Bangladesh has taken the first formal step toward replacing the visa policy it has used since 2006. At a cabinet meeting in Dhaka on Thursday 2 July 2026, the government presented a draft "Visa Policy 2026" and formed a ministerial committee, chaired by the finance minister, to review and finalise it. The draft sets out 34 visa categories, each with its own conditions, validity periods, extension options and document requirements, and points toward an e-Visa system and visa-on-arrival provisions for eligible nationals. Nothing changes for travellers yet, but for anyone planning to work, invest or study in Bangladesh, the framework that governs their entry is now being rewritten.
Background
Bangladesh's current visa rules date from 2006, and two decades of workarounds have grown up around them. The government's stated aim with the new draft is to make the entry and exit of foreigners "easier, more orderly and service-oriented", and to support foreign investment, business travel, the recruitment of skilled professionals, tourism and technology transfer. The review committee will be supported by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which provides its secretariat, and is expected to recommend simplifications while keeping national security and diplomatic reciprocity in view. Reciprocity matters here: how Bangladesh treats a country's nationals can track how that country treats Bangladeshis.
What the draft contains
The centrepiece is classification. The draft defines 34 visa categories covering, among others, official visits, business travel, investors, workers, students, journalists, medical travellers, accompanying family members, religious activities and transit. Each category comes with specific conditions, a set validity period, defined extension options and a list of supporting documents. The draft also refers to an e-Visa system, which would move applications online, and to visa-on-arrival provisions for eligible nationalities at designated ports of entry. The practical detail of which nationalities, which ports and which fees is not yet public.
Who it affects
If adopted, the policy would touch every foreigner entering Bangladesh. A textile buyer making quarterly trips to Dhaka would apply under a defined business category with predictable validity. A foreign engineer joining an infrastructure project would fall under a worker category with its own extension track, and a spouse would have an explicit accompanying-person route rather than an improvised one. Investors are a stated priority, as are medical travellers and students. For the large Bangladeshi diaspora, clearer categories could also simplify visits by foreign spouses and children who do not hold Bangladeshi documents.
What this means in practice
For now, nothing procedural changes: the 2006 policy remains in force and applications continue as before, so anyone with a near-term trip should follow the current rules in our Bangladesh country guide at /country-guides/bangladesh. The committee's review has no published deadline. The sensible move for anyone planning a 2026–2027 relocation to Bangladesh is to watch for the finalised policy and check the official visa portal (visa.gov.bd) before applying, since category definitions, documents and fees may all shift when the new policy is adopted.
When it takes effect
No effective date exists yet. The cabinet formed the review committee on 2 July 2026; the policy takes effect only after the committee's recommendations are adopted and the final policy is published.
What is not yet confirmed
The government has not published the draft's full text, the committee's membership or a timeline for adoption. The e-Visa and visa-on-arrival elements are directions in the draft, not commitments with dates. Details reported so far come from Bangladeshi press coverage of the cabinet meeting rather than a published government instrument.
Key Takeaway
Bangladesh is rewriting its 2006 visa policy into a 34-category system with an e-Visa direction; current rules still apply until the new policy is finalised.