Bangladesh: visa and entry rules

Bangladesh's borders: every crossing point

Bangladesh's land border crossings, listed by neighbour:

With India: Benapole — Petrapole on the Dhaka — Kolkata road, the main crossing; Burimari — Changrabandha in the north; Akhauganj and Tamabil near Sylhet.

With Myanmar: Teknaf — Maungdaw in the southeast. The route is closed and unsafe.

India surrounds the country on almost every side, and there are dozens of crossings with it, but not all of them are open to foreigners — on arrival it matters that the crossing point is named on your visa.

By sea — the port of Chittagong, the largest in the country.

The main way in is Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

Driving to Bangladesh

Overland entry is effectively only from India.

Traffic drives on the left.

Check the terms for temporary vehicle import into Bangladesh before you set off. How long a car is allowed to stay, and whether a carnet is needed, differs from one country to the next.

Insurance is bought locally.

The roads are congested, and average speeds along the routes are low — distances are deceptive.

Travelling to Bangladesh with a pet

You need an international veterinary certificate, endorsed by the state veterinary service of the country you are leaving.

The rabies vaccination must be valid on the date of entry.

An import permit is arranged in advance.

Confirm vaccination timings, the microchip requirement and quarantine rules for Bangladesh before you buy tickets. It is not the border that turns you back but the carrier — right at the check-in desk.

Overstaying your visa in Bangladesh

A fine accrues for every day beyond your permitted stay and is paid on departure.

The officer at departure will name the exact amount. Rates in Bangladesh have changed more than once and figures from guidebooks cannot be relied on — take cash to the border with room to spare.

Extensions are arranged in advance, before the permitted period runs out.

A serious overstay means deportation and an entry ban.