Types of Visas in Bangladesh: All 34 Categories and Requirements (2026)

Types of visas in Bangladesh: the 2026 framework

The types of visas in Bangladesh were redrawn in 2026. The Visa Policy 2026, approved by the Cabinet on 10 August 2026 and brought into force by the Ministry of Home Affairs on 3 September 2026, replaced the 2006 policy and every visa circular issued under it.[2] [3] It sets 34 categories, each with its own purpose, eligibility class, maximum duration, extension rule and document list.[1] Several codes that foreigners, employers and even officials still quote, such as A3, E and the old E1, no longer mean what they used to, or no longer exist at all.

This guide is TRW's reference to every category in the Visa Policy 2026: who each visa is for, how long it runs, what to file to obtain and extend it, and whether it allows work. It also covers nationality rules, conditions common to every visa, the effect of the Invest Bangladesh Act 2026, practical points for expatriates and a method for choosing the right category. Procedure for the business, investor and work routes sits in companion TRW guides linked below.

Summary: Bangladesh now issues 34 visa categories under the Visa Policy 2026: official and diplomatic visas, business and investor visas, three employment visas, sector visas for journalists, missionaries, NGO staff and performers, student and research visas, tourist, medical, religious and transit visas, a family visa for spouses and people of Bangladeshi origin, and a dependent visa for most long-stay principal categories. Only E1, E2, E3, J, P, PI and N1 lead to lawful work, and each needs a work permit applied for within 15 working days of first entry.

Key point: A visa category cannot be changed after entering Bangladesh, except from a visa on arrival and only into the categories the policy lists. Choosing the wrong type of visa before travel is therefore the most expensive mistake a foreigner can make, and since September 2026 the sponsoring organisation is fined Tk 1,00,000 per person for a first breach of visa conditions.[1]

At a glance

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Table of Contents

How the Visa Policy 2026 organises the types of visas in Bangladesh

The legal basis for every visa remains the Foreigners Act 1946 and the Passport Act 1920, but the categories live in the Visa Policy 2026, an executive instrument published by the Home Ministry's Immigration Wing in August 2026.[1] Each category is a single row stating its purpose, eligibility, duration, extension rule and documents for the first visa and each extension. Reading that row closely is the starting point for any application.

Principal and dependent categories

Of the 34 types of visas in Bangladesh, roughly a third exist only for family members. Almost every principal category that supports a long stay has a matching dependent category prefixed with F: FA2 for A2, FE1 to FE3 for the employment visas, FJ, FM, FN1, FP and FPI for journalists, missionaries, NGO staff, performers and investors, and FSR for the families of students and researchers.[1] The Visa Policy 2026 defines dependent family members as the spouse, parents, children and adopted children of the principal.[1] Dependent visas are coterminous with the principal visa and are endorsed with a prohibition on employment.

Who issues and who decides

The Ministry of Home Affairs makes policy and missions issue visas abroad, case by case. Inside Bangladesh, the Department of Immigration and Passports is the authority for extensions, No Visa Required endorsements, the visa on arrival, transit visas, exit passes, route change permits and change of category.[1] Police reports come from Special Branch and security clearance from the Ministry, and the policy treats those two terms as having fixed meanings.[1]

Work and no-work categories

The single most important line in the policy is condition 5. Labels for A1, FA2, B, C, the dependent categories, M, N2, R, S, T, FBN, MT, MA and RT must carry the words "Employment in Bangladesh prohibited". For E1, E2, E3, J, P, PI and N1, the passport is stamped with an instruction to apply for a work permit to the competent authority within 15 working days of first entry.[1] Everything else about choosing among the types of visas in Bangladesh follows from that split.

All 34 types of visas in Bangladesh at a glance

The table below lists every category in the order the policy uses, with the initial duration and the ceiling for extension. Durations are maximums; condition 24 allows a visa to be granted for any shorter period the officer considers appropriate, while condition 23 allows A2, E1, E2, E3, S, R, PI and FBN visas to be issued for the full maximum.[1] On a phone, scroll the table sideways.

Dependent visas never outlast the principal, so a family's status is only as secure as the principal's next extension.

Official and diplomatic visas: A, A1, A2, D and ND

These categories serve foreign states and international organisations, and all of them are issued gratis.[1] Their boundaries matter because development-sector and UN staff often sit close to the line between official and employment categories.

