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Bangladesh · Work

Bangladesh Work visa

First stay: 1 yr

Employment visa (E) and BIDA work permit

First checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log

Key facts

Work visa is a work route for Bangladesh. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.

First stay
1 yr

Time and long term

RenewalRenewable, 5 years max

The BIDA work permit is awarded for one year at first and normally extended to a maximum of five years; the Employment visa is extended by the Department of Immigration and Passports up to 3 years.

Bangladesh Investment Development AuthorityDepartment of Immigration and Passports, Government of Bangladesh

Where to applyFrom abroad

The Employment visa is issued by a Bangladesh embassy or high commission abroad on a BIDA, BEPZA or ministry recommendation.

Department of Immigration and Passports, Government of Bangladesh

Why this route may not fit

Check this before you apply.

  • Time on this route is capped at 5 years in total
  • Applications are made from outside Bangladesh, not after arriving
  • Needs a job offer from an employer in Bangladesh

What you'll need

Who can apply2

  • The applicant is an expert, consultant or employee of a government, semi-government, autonomous, project or contractor organisation or private company.
  • The employer is registered with BIDA, or is a branch, liaison or representative office with BIDA permission.

Documents6

  • An appointment letter and a recommendation from BIDA, BEPZA, BEZA, the NGO Affairs Bureau or the concerned ministry.
  • A BIDA visa recommendation letter for the expatriate, the service contract and appointment letter or transfer order.
  • Academic and professional experience certificates, and a copy of the used pages of the passport.
  • A board resolution naming the expatriate and a statement of local and foreign employees with salary breakdown.
  • The employer's registration or incorporation papers, tax clearance certificate and audit report.
  • An encashment certificate for inward remittance of at least USD 50,000 as the employer's initial establishment cost.

Steps2

  1. The work permit application goes through the BIDA one-stop service portal and an inter-ministerial committee awards the permit.
  2. The expatriate files the work permit application with BIDA within 15 days of arrival; the visa itself is issued only by Bangladesh missions abroad.

After you arrive3

  • The E visa from a Bangladesh mission is valid for 3 months with multiple entries; the E1 visa is valid for 6 months with stays of up to 30 days each.
  • The Department of Immigration and Passports extends the visa up to 3 years on the local sponsor's request and a police report.
  • The first work permit is for one year and extensions are normally allowed up to five years in total.

When you become tax resident

How Bangladesh decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.

Stay on this route

Up to 5 years in total

Tax residence
  • At least 183 days in a income yearAn individual present in Bangladesh for 183 days or more in the income year is resident.
  • At least 90 days in a income year, with 365 days in the four preceding yearsAn individual present for 90 days or more in the income year and for 365 days or more in the four preceding years is resident.
Foreign-source income

Residents of Bangladesh are taxed on income from all sources, in and outside Bangladesh, on a scale of nil up to BDT 400,000, (≈ $3,250) then 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30% (tax years 2026-27 and 2027-28), with a minimum tax of BDT 5,000 (≈ $41) once income exceeds the tax-free limit; one third of employment income, up to BDT 500,000, (≈ $4,060) is exempt.

All tax rules for Bangladesh Tax records checked

Official site
Full official text

Employer-sponsored employment visa for foreign experts, consultants and employees, backed by a BIDA, BEPZA or ministry recommendation and a work permit issued for one year at first. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Requirements

  • The applicant is an expert, consultant or employee of a government, semi-government, autonomous, project or contractor organisation or private company. 1
  • The employer is registered with BIDA, or is a branch, liaison or representative office with BIDA permission. 4 3
  • An appointment letter and a recommendation from BIDA, BEPZA, BEZA, the NGO Affairs Bureau or the concerned ministry. 1 2 6
  • A BIDA visa recommendation letter for the expatriate, the service contract and appointment letter or transfer order. 3
  • Academic and professional experience certificates, and a copy of the used pages of the passport. 3
  • A board resolution naming the expatriate and a statement of local and foreign employees with salary breakdown. 3
  • The employer's registration or incorporation papers, tax clearance certificate and audit report. 3
  • An encashment certificate for inward remittance of at least USD 50,000 as the employer's initial establishment cost. 3
  • The work permit application goes through the BIDA one-stop service portal and an inter-ministerial committee awards the permit. 4
  • The expatriate files the work permit application with BIDA within 15 days of arrival; the visa itself is issued only by Bangladesh missions abroad. 4
  • The E visa from a Bangladesh mission is valid for 3 months with multiple entries; the E1 visa is valid for 6 months with stays of up to 30 days each. 6
  • The Department of Immigration and Passports extends the visa up to 3 years on the local sponsor's request and a police report. 6
  • The first work permit is for one year and extensions are normally allowed up to five years in total. 5

