Play store
Bangladesh’s Cabinet on Monday approved a draft Visa Policy, 2026 aimed at making entry and departure by foreigners easier and more orderly while attracting investment, businesses and skilled workers.
The approval was given at the 16th Cabinet meeting at the Secretariat, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
The new policy is also intended to promote tourism and hospitality, facilitate technology and knowledge transfer, strengthen national security and maintain diplomatic balance.
It seeks to establish a modern and diversified migration framework and make Bangladesh’s visa system more up-to-date, secure, dynamic and streamlined.
The existing Visa Policy, 2006 has 33 visa categories, while the proposed policy will contain 34 categories.
Once the new policy comes into force, all previous visa-related circulars will be cancelled and replaced by an integrated visa framework at national and international levels, the Cabinet said.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, the Department of Immigration and Passports and Bangladesh’s diplomatic missions abroad will jointly implement the new framework.
The policy also seeks to manage international travel according to the principle of reciprocity, under which visa arrangements may take into account the treatment given to Bangladeshi nationals by other countries.
The government expects the revised framework to facilitate legitimate foreign travel while improving security and administrative efficiency.
It also aims to create a more investment-friendly environment by easing access for foreign businesses and skilled human resources, while supporting Bangladesh’s tourism and hospitality industries.
The Cabinet gave final and in-principle approval to the draft at its meeting on Monday.