A and A1

The A visa is for heads of state and government, ministers, deputy ministers and members of parliament on government visits, with their spouses and dependants. A1 covers government, semi-government and autonomous-body officials and members of official delegations, on the principle of reciprocity and with six months' passport validity. Both require the application form, the passport and a recommendation from the relevant ministry or a note verbale from the applicant's foreign ministry.[1]

A2 and FA2

A2 is for officials of the United Nations and its agencies, international, multilateral and regional organisations and bilateral development agencies posted to Bangladesh. It runs for up to five years or the full tenure, whichever is less, with multiple entries, on a note verbale or recommendation from the organisation and the contract of appointment.[1] The policy names, among others, WHO, UNDP, UNICEF, the World Bank, ADB, JICA, KOICA, USAID, the EU and the Red Cross and Red Crescent as qualifying bodies.[1] Spouses and dependants travel on FA2.

D and ND

D visas go to ambassadors, high commissioners, diplomats and consular officers and their families, for the tenure of the posting. ND covers non-diplomatic and personal staff of missions, their families and domestic aides of diplomatic and consular officers who accompany or follow A, A1, A2 or D holders.[1] Under the 2006 policy domestic aides had a separate DA category; they now fall within ND.[4]

Business and investor visas: B, PI and FPI

Business travellers and investors most often pick the wrong category, usually because a B visa is quicker to obtain. The real difference is what the holder may do once in the country.

B visa requirements

The B visa is for international business people analysing investment potential, attending board, general and technical meetings, recruiting manpower from Bangladesh, taking part in trade fairs and exhibitions, verifying the quality of Bangladeshi products and negotiating. It is issued for up to one year with multiple entries and 90 days' stay per entry, and may be extended up to two years on the same terms.[1] The first application needs an invitation from a business registered in Bangladesh, that organisation's certificate of incorporation or trade licence and three to six months of the applicant's bank statements. Extension adds a police report and a recommendation from a chamber of commerce or trade association.[1] Employment is prohibited.

Our guide to the Bangladesh business visa covers invitation letters and common refusals.

PI visa requirements

The PI visa is for a foreign investor in an industrial or commercial enterprise under foreign ownership or in a private-sector joint venture. It runs for up to one year with multiple entries and can be extended up to five years or the validity of the work permit. The first visa needs a recommendation from the investment authority, the economic zone or export zone authority, the Hi-Tech Park Authority, the relevant ministry or the PPP authority that the applicant is a bona fide investor.[1]

Extension requires certification that the investment continues, the investee company's incorporation and tax payment papers, a work permit if the investor works in the company and a Home Ministry security clearance.[1] Investors of at least USD 100,000, certified by the authorities, also qualify for No Visa Required status.[1] Our Bangladesh investor visa guide sets out the recommendation file in detail. Dependants hold FPI visas.

Employment visas: E1, E2, E3 and their dependants

The three employment categories in the Visa Policy 2026 replaced the old E, E1 and A3 structure, and the codes now mean something different. A recruiter who asks a mission for an "E visa" in 2026 is asking for a category that no longer exists.

E1: development partners

E1 is reserved for expatriates who are direct officials of a development partner, whether an agency or a country, that is party to a grant, loan or technical cooperation agreement with a government, semi-government or autonomous body. Contractors and work agreements are expressly excluded.[1] The visa starts at up to six months with multiple entries and can be extended up to five years or the full tenure, on a recommendation from the Bangladeshi ministry or organisation, with agreement copies and security clearance at extension.[1]

E2: employment in Bangladesh

E2 is the general work visa. It covers experts and skilled workers employed in the public and private sectors, garments, industrial and commercial organisations and branch, liaison and representative offices, and international consultants and contractors, including joint ventures, consortia and subcontractors, implementing EPC, G2G, turnkey, PPP and FDI contracts.[1] The first visa runs for up to six months on a recommendation from the competent authority. It is then extended for the term of the work permit plus 15 days, or for 30 days while the work permit, police report or security clearance is pending.[1]

The E2 extension file is where most delays arise. It needs the work permit, a TIN certificate at the first extension and an income tax certificate from then on, and either a police report, for staff on government projects, or a Home Ministry security clearance, for everyone else.[1] Our guide to Bangladesh work visa requirements walks through the work permit stage.

E3: experts and technical persons

E3 covers installation and commissioning of machinery and software, maintenance, supervision, inspection, project monitoring, research and development support and technical support to any organisation. It runs for up to six months with multiple entries and a 90-day limit per stay, and extends on the same work-permit-linked basis as E2, with a police report and the same tax documents.[1] E3 is the right answer for the engineer sent to commission a production line; a B visa is not.

