Bangladesh Launches Mobile App for 10-Minute On-Arrival Visa
Foreign nationals arriving in Bangladesh can now obtain an on-arrival visa within just 10 minutes, thanks to a newly launched mobile application by the Immigration Division of the Special Branch (SB) of the Bangladesh Police. The app was inaugurated on Thursday at the Ministry of Home Affairs’ conference room in the Secretariat by Home Affairs Advisor Lieutenant General Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.
During a press briefing following the launch, Lieutenant General Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury stated, "The introduction of an online application for transit visa processing is a highly timely initiative. This will expedite and simplify the process of obtaining a Visa on Arrival (VoA) or a transit visa for foreign nationals, thereby enhancing SB Immigration’s service delivery."
The advisor further explained that travelers from different countries currently have to submit paper applications and wait for their VoA or transit visa upon arrival at the airport, a process that can take between 45 minutes to an hour. "With the launch of the online visa application app, foreign travelers will be able to obtain their VoA or transit visa before their journey. Upon arrival at the airport, they can simply present the QR code of the issued visa at the VoA Desk and receive immediate clearance," he added.
Additionally, the visa fee will be processed through Sonali Bank PLC’s Payment Gateway, streamlining the entire process and reducing the time required to a maximum of 10 minutes.
Lieutenant General Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury also mentioned that authorities are considering removing police verification to facilitate an easier passport issuance process. "Even if verification remains, we are working to make passport issuance more efficient. However, our ultimate goal is to eliminate the verification process altogether," he stated.
The press briefing was attended by Special Assistant to the Home Affairs Advisor Md. Khoda Bakhsh Chowdhury, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Nasimul Gani, Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam BPM, Additional IGP (SB) Md. Golam Rasul, and other relevant ministry officials.