Stay

  • Employment (E) visa issued for 3 months with multiple entries and extended by the Department of Immigration and Passports up to 3 years; the BIDA work permit is awarded for one year at first and normally extended to a maximum of five years.
  • Initial permitted stay: 12 months.
  • Visa validity: 3 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay.
  • Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.

Nationality

Foreign nationals with a Bangladesh visa; visa-exempt and visa-on-arrival rules depend on nationality.

Work

Employment with the sponsoring employer; work permits in economic zones, export processing zones and high-tech parks are issued by those authorities.

Family

Spouses and dependent family members apply for the matching family visa with proof of the relationship.

Checked 2026-10-11 · partly verified

Official sources

  1. Types and Essential Documents of Visa · Department of Immigration and Passports, Government of Bangladesh · checked 2026-10-11
  2. Requirements for visa · Embassy of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Berlin · checked 2026-10-11
  3. Documents required with the application for a work permit · Bangladesh Investment Development Authority · checked 2026-10-11
  4. Procedure for applying for a work permit · Bangladesh Investment Development Authority · checked 2026-10-11
  5. Duration of a work permit · Bangladesh Investment Development Authority · checked 2026-10-11
  6. Employment visa (E and E-1) · Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington, DC · checked 2026-10-11
  7. Visa processing fees · Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington, DC · checked 2026-10-11

Work visa and its alternatives

RouteMoney neededStayWork
Work visa–1 yr, renewable–
Research and training visa––No
LTR · Highly Skilled ThailandNeeds income of $80k+ a year5 yr, renewable–
Engineer/Specialist visa Japan–5 yr, renewableLimited
Golden Visa · Parent rep $25M IndonesiaNeeds an investment from $25M5 yr, renewable–

Questions people ask

How long can I stay on the Work visa?

Employment (E) visa issued for 3 months with multiple entries and extended by the Department of Immigration and Passports up to 3 years; the BIDA work permit is awarded for one year at first and normally extended to a maximum of five years.

Can I work on the Work visa?

Employment with the sponsoring employer; work permits in economic zones, export processing zones and high-tech parks are issued by those authorities.

Can I bring my family on the Work visa?

Spouses and dependent family members apply for the matching family visa with proof of the relationship.

How are Work visa holders taxed in Bangladesh?

No special regime in our records is tied to the Work visa. The standard rules apply: Residents of Bangladesh are taxed on income from all sources, in and outside Bangladesh, on a scale of nil up to BDT 400,000, (≈ $3,250) then 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30% (tax years 2026-27 and 2027-28), with a minimum tax of BDT 5,000 (≈ $41) once income exceeds the tax-free limit; one third of employment income, up to BDT 500,000, (≈ $4,060) is exempt.

More in Bangladesh

Student visa

Work visas elsewhere

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≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.

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How this was checked

Checked on 2026-10-11 against 7 official sources. Status: partly verified; the page marks the facts an official source does not fully confirm.

Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.

  1. Types and Essential Documents of Visa · Department of Immigration and Passports, Government of Bangladesh · checked 2026-10-11
  2. Requirements for visa · Embassy of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Berlin · checked 2026-10-11
  3. Documents required with the application for a work permit · Bangladesh Investment Development Authority · checked 2026-10-11
  4. Procedure for applying for a work permit · Bangladesh Investment Development Authority · checked 2026-10-11
  5. Duration of a work permit · Bangladesh Investment Development Authority · checked 2026-10-11
  6. Employment visa (E and E-1) · Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington, DC · checked 2026-10-11
  7. Visa processing fees · Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington, DC · checked 2026-10-11

Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.