FE1, FE2 and FE3

Families of employment visa holders apply with a copy of the principal's passport and visa, a registered marriage certificate for a spouse, birth certificates for children, legal documents for adopted children and a recommendation from the sponsoring organisation.[1] A police report may be required at extension. The dependent visa does not allow work; a spouse who finds a job needs a principal employment visa and work permit in their own right.

Sector visas: journalists, missionaries, NGO staff and performers

Four categories serve specific professions, each tied to the sector's ministry or regulator, with dependent categories FJ, FM, FN1 and FP.[1]

J: journalists and election observers

The J visa has two limbs. For a short assignment to collect news, shoot a film or documentary or observe an election, it is issued for up to one month, single entry, extendable to two months. For a journalist posted to the local office of a foreign news agency or media organisation, it is three months with multiple entries, extended in line with the work permit plus 15 days.[1]

Both need a recommendation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting or the Election Commission, a detailed proposal and a list of equipment. A crew shooting a film must be accompanied by a representative of the information ministry and produce a no-objection certificate from it at the airport before leaving.[1]

M: missionaries

The M visa is for missionaries and religious teachers providing religious services. It runs for up to three months with multiple entries and a one-month stay per entry, and may be extended up to one year. The file needs a request letter from the authorised organisation stating the place of work, a security clearance and a consent letter from the Ministry of Religious Affairs.[1] Employment is prohibited.

N1 and N2: NGO and humanitarian work

N1 is for individuals appointed by NGOs registered in Bangladesh. It is issued for up to three months with multiple entries on an appointment letter attested by the NGO Affairs Bureau, and then extended in line with the Bureau's work permit, with tax documents and a security clearance.[1] N2 is new. It covers members of international organisations and INGOs delivering emergency humanitarian services or volunteer programmes, for one month single entry, extendable to three months, on recommendations from the parent organisation and the relevant ministry, and it does not permit employment.[1] Foreign staff of donor-funded organisations should also read our note on foreign-funded NGOs.

P: performers and sportspeople on contract

P covers sportspeople, coaches, sports organisers, cultural performers and artists engaged on contract or by invitation. It runs for 30 days with multiple entries and can be extended for the contract period or two years, whichever is less. The inviting organisation must give an undertaking on tax payment, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports or the Ministry of Cultural Affairs must recommend the visa.[1] Extensions need a work permit and tax documents, as for E2.

Study and research visas: S, R and FSR

The S visa is for students and interns pursuing an academic programme or degree at an institution approved by the Government; condition 19 makes that approval a precondition.[1] It is issued for up to one year with multiple entries and extendable up to five years or the full study period, on proof of admission and a bank solvency certificate or other proof of funds.[1]

A special rule allows a one-year single-entry S visa for children under 18 of foreign Tabligh Jamaat activists studying at Hifz Khana or Kitab Khana madrasas, on Tabligh Markaz certification, with police registration within 15 days and no extension once the student passes 32.[1]

The R visa is for researchers, apprentices and participants in training or research programmes at government-recognised institutions, for the duration of the programme up to one year, with multiple entries.[1] It needs an admission or offer letter, a recommendation where required and proof of funds, except for trainees of government organisations. Spouses and children of S and R holders apply for FSR, which replaced the separate FS and FR categories of 2006.[1] [4] None of these visas permits employment, and students who overstay benefit from a partial waiver of fines for up to three months.[1]

Tourist, medical, religious, transit and crew visas

These short-stay categories each prohibit employment, and each is narrower than many applicants assume.

T: tourist visa requirements

The T visa covers recreation, tourism, visits to friends and relatives, and attendance at conferences, workshops, study tours and seminars. Its total duration is up to three months with multiple entries; if it was issued for less, it may be extended for the remaining period with single entry.[1] The policy asks for the application form, the passport, the address of accommodation in Bangladesh and a return ticket.[1]

Missions often ask for more; the High Commission in London, for example, asks for an invitation letter or hotel booking, three months' bank statements or payslips and, for non-British passports, proof of UK residence.[10] A mission may also grant a T visa to a national of a non-prohibited country who applies from a third country.[1]

MT and MA: medical treatment

The MT visa is for patients treated at registered hospitals, clinics or diagnostic centres. It runs for up to three months with multiple entries and may be extended up to one year, on a recommendation from a registered Bangladeshi physician or hospital and proof of funds. Up to two attendants per patient travel on MA visas, coterminous with the patient's.[1] Both are new compared with the 2006 policy.[4]

