Bangladesh Travel Requirements 2025: Your Full Pre-Travel Checklist
Meta Description: Planning your travels to Bangladesh? This in-depth 2024 guide provides everything you need to know about traveling to Bangladesh including visa information, vaccinations, customs requirements and advice on staying safe.
Introduction: The Gateway to the Best-Little-Known Secret in South Asia
But before you can soak up the peacefulness of Sylhet’s tea gardens, wade through Dhaka’s tumultuous streets, or go deep into the realms of the mystic in the Sundarbans mangrove forests there is an all important journey that needs to be made, negotiating your way toward Bangladesh travel requirements. The country is progressively becoming more open to international tourists, but that doesn’t mean you can just show up without prepping. This 2024 guide delves into every official requirement while also providing pro-tips for starting your adventure on the right foot. No matter if you’re a solo hiker, business traveler or cultural modernist, let this be your master checklist for hiking into the Land of Rivers.
Part 1: The Non-Negotiables – Entry Documents You Can’t Overlook
*1. *Your Bangladeshi Visa: The Golden Ticket
Unlike a few of its neighbors in Southeast Asia, Bangladesh broadly requires a visa for most holders of foreign passports arriving the country. Here’s your roadmap:
Tourist Visa:** The typical option for vacation.
How to Apply:** There are two main pathways:
E-Visa (Recommended):* You may apply online via the official *Bangladesh e-Visa Portal. You will require the digital files for your passport photo page, recent photo and hotel/travel itinerary information. Handling processing usually within **3-5 business!
Embassy/Consulate Visa:** Apply in person or by mail to the Bangladeshi mission closest to you. This takes longer, but can be good for certain visa types.
Size of visa:* Most tourist visas are issued for *30 to 90 days**. Check, upon arriving that the “length of stay” stamp in your passport gives you enough time.
Fees:** Depend on nationality and processing speed. E-visa costs are to be settled on the web using a credit card.
Visa on Arrival (VOA) – Use caution:**
Offered exclusively at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (DAC) and to nationals of certain countries (you can find the most recent list on their website).
Requirements:** You need to show return/onward ticket, hotel booking, proof of funds (~$500), and sometimes invitation letter.
Our tip:* There is often a long line at the VOA and regulations are applied inconsistently. *Definitely apply for an e-visa in advance** and save yourself some troubles after a long flight.
Key Tip:* Be sure to have *at least six months validity** on your passport from the date of entry and at least two completely blank visa pages.
2. The Health Passport: Vaccinations & COVID-19 Protocols
COVID-19 sanctions (As of 2024):**
Vaccination Proof:** Not required for entry.
PCR Test:** Not required for vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers.
Health Declaration Forms:** Not applicable at the moment.
Note: These rules are subject to change. *Always verify on the official Bangladesh Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) website 72 hours prior to your flight departure. *
Routine and Recommended vaccinations:**
Legal Requirement:* A *certificate of Yellow Fever vaccination* is recommended *for anyone coming from a country in which Yellow Fever has been endemic.
Recommended by Health Experts:(“——————————–“)
Hepatitis A & Typhoid:** Because you can get hepatitis and typhoid through contaminated food or water.
Tetanus & Diphtheria:** Routine vaccination that is travel specific.
Hepatitis B:** For anyone who may need medical procedures or to have close contact with others.
MALARIA AND DENGUE PREVENTION ** : NO vaccination is available for these mosquito-borne diseases. Ask your doctor about anti-malarial prophylaxis (especially for trips in the rural areas of the Sundarbans or Chittagong Hill Tracts) and bring efficient insect repellent (DEET 30-50%).
Rabies:** Recommended for long-term travelers, those who have been to remote areas, cycling around with wildlife or persons in contact animals.
Part 2: The Arrival Process – Getting through DAC & Customs
1. At Immigration:
Three holed punch the following into a folder:
Passport with visa.
Hard copy of your e-visa approval (if applicable).
Evidence of onward / return travel (flight ticket).
Proof of your first nights accommodation (hotel reservation).
You may be questioned on the reason for your visit and your plans. Answer clearly and confidently.
2. Customs Regulations: What Can You Bring
Duty-Free Allowances:**
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars,.
