Visa on Arrival (VoA) facility will be provided to foreign nationals arriving without visa with the objective of promoting tourism, facilitating foreign investment, trade and business. VoA may be issued up to 30 (thirty) days with single entry upon arrival by the immigration authority at the designated entry points in Bangladesh after being fully satisfied on verifying the purpose and required papers of arriving persons from the countries mentioned below:
- VoA may be issued to the citizens of those countries where there is no diplomatic representation of Bangladesh and the purpose of arrival being government duties, business, investment and tourism.
- VoA may be issued to a foreign national arriving on government duties, business, investment and tourism if he or she arrives from a country other than his/her own where there is no diplomatic representation of Bangladesh and the purpose of arrival being government duties, business, investment and tourism.
- VoA may be issued to investors/businessmen of any country on the basis of invitation/recommendation from the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (BEPZA), Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA), Hi-Tech Park, Public Private Partnership Authority of Bangladesh (PPPAB) and other applicable authorities and any other reputed organization in Bangladesh. Inviting organization has to inform immigration authorities at the designated entry port before arrival.
- For the purpose of government duties, business, investment and tourism, VoA may be issued by the immigration authorities at the designated entry ports to visitors from Nepal, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Japan, South Korea, Brunei Darussalam, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt, USA, Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Turkey and European countries upon satisfactory verification of all necessary documents.
- VoA may also be issued to foreigners arriving for specific assignments in the development projects of the Government, Semi-Government, and Autonomous bodies upon production of the relevant documents.
- VoA may be issued to Bangladeshi descendent foreign nationals, their spouse and children, and spouse and children of Bangladeshi nationals holding foreign passports, on the basis of citizenship certificate/evidence.
- Officials and staffs of Diplomatic Missions in Bangladesh, United Nations and its associate organizations may be issued VoA after verifying the documents of their appointments/arrival. Visa fee will not be applicable for the UN Passport holders.
- In case of arrival of foreign military and members of security forces for official purposes, prior approval should be obtained from Security Services Division, Ministry of Home Affairs.
Visa category can be changed only from VoA to the following categories mentioned below:
- To visa category A2/E1/E2/E3/P1 upon submission of all relevant documents as per visa circular. Additional visa fee equivalent to USD 100.00 per person will be applicable per visa for such conversion.
- Application for the change of category should be submitted to the Security Services Division within 15 (fifteen) days of arrival.
- In case of conversion, the newly converted visa in Bangladesh shall be considered as the first visa of that particular category.
- VoA facility shall be extended to a foreign national arriving in Bangladesh for not more than twice in a calendar year.
The following procedure should be followed at the time of issuing VoA:
- Visa fee should be paid in prescribed foreign currency
- An arriving foreign national must have at least USD 500.00 (five hundred)/ equivalent foreign currency in cash/credit card except arriving for government duty.
- An arriving foreign national must have return air ticket, invitation/local sponsors/accommodation arrangement/hotel booking.
- Fee will not be charged for VoA to the passport holders of those countries or the citizens where visa fee is not applicable.
- VoA fee shall be applicable to the citizens of the countries except those for which visa on arrival is allowed on the basis of reciprocity or agreement/arrangement.
ATTENTION: Owing to the risk of fast spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) the Government of Bangladesh has decided to temporarily discontinue the facility of "On Arrival Visa" for visitors of any country.
For more information, please click here.