RT: religious gatherings

RT replaced the old T1 category for Tabligh Jamaat. It covers attendance at Tabligh Jamaat or the Ijtema and other religious purposes, for up to 180 days with single entry, on a recommendation from the central Tabligh Markaz in Bangladesh or the Markaz of the applicant's country, or another appropriate organisation, and a consent letter from the Ministry of Religious Affairs.[1] [4]

TR and C: transit and crew

The TR visa allows up to 96 hours for transit passengers travelling to a third country and for seafarers signing on or off vessels, on proof of the onward visa and ticket and, for mariners, a continuous discharge certificate.[1] Separately, a transit visa on arrival can be issued up to the next connecting flight, for no more than 72 hours, for USD 20.[1] The C visa is for crew of aircraft, ships and other transport on international routes, for up to three years with multiple entries, extendable to five years, with a one-month stay per entry for maritime crew and 15 days for other crew.[1]

Family visas and No Visa Required: FBN and NVR

For spouses of citizens and people of Bangladeshi origin there are two routes, and the better one is often not a visa at all.

FBN visa requirements

FBN is for the foreign spouse and children of a Bangladeshi citizen, and for foreign citizens of Bangladeshi descent with their spouses and children, up to the third generation. It is issued for two years with multiple entries and extendable to three years, on an affidavit declaring the relationship, proof of the Bangladeshi link and, where relevant, a marriage or birth certificate. It does not permit employment.[1] FBN replaced the 2006 TF category.[4]

No Visa Required endorsement

NVR is an endorsement in a foreign passport that removes the need for a visa. It is available to people of Bangladeshi origin who have acquired another citizenship outside the SAARC countries, to second and third generations and their spouses and children, and to the foreign spouses and children of citizens.[1]

Evidence includes a dual citizenship certificate or the Bangladeshi passport, NID or birth registration of the relevant parent or spouse, an affidavit, and marriage and birth certificates; spouses and children over 15 need police verification.[1] NVR costs USD 80, lasts for the life of the passport and can be moved to a new passport.[1] Where the foreign citizenship or residence was obtained through investment, a favourable report from the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit is mandatory.[1] Our guide to the dual nationality certificate explains the most common supporting document.

Old visa codes and what replaced them in the Visa Policy 2026

Legacy guidance, employer templates and even some mission websites still use the 2006 codes. The 2006 policy had 33 categories; the 2026 policy has 34.[2] The table below maps the old codes that cause the most confusion to their closest 2026 equivalent. The 2006 descriptions come from an unofficial English translation of the Bangla circular, and the mapping reflects TRW's reading of the two texts rather than an official concordance.[4] [1]

The practical rule for the types of visas in Bangladesh is simple. If a document says "E visa", "A3" or "TF", treat it as out of date and identify the 2026 category from the purpose of the visit. Special Branch's published extension checklists, written under the 2006 rules, still list FE, FN, FR, FS, T1-style and TF categories, so check any official checklist against the 2026 policy before relying on it.[5] Visas issued under earlier circulars remain valid until they expire.[1]

Visa requirements for foreigners by nationality

The types of visas in Bangladesh are the same for every nationality, but nationality changes the route, the cost and some of the duties. Condition 2 of the policy says visas follow bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding where they exist, and reciprocity where they do not.[1] The policy's purpose, as presented to the Cabinet, includes setting arrangements by reference to how other countries treat Bangladeshi travellers.[3]

Fees by reciprocity

Visa fees follow reciprocity or the relevant agreement, and are not refunded if an application is refused.[1] The spread is wide. At the High Commission in London, a single-entry visa is listed at £105 for UK nationals, £146 for US nationals, £60 for German and French nationals and £53 for Canadians, while Indian and Japanese nationals are listed as requiring a visa without fees.[10] Fees differ between missions and change, so confirm the current figure with the mission that will process the application.

Visa on arrival by nationality and purpose

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 reservation, return ticket and proof of funds.[1]

The visa on arrival is available to investors and development partners invited by the Government or the investment authority; to travellers from countries with no Bangladesh mission; to nationals of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Japan, South Korea, Brunei, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt, the USA, Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Turkey, the UK and other European countries travelling for tourism or business; to foreign citizens of Bangladeshi origin and their families; to diplomatic and UN passport holders and mission and UN officials; and to anyone with prior Home Ministry approval.[1] A visa on arrival is discretionary, so nationals outside those lists should obtain a visa before travel.

