Bangladesh Visa on Arrival (VOA) | Cost & Requirements
Updated: Nov 14
This travel guide provides all the information you need to understand the Bangladesh Visa on Arrival, including which nationalities are eligible, a list of documents you need to bring, the cost and payment methods allowed, and which ports of entry you are permitted to use in Bangladesh. This content was written for Been Tours by I Dream of Mangoes, a British travel blogger who toured Bangladesh with us in October 2024.
CONTENTS
Which countries are eligible for a Visa on Arrival to Bangladesh?
The following nationalities can get a Visa on Arrival (VOA) for Bangladesh:
Australia
Bahrain
Brunei
Canada
China
Egypt
EU Countries
Iceland
Japan
Kuwait
Liechtenstein
Malaysia
Nepal
New Zealand
Norway
Oman
Palestine
Qatar
Russia
Saudia Arabia
Singapore
South Korea
Switzerland
Thailand
UAE
United Kingdom
United States
There are 24 countries that do not need a visa for Bangladesh (Barbados, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Jamaica, Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia)
Israeli citizens are not allowed to enter or transit through Bangladesh at all.
If your country is not listed above, you may be able to apply online via the official website, or via your nearest Bangladeshi mission, so make sure to check the supported countries for these options.
Ports of entry in Bangladesh where the Visa on Arrival is issued
Arriving by air
Bangladesh has three international airports and eligible nationalities can get a visa on arrival at all of them:
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (Dhaka)
Shah Amanat International Airport (Chittagong)
Osmani International Airport (Sylhet)
Arriving by land
Bangladesh is bordered by two countries; India and Myanmar, and currently the Myanmar/Bangladesh border is not open to foreign nationals.
There are currently seven India/Bangladesh land border crossings where foreigners can obtain a visa on arrival:
Benapole/Petrapol (Jessore in West Bangladesh/West Bengal close to Kolkata)
Darshana/Gede (Chuadanga in West Bangladesh/West Bengal)
Sonamasjid/Mahadipur (Chapao Nawabganj in Northwest Bangladesh/West Bengal)
Banglabandha/Fulbari (Panchagarh in North Bangladesh/WestBengal close to Nepal border)
Burimari/Changrabandha (Lalmonirhat in North Bangladesh/West Bengal)
Tamabil/Dawki (Sylhet in Northeast Bangladesh/Meghalaya)
Akhaura/Ramnagar (Brahmnbaria in East Bangladesh/Tripura)
If you have any first-hand experience crossing these land borders please let us know in the comments! We would love to know how smooth the process was and if you encountered any confusion or inconsistencies with the VOA process. Tourism in Bangladesh is in its infancy so we know the infrastructure is not quite there yet, so we will constantly review this article with updates.
Trains
There are three passenger trains between West Bengal in India and Bangladesh, however, there is no visa on arrival facility. (Trains are currently suspended as of August 2024, despite the fact that the political unrest is now over and Bangladesh is safe and peaceful).
Documents needed for a Visa on Arrival to Bangladesh
These are the documents you will need to get a visa on arrival for Bangladesh. Please ensure that the following documents are PRINTED as soft copies on phones may not be accepted.
Requesting to see these documents is at the discretion of the immigration officer, so you may not be asked for all of them, but it is better to have them with you just in case.
They may keep the documents, so please make sure every person in your group has at least two copies.
Photocopy of passport
Letter of invitation (LOI)
Proof of onward travel (air ticket or bus ticket if leaving by land)
Hotel reservation (for the first night at least)
Bring a pen! If multiple people are trying to get a VOA having your own pen will speed up the process
Been Tours can provide these documents to you free of charge if you book a tour with us. Please check out our packages to find a Bangladesh tour that suits your style and budget, and experience authentic travel in one of the most captivating countries in the world!
Cost & payment method for Bangladeshi VOA
The Bangladesh visa on arrival is officially $51 USD - however, tourists have been known to have been asked for $52, depending on the exchange rate of the day.
You should bring the exact amount in American Dollars. GBP and Euros are supposedly accepted, but there is no room for doubt with USD. As always, when using dollars outside of the USA notes should be new, crisp, and clean otherwise they may not be accepted.
Visa duration, extending and overstaying a Bangladesh visa
Visa Duration
Most nationalities eligible for a Bangladesh visa on arrival are allowed to stay for 30 days for the purposes of tourism.
If the immigration official asks you how long you're staying, ASK FOR THE FULL 30 DAYS. If you say your trip is one week long, they may only stamp you in for one week, which does not leave any wiggle room for delays.
Visa Extension
If you need to extend your visa you can do so at the Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP) in Dhaka, however, this is a complicated and drawn-out process involving several visits, so we would only recommend this option if absolutely necessary.
Visa Overstay
The fine for overstaying your visa is 200 Taka per day for the first 15 days, then 500 Taka per day after that. On top of the fine, you must also pay for a new visa. This does not mean the VOA fee of $51, but rather the official visa fee per country, for example for the USA this fee is $160.
We hope this blog post answers all your questions about getting a visa on arrival for Bangladesh. If you have any uncertainties, please leave us a comment or contact Been Tours directly.
in collaboration with
Tamabil/Dawki crossing information - I crossed from Dawki in Meghalaya in India in October 2024. There was a small delay as the Indian side wanted to be absolutely sure I could cross into Bangladesh with the new interim government. I waited around 30 minutes and was cleared to go.
It was $52, I only had $51 so I topped it up with 100 rupees and that was okay. They did not ask me for an LOI or proof of onward travel. The whole process took 2 hours and I had to go to various offices, but everyone was really helpful and pointed me in the right direction for the next step.