangladesh does not yet issue a general e-visa. The Visa Policy 2026 still requires machine-readable visas in all cases and only anticipates electronic issue, stating that when a computer-based or electronic visa system is introduced, the visa number must follow the programme code.[1] The Dubai consulate explains that because e-visa has not been introduced, a machine-readable visa requires submission of the original passport.[9]

The idea is not new. In November 2022 the then Home Minister said e-visa services would be introduced, after a memorandum of understanding with the UAE on e-visa and electronic travel authorisation.[12] Commentary on the 2026 draft described e-visa as part of official thinking, not an operational system.[11] Treat any website that offers a Bangladesh "e-visa" for a fee with caution: the online steps that do exist are the visa.gov.bd application form, which still ends in a paper submission, and the Special Branch visa on arrival pre-registration, which ends in a decision at the port.[3] [6]

After arrival: registration, work permits, extension and conversion

A visa is permission to enter, not a permanent status. Several obligations start at the border. Indian and Pakistani nationals arriving with a visa of 90 days or more must register with the immigration authorities at the port of entry within 14 days; nationals of all other countries are exempt.[1] [4]

Holders of E1, E2, E3, J, P, PI and N1 visas will find their passports stamped with an 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.[1] Security clearance for BIDA work permits is now applied for only through the One Stop Service portal.[13]

How to apply for Bangladesh visa extension

Extensions are not available from missions; Dubai's consulate, for example, issues new visas only and refers extensions to the Department of Immigration and Passports in Dhaka.[9] The policy requires the application 15 days before the visa expires; if it is lodged after expiry, overstay penalties and a regularisation fee apply.[1] For most categories the extension file repeats the first-visa documents and adds the passport pages showing the visa and arrival stamp, with a police report obtained by the visa-issuing authority where needed. Employment categories add the work permit, a TIN certificate for the first extension and income tax certificates after that.[1]

Where a Special Branch or National Security Intelligence report is needed, the agency has 21 working days to reply, after which the authority may proceed as if there is no objection; no report is needed for a child under 15.[1] In practice the process at the Agargaon passport and immigration office involves collecting and lodging the extension form, paying the fee at the Sonali Bank counter, collecting a delivery slip and, for students, a verification contact from Special Branch, before the passport is returned with the extension.[10]

Conversion: only from a visa on arrival

The rule is strict. A category cannot be changed after entry except for a visa on arrival, which may be converted only into A1, D, ND, A2, FA2, E1, E2, E3, FE1, FE2, FE3, J, PI, FPI, P, RT, FBN or NVR. Conversion into E2, E3, J, P or PI requires a recommendation letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs from BIDA, BEZA, BEPZA, BHTPA, PPA or another competent authority.[1] A tourist who finds a job, or a business visitor whose role becomes permanent, must leave and apply again from abroad.

Visa refusals and how to avoid them

The policy gives missions a broad discretion: a visa is issued only when the officer is fully satisfied about the purpose of the visit after examining the documents.[1] Missions add that incomplete forms, incorrect information or insufficient supporting papers may be rejected, in London's case without reasons being given, and that acceptance of an application does not guarantee a visa.[6] [9] The fee is lost either way.[1]

The usual reasons for refusal

• Wrong category: a tourist application that reveals business or work purposes.
• Thin evidence: no invitation, no accommodation details, no proof of funds, or bank statements that do not match the stated purpose.
• Inconsistent data: names, dates or passport numbers on the form that do not match the passport.
• Passport defects: less than six months' validity, too few blank pages or damage.[1] [9]
• Security concerns: an adverse report where a police report or security clearance is required.[1]
• Sponsor problems: an inviting company that cannot show incorporation, a trade licence or the required recommendation.

What to do after a refusal

The Visa Policy 2026 contains no appeal procedure. The practical remedy is a fresh, stronger application: identify the likely reason, cure the defect, add the missing evidence and, where appropriate, ask the sponsor or a chamber of commerce to write in support. Because the visa authority may refer an issue to the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry reserves the power to decide questions the policy does not answer, a well-documented case can sometimes be escalated.[1] Where a decision inside Bangladesh, such as a refused extension or a cancellation, is taken without lawful authority, judicial review in the High Court Division may be available; see our guide to writ petitions in Bangladesh.

A refusal also affects the sponsor. The policy fines an appointing or sponsoring organisation Tk 1,00,000 per person for the first time a foreign national arriving for employment, investment, business or education conceals information or breaches a visa condition, and Tk 2,00,000 for later violations.[1] Accurate applications protect the company as well as the traveller.