India, Pakistan and SAARC nationals

Three rules turn directly on nationality. A person arriving from India or Pakistan with a visa of 90 days or more must register with the immigration authorities at the port of entry within 14 days; nationals of other countries are exempt.[1] People of Bangladeshi origin who hold the citizenship of a SAARC country are outside the main NVR route.[1] And Indian applicants should check mission availability: Bangladesh suspended visa services at its missions in New Delhi, Agartala and Siliguri on 22 December 2025 and restored them on 20 February 2026.[11]

Foreign citizens of Bangladeshi origin have the widest choice of all: visa on arrival, FBN or NVR, and waivers of overstay fines that other foreigners do not get.[1] For most such families, NVR is the most efficient route because it outlasts any visa.

Requirements that apply to every type of visa

Beyond the category rows, the mandatory conditions of the Visa Policy 2026 apply to every application and holder. These most often catch people out.

• Passport: every visitor must hold a passport valid for six months, and a valid visa in an old passport can be transferred to a new one on application.[1]
• Machine-readable visas: every visa must be an MRV, and original passports are submitted for stamping; the policy anticipates an electronic visa system but does not yet introduce one.[1]
• Reports and security clearance: where a police or intelligence report is needed, the agency has 21 working days to respond, after which the authority may proceed as if there is no objection; no report is needed for a child under 15, and a Home Ministry security clearance lasts up to five years.[1]
• No change of category: a visa category cannot be changed after entry, except from a visa on arrival into listed categories; converting a visa on arrival for employment costs USD 200.[1]
• Extensions: apply 15 days before expiry; a late application is treated as an overstay, with fines from Tk 1,000 a day.[1]
• Sponsor liability: if a foreign national coming for employment, investment, business or education conceals information or breaches a condition, the sponsor is fined Tk 1,00,000 per person for a first violation and Tk 2,00,000 for later ones.[1]

For overstay, waivers, detention and removal, see our overview of Bangladesh immigration law; for forms, missions and online pre-applications, see how to apply for a Bangladesh visa.

Invest Bangladesh and who now recommends work and investor visas

The Visa Policy 2026 names BIDA, BEZA, BEPZA, the Hi-Tech Park Authority and the PPP Authority as the bodies that recommend E2, E3, P and PI visas, issue work permits and support conversions from a visa on arrival.[1] The institutional map changed at almost the same time. The Invest Bangladesh Act 2026, Act No. 104 of 2026, is dated 16 July 2026 and establishes a single apex investment authority.[6]

Invest Bangladesh began operating on 23 August 2026, the first working day after the gazette notification, as the merger of BIDA, BEZA and the PPP Authority under the Prime Minister's Office. It stated that existing investor services continue and that it will keep running BanglaBiz, the single digital platform for business licences and permits.[7] Its service list includes visa and work permit support.[8] BIDA's pre-merger guidance required its recommendation letter for PI, E2 and E3 visas.[9]

In practice, references in the visa policy to BIDA, BEZA and the PPP Authority should now be read as references to Invest Bangladesh, while BEPZA, the Hi-Tech Park Authority and the NGO Affairs Bureau, which were not part of the merger, remain the authorities for their own zones and sectors.[7] Employers should check which body has jurisdiction before filing, because a recommendation from the wrong authority is a common cause of refusal. The wider changes are analysed in our note on the Invest Bangladesh Act 2026.

Expatriate visa information: living in Bangladesh long term

For an expatriate relocating with a family, choosing among the types of visas in Bangladesh is the first of several linked permissions. Getting the sequence right matters more than any single document.

The visa, the work permit and the security clearance

An employment-type visa allows entry for the purpose of work; it does not itself authorise work. The work permit application must reach the competent authority within 15 working days of first entry.[1] Visa extensions then follow the permit, with a 30-day bridge while the permit, police report or security clearance is pending, so a late permit application quickly becomes a status problem.[1] Tax registration is built into the chain: a TIN is required for the first extension of E2, E3, N1 and P visas and an income tax certificate thereafter.[1]

Families and dependants

Plan dependants' visas with the principal's. Parents count as dependants under the policy's definition, which helps expatriates bringing elderly parents.[1]

Arrival formalities

Since 19 August 2026 foreign passport holders arriving or leaving by air can complete the embarkation and disembarkation card online through Special Branch's portal, the same system that has handled advance visa on arrival applications since 13 February 2025. The electronic card does not replace a visa.[12] Registration with the police is now required only of Indian and Pakistani nationals holding visas of 90 days or more.[1]

Officials of overseas armed forces training at defence institutions are a special case: under the Visa Policy 2026 the Armed Forces Division's recommendation replaces the work permit and security clearance.[1]

Choosing the right type of visa in Bangladesh

The right category follows from what the person will actually do in Bangladesh, not from what is quickest to obtain. Work through these questions in order.