A reasonable amount of water and perfumes for personal use.
2l of wine or alcoholic bevarges non-Muslims only (to declare)
■ Banned Goods:
Drugs, weapons and ammuniation.
Material that endangers state security or is offensive to the religious feelings (such as pornography).
Wireless equipment that is not pre-authorized (drones are extremely restricted and require complex approvals).
Currency Restrictions:**
Import:* There is no limit to the amount of foreign currency that can be imported, but money over *$5,000 (or equivalent)** must be declared on arrival.
Export:** cannot export more foreign currency than declared on entry. Keep your declaration form safe.
Bangladeshi Taka (BDT)**: The import and export of local currency are restricted up to Bangladeshi Taka 5,000 only.
Part 3: The Pre-Departure To-Do List
1. Money & Finances
Currency:* The Bangladeshi Taka (BDT). Have *some USD cash** ($100-200 in small denominations) on hand for emergencies or visas if you want to apply upon arrival.
ATMs & Cards:* International ATMs are common in cities (Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet). Some of the better hotels and restaurants do accept Visa/Mastercard. *Carry local cash **For the countryside, transport and markets. Tell your bank where you are traveling.
2. Health & Safety Preparations
Travel Insurance:* *This is not optional. * Get a policy that includes * medical evacuation, hospitalization and trip cancellation. Rural and smaller towns are usually not equipped to handle anything serious.
Medications:** All meds should be in their original and labeled containers, with a copy of the prescription. Certain Western over-the-counter drugs may be classified as controlled substances in Bangladesh.
DIY Medical Kit:** Rehydration salts, anti-diarrheal medicine, antiseptic wipes, bandaids and OTC pain relievers of choice.
3. Connectivity & Communication
Local SIM:* Buy at the airport when you arrive from *Grameenphone,Robi or Banglalink**. For registration, you’ll need your passport. Information is not only cheap in urban areas, but it’s good.
Key numbers: Get the phone number and address for your country’s **embassy or consulate in Dhaka.
4. Cultural & Practical Preparedness
Clothing:** Take modest clothes (lightweight, long-sleeved tops, pants or long skirts). This is respectful and practical.
Power Adapters:* Bangladesh uses *Type C, D, G, and K plugs** (220V/50Hz). Go ahead and get a universal adapter.
Digital Backups:** Scan in your passport, visa, insurance and itinerary. Keep copies in a secure cloud service or email a copy to yourself.
Part 4: Special Circumstances & Pro-Tips
Journalists And Photographers:* Permits are generally needed to film and professionally report. Please get in touch with the *Press Information Department (PID)* well before time. Tourist photography is okay in most places, but just remember to *get permission from the people you are taking pictures of.**This rule also applies to military sites, airports and bridges.
Restricted Areas:* Visas/permits are required to visit the *Chittagong Hill Tracts (Rangamati, Bandarban, Khagrachhari)**. They can be tiresome to get and are uusually only available with a guided tour. Do not go there without proper approval.
While You’re There:* Keep a *photocopy of your passport’s bio page and visa stamp** with you (leave the real thing in your hotel safe). If your embassy offers it, sign up for the smart traveler program.
### Summary: Prepare for Freedom
The bureaucracy surrounding what you need to enter Bangladesh may seem intimidating, but frame it as the opening to your adventure — a barrier to entry into a club that challenges travelers. Systematically going down this checklist—getting the right visa, speaking to your doctor, dropping money on solid insurance, and packing with cultural awareness in mind—drains you of touristy fears and fills you with expat swag.
Past these gates, however, you can throw yourself head first into the wonderful and beautiful chaos that is Bangladesh. The little things you put the work into upfront come back to pay off big time in peace of mind, so that when you get there on the other side of arrival gates, you can simply surrender with all your being and soak it up … whether it’s having a sweet tea with a stranger or listening to call for prayers resonating along a million rivers or exploring the bustle and energy at heart of an unstoppable nation just beyond the immigration counter.
The Final Step Before You Go: Rules change. One to three weeks before your trip, recheck the visa and health guidelines via these recommended websites: the Official Portal of e-Visa for Bangladeshand your own country’s foreign travel advice site.
Have a great trip, and shagotom (welcome) to Bangladesh!
