Bangladesh is a South Asian country located on the Bay of Bengal to the east of India. Characterized by its lush green lands and numerous rivers, it is a particularly popular tourist destination. Until now, travellers from Europe and North America have had to obtain a paper visa to enter Bangladesh. In 2023, the situation could change with the scheduled introduction of electronic visas. Here's what you need to know about this project.
Electronic visas in Bangladesh, official for 2023
It's now official: the electronic visa will be introduced in Bangladesh from 2023. The long-awaited announcement was made by Bangladesh's Minister of Home Affairs. Asaduzzaman Khan, as he is known, made the news official at the Third United Nations Police Chiefs Summit in the United States. The Bangladeshi Home Minister was leading an official delegation from his country at the time.
With regard to the forthcoming introduction of an e-Visa system for travel to Bangladesh, the Minister declared that his country would shortly be signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to launch this project.
According to the Daily Bangladesh, it hopes for a speedy process following the signing of the MoU, which will guarantee the issuance of e-Visas within six months. By moving to e-Visa in 2023, the Bangladesh will become the 3rd South Asian territory to do so, after India and Myanmar.
In the pipeline since 2021
Although the electronic visa for entry into Bangladesh is due to be introduced next year, this project is not new. In fact, Bangladesh has been preparing the conditions and legislation for e-visa issuance for a year now (2021).
This project was prompted more by the limitations of the existing paper visa system for foreign tourists. In particular, there were the long and often complex procedures involved in obtaining a manual visa. An enormous amount of time was lost between :
- launching the application process
- submission of the visa application to the consultant
- visa issuance, etc.
For Bangladeshi authoritiesIn addition, the manual visa system does not offer sufficient transparency to the outside world. It is therefore necessary for the government to migrate rapidly to an automated, digitized and secure system: the electronic visa.
Current travel formalities in Bangladesh
In the meantime launch of e-visa in 2023 in Bangladesh, current travel formalities remain unchanged. Before travelling to Bangladesh, all European and North American travellers are required to have a paper visa. At Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, visa issuance is not currently guaranteed on arrival.
If introduced in 2023, the electronic visa system will offer numerous advantages. Wherever they are in the world, applicants will be able to apply and submit electronic visa applications via a single platform.
Submission can also be made at any time, with rapid responses as to whether or not entry to Bangladesh is authorized. Compared with current travel formalities, the new procedure to be installed in 2023 will offer greater flexibility to European and North American applicants or any other country in the world.
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