• Working for a Bangladeshi entity or project? E2, or E1 for a development partner's own official. Never B.
• A defined technical job, such as commissioning? E3.
• Investing own capital in a foreign-owned or joint venture company? PI, plus a work permit if they will manage it.
• Only meeting, negotiating or attending a fair? B.
• Employed by an NGO, media house, club or cultural body? N1, J or P.
• Married to a citizen or of Bangladeshi origin? Consider NVR before FBN.
• Studying, researching, seeking treatment or attending a religious gathering? S, R, MT or RT.

Where a visit has mixed purposes, choose the category that covers the most restricted activity. A director who will attend board meetings and also sign off on a factory's production for three months is doing more than a B visa permits. The steps we follow for clients are below.

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Mistakes to avoid when choosing among the types of visas in Bangladesh

Most refusals and penalties we see come from errors made before the traveller leaves home.

• Using a retired code. Asking for an "E" or "A3" visa signals an out-of-date file. Use the 2026 categories.[1] [4]
• Working on a B or T visa. Both are endorsed "Employment in Bangladesh prohibited", and the sponsor is now fined.[1]
• Using B for technical work. Installation, commissioning and maintenance fall squarely within E3.[1]
• Missing the 15-working-day window. The work permit clock runs from first entry, not from the start date in the contract.[1]
• Taking the wrong recommendation. After the merger, check whether Invest Bangladesh, BEPZA, the Hi-Tech Park Authority or the NGO Affairs Bureau has jurisdiction.[7]

TRW's immigration and visa services team prepares category assessments, recommendation files and extension applications, and our global mobility and business immigration practice advises employers moving staff into Bangladesh.

Frequently asked questions

How many types of visas are there in Bangladesh?

There are 34 types of visas in Bangladesh under the Visa Policy 2026, up from 33 under the 2006 policy, including principal categories and dependent categories for family members.[1] [2]

Which visas allow a foreigner to work in Bangladesh?

E1, E2, E3, J, P, PI and N1. Holders must apply for a work permit to the competent authority within 15 working days of first entry. All other categories prohibit employment.[1]

Does the E visa still exist?

No. The 2006 E category for employees has been replaced by E2, and the old E1 for installation and maintenance work by E3. E1 now means development partner officials.[1] [4]

What happened to the A3 visa?

A3 covered experts on projects with development partners under the 2006 policy. The 2026 policy has no A3; its closest equivalent is E1, with FE1 for dependants.[4] [1]

What is the difference between a B visa and a PI visa?

B is for business visits such as meetings, fairs and negotiations, and prohibits employment. PI is for investors in foreign-owned or joint venture companies, needs a recommendation that the investor is bona fide and can run up to five years.[1]

Can I change my visa type after arriving in Bangladesh?

Only if you arrived on a visa on arrival, and only into listed categories such as E1, E2, E3, J, PI, P, FBN or NVR. A USD 200 fee applies if you will take up employment.[1]

Which nationalities can get a visa on arrival?

Listed nationals, including those of the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, China, Japan, the Gulf states and European countries, travelling for tourism or business, plus invited investors, Bangladeshi-origin foreigners and others named in the policy. Grant is discretionary.[1]

Which visa should the foreign spouse of a Bangladeshi citizen get?

Either FBN, for two years extendable to three, or the No Visa Required endorsement, which costs USD 80 and lasts for the life of the passport. Neither allows employment without a separate work route.[1]

Who recommends work and investor visas after the Invest Bangladesh Act 2026?

Invest Bangladesh, which merged BIDA, BEZA and the PPP Authority and began operating on 23 August 2026, now provides their investor services. BEPZA, the Hi-Tech Park Authority and the NGO Affairs Bureau remain separate.[6] [7]

Do my family members need separate visas?

Yes. Spouses, children, adopted children and parents apply for the dependent category matching the principal, such as FE2 or FPI. Dependent visas are coterminous with the principal and prohibit work.[1]