Is there a Bangladesh immigration visa?

Many searches ask about a Bangladesh "immigration visa". None of the 34 categories in the Visa Policy 2026 is an immigrant visa or a permanent residence visa; every category is tied to a purpose and a fixed or renewable duration.[1]

Long-term residence is built from renewable statuses instead: the FBN visa for the foreign family of citizens and Bangladeshi-origin foreigners, up to three years on extension; the No Visa Required endorsement, valid for the life of the passport; the PI visa for investors, extendable up to five years or the validity of the work permit; and employment visas renewed in line with work permits.[1] The policy also extends NVR to foreign investors certified by BIDA, BEPZA, BEZA or an investment authority for an investment of USD 100,000 in heavy industry or long-term business.[1]

Citizenship by marriage, naturalisation and descent sits outside the visa system altogether, under the Citizenship Act 1951. Our guide to Bangladesh immigration law explains those routes, together with overstay penalties and removal. Directors and project staff who face departure restrictions should read our note on travel restrictions on foreign directors.

Practical checklist: how to apply for Bangladesh visa without delay

The same handful of checks prevents most problems. Use this list before you press submit.

• Purpose and category match: the purpose on the form, the invitation and the category all say the same thing.[1]
• Passport: at least six months' validity on the date of application, blank pages and no damage.[1] [9]
• Right mission: the mission that covers your place of residence, with proof of residence if you are not a national of that country.[7] [9]
• Online form: completed at visa.gov.bd, checked against the passport, printed, signed and with the photograph attached as the mission requires.[6] [8]
• Documents: the category list from the Visa Policy 2026, certified and translated where the mission asks.[1] [9]
• Timing: apply well ahead of travel, book flexible tickets and remember that validity runs from the date of issue.[9]
• After arrival: diarise registration, any work permit deadline and the extension date 15 days before expiry.[1]

TRW prepares and reviews visa applications for executives, project personnel, investors and families, deals with missions and the Department of Immigration and Passports, and handles refusals, extensions and conversions. Our immigration and visa services team and global mobility and business immigration practice work in English for international clients; contact TRW to discuss a specific case.

Frequently asked questions

How do I apply for a Bangladesh visa from abroad?

Complete the online application at visa.gov.bd, print and sign it, attach photographs and the documents for your category, then submit it with your original passport to the Bangladesh mission covering your place of residence, by appointment, through an authorised agent or, where allowed, by post.[6] [8] [9]

Can I still use a paper Bangladesh visa application form?

Special Branch still hosts a one-page paper form, but missions such as London require the online form and do not accept manually filled applications. Check your mission's instructions.[5] [6]

Does Bangladesh have an e-visa in 2026?

No general e-visa is in operation. The Visa Policy 2026 requires machine-readable visas and only anticipates an electronic system. The online visa on arrival registration is a pre-application, not a visa.[1] [3] [9]

What documents do I need for a Bangladesh tourist visa?

The policy requires the completed form, your passport with a copy of the information page, addresses of accommodation in Bangladesh and a return ticket. Missions usually add photographs, residence documents and an invitation or hotel booking.[1] [9]

How much does a Bangladesh visa cost?

Fees are set by reciprocity and vary by nationality and mission. London, for example, lists £105 for UK nationals and £146 for US nationals. Fees are not refunded if the visa is refused.[1] [7]

Who can get a visa on arrival in Bangladesh?

Invited investors and development partners, nationals of listed countries travelling for tourism or business, travellers from countries without a Bangladesh mission, Bangladeshi-origin foreigners and their families, and diplomatic and UN passport holders. It lasts 30 days, single entry, at the officer's discretion.[1] [3]

How long does a Bangladesh visa take to process?

It depends on the mission and category. Dubai states a minimum of seven working days for a standard application, and London allows 21 working days for postal applications. Cases needing government clearance take longer.[8] [9]

Can I change my tourist visa to a work visa in Bangladesh?

No. Only a visa on arrival can be converted, and only into listed categories. A tourist or business visitor who takes a job must leave and apply for an employment visa from abroad.[1]

When should I apply to extend my visa?

At least 15 days before expiry, to the Department of Immigration and Passports. Late applications attract overstay penalties and a regularisation fee.[1]

Can I appeal a Bangladesh visa refusal?

The Visa Policy 2026 contains no appeal procedure, and the fee is not refunded. The usual course is a fresh application that cures the defect; decisions taken without lawful authority inside Bangladesh may be open to writ proceedings.[1]