Work Permit & E-Visa Processing in Bangladesh for Foreign Companies

What Foreign Companies Need to Employ Staff in Bangladesh

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Hiring a foreign national in Bangladesh requires two separate approvals, not one. The employer must obtain a work permit from the regulator that governs its location — BIDA, BEPZA, BEZA, BHTPA or the NGO Affairs Bureau — and the employee must obtain an E-visa (employment visa) from a Bangladesh mission abroad. A visa alone does not grant the right to work in Bangladesh.

HRBD manages the full case for foreign companies and international business owners operating in Bangladesh — regulator selection, document preparation, BIDA One Stop Service (OSS) filing, security clearance follow-up, renewals and exit formalities.

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What you need Which authority applies 6-step process Required documents E-visa vs work permit FAQs

BIDA Work Permit

Private industrial and commercial enterprises, branch, liaison and representative offices outside EPZs, economic zones and Hi-Tech Parks apply to the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) through its One Stop Service portal.

BEPZA, BEZA & Hi-Tech Park

Companies inside an Export Processing Zone apply to BEPZA, companies in economic zones apply to BEZA, and firms in Hi-Tech or Software Technology Parks apply to BHTPA. Documentation and timelines differ from the BIDA route.

E-Visa & PI visas Recommendation

BIDA issues recommendations for E, E1 and PI visas. The employee then applies at the Bangladesh embassy or high commission in their country of residence before travelling. E1 covers machinery and software installation inspection roles.

15-Day BIDA Filing Deadline

BIDA requires the employer to submit the work permit application within 15 days of the expatriate’s arrival in Bangladesh on the E-visa. Missing this window is the most common avoidable compliance failure.

Security Clearance

Security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs forms part of the approval chain, and an inter-ministerial committee reviews the application. Build both stages into your mobilisation timeline rather than treating them as exceptions.

Renewal & Exit Formalities

Initial appointments are considered for one year and extended on merit. Renewals, amendments, cancellation and tax clearance on exit all remain the employer’s obligation and stay on your regulator file.

Which Authority Issues Your Work Permit in Bangladesh?

Bangladesh has five work permit authorities, not one. BIDA covers companies outside special zones, BEPZA covers Export Processing Zones, BEZA covers economic zones, BHTPA covers Hi-Tech Parks and the NGO Affairs Bureau covers non-governmental organisations.

Bangladesh has no single work permit authority. The correct regulator depends entirely on where your company is registered and what type of entity it is, and applying to the wrong body is the most common cause of a rejected first-time application. BIDA permissions for branch, liaison and representative offices follow the government guideline governing foreign company offices and the issuance of work permits to foreign nationals.

Table 1: Work permit authority and visa type by company structure in Bangladesh.
Your company type	Work permit authority	Visa type
Private industrial or commercial enterprise outside EPZ, EZ or Hi-Tech Park	BIDA	E / E1
Branch, liaison or representative office of a foreign company	BIDA	E
Company operating inside an Export Processing Zone	BEPZA	E
Company inside a BEZA-managed economic zone	BEZA	E
Company inside a Hi-Tech or Software Technology Park	BHTPA	E
Non-governmental organisation	NGO Affairs Bureau	N
Foreign shareholder or director investing in a Bangladeshi entity	BIDA	PI

BIDA applications are filed through the One Stop Service (OSS) portal, and an inter-ministerial committee reviews submissions before approval. If your company has no registered entity in Bangladesh yet, an Employer of Record arrangement allows the appointment to proceed under an existing registration.

BIDA and BEPZA work permit filing expertise for foreign companies in Bangladesh

Regulator-Specific Expertise

We file under the correct authority the first time and keep the appointment aligned with Bangladesh labour law compliance from day one.

Expatriate management services

End-to-end expatriate work permit and E-visa case management by HRBD Bangladesh

End-to-End Case Management

One point of contact from eligibility assessment to post-arrival filing, with the manpower statement and employee records kept audit-ready.

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How Do You Get a Work Permit in Bangladesh?

The work permit is obtained in six stages: confirm the regulator, prepare documents, secure the visa recommendation, obtain the E-visa abroad, enter Bangladesh, then file the permit application within 15 days of arrival.

Six sequenced stages take a foreign appointment from eligibility check to an issued work permit. The order matters: the visa recommendation must come before the employee travels, and the permit application must follow arrival, not precede it.

Identify whether BIDA, BEPZA, BEZA, BHTPA or the NGO Affairs Bureau governs your entity, then confirm the appointment meets the eligibility rules: a nationality recognised by Bangladesh for employment, a registered or sanctioned enterprise, a role for which local expertise is unavailable, and an employee aged 18 or over.

Assemble incorporation papers, trade licence, TIN, up-to-date tax clearance, the board resolution naming the expatriate, and an updated manpower statement listing local and foreign staff with designation, salary, nationality and date of first appointment. Branch and liaison offices also need the inward remittance encashment certificate. See our employer services in Bangladesh.

Submit the recommendation request to the regulator through the BIDA One Stop Service portal, attaching the company registration, appointment letter and the employee’s attested academic and experience certificates. Evidence of local recruitment effort, such as a published advertisement, strengthens the file.

With the recommendation letter issued, the employee applies for the E-visa at the Bangladesh embassy or high commission in their country of residence. Investors listed as shareholders apply for a PI visa instead. A tourist or business visa never converts into a right to work.

The employee enters Bangladesh on the E-visa and the arrival stamp is recorded. The employer must then submit the formal work permit application to BIDA through the OSS portal within 15 days of arrival, attaching the passport pages showing the visa and arrival stamp along with proof of fee payment.

An inter-ministerial committee reviews the application and security clearance is obtained from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Once issued, the permit is tied to that role and employer. Any change of employer or material change to the employment agreement requires an amendment or a fresh application, and renewal falls due each year.

What Documents Are Required for a Bangladesh Work Permit?

Two document sets are required: the company file (incorporation papers, trade licence, tax clearance, board resolution and manpower statement) and the employee file (application form, passport with E-visa and arrival stamp, attested certificates and the appointment letter).

Company documents

✓Certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles of association

✓Trade licence and TIN certificate

✓Up-to-date income tax clearance certificate of the organisation

✓Board resolution naming the expatriate, nationality and passport number

✓Updated manpower statement of local and foreign staff with designation, salary, allowances, nationality and date of first appointment

✓Copy of BIDA registration of the industrial project, branch, liaison or representative office

✓Encashment certificate of inward remittance for branch, liaison, joint-venture and fully foreign-owned entities

✓Letter of authorisation signed by company management

Employee documents

✓Completed prescribed work permit application form

✓Passport pages showing the valid E, E1 or PI visa and the Bangladesh arrival stