Dhaka: Home Adviser Lieutenant General Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd.) inaugurated the Online App for Visa on Arrival (VoA) or Transit Visa application aimed at simplifying the visa issuance process for foreign nationals. The launch took place at the Home Ministry conference room at the Secretariat.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the initiative allows foreign nationals to obtain visas on arrival in a much shorter time frame, reducing waiting times from 40 minutes to an hour to just five to ten minutes. The app requires foreign citizens to submit an application with necessary information. Upon completion, applicants receive a code that they must present along with the visa processing fee in dollars to obtain a 30-day on-arrival visa to Bangladesh.
The payment can be made in cash or by card. Immigration authorities at international airports and land ports are authorized to issue entry visas to passport holders from countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, and several others, for purposes such as official visits, business, investment, and tourism, upon satisfactory verification of necessary documents.
Furthermore, entry visas may be issued to individuals arriving from countries without a Bangladesh embassy after verifying travel suitability. Foreign citizens of Bangladeshi origin, along with their spouses and children, can also obtain entry visas based on relevant Bangladeshi citizenship certificates.