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Bangladesh brings new visa policy into force, replaces 2006 rules

Published : Thursday, 3 September, 2026 at 9:24 PM

Observer staff correspondent

Symbolic Photo

Bangladesh has brought its new Visa Policy 2026 into force, replacing the visa policy that had governed the entry of foreign nationals for nearly two decades.

The Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order on Thursday saying the new policy would take effect immediately and that the Visa Policy 2006 was cancelled.

The move gives Bangladesh a new framework for handling foreign visitors, investors, businesspeople, skilled workers, students, tourists and other categories of international travellers.

The Home Ministry order said the new policy was introduced to make the visa process more suitable for present needs and easier for applicants.

The government had approved the draft policy at a Cabinet meeting on August 10, after months of work to update the rules introduced in 2006. The Cabinet approval was given at its 16th meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

The biggest structural change is the increase in visa categories from 33 under the 2006 policy to 34 under the new framework.

The new system covers a wide range of travellers, including foreign investors, businesspeople, employees and technical experts, as well as tourists, medical visitors, students, journalists, researchers, development partners and humanitarian workers.

The draft framework had also included separate provisions for family members of several categories, transit passengers and people travelling to Bangladesh for religious purposes.

The government says the reform is not simply about issuing visas faster. It also seeks to attract foreign direct investment, international business and skilled manpower, promote tourism and hospitality, and encourage technology and knowledge transfer.

At the same time, the policy aims to keep national security and diplomatic interests in view.

Another important principle is reciprocity, meaning Bangladesh can consider how another country treats Bangladeshi travellers when managing visa arrangements with that country.

The government has been working on the reform since July. A Cabinet committee headed by the finance minister was formed to review and finalise the draft before it went to the Cabinet.

Officials had said the old policy needed an update because international travel, investment, employment, tourism and technology cooperation had changed significantly since 2006.

Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani said in July that delays in visa issuance had been a problem even after applicants completed the required procedures. The new policy was intended to make the process faster so that foreigners could enter Bangladesh more easily.

The final implementation will involve the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Department of Immigration and Passports and Bangladesh missions abroad, according to the government.

The government has also said that previous visa-related circulars will be cancelled and replaced by a unified and modern framework.

The Home Ministry's latest order makes the change clear: the new policy is effective immediately, rather than waiting for another Cabinet or parliamentary approval. The order was issued on September 3 in the public interest.

The ministry has also listed Visa Policy 2026 on its official website alongside the old 2006 policy and other visa-related circulars, providing further confirmation that the new framework has been formally issued.

For foreign investors and businesses, the change could make Bangladesh's immigration system easier to understand by putting different types of travellers under clearly defined categories.

For tourists and ordinary visitors, however, the real test will be how quickly and smoothly the new rules work at Bangladesh's missions and immigration offices.

In other words, the government has now changed the rulebook. The next challenge is making the new system work as promised at the counter, online and at the country's borders.

Verification note: I found the uploaded Home Ministry order to be consistent with the government's current website and earlier Cabinet announcement.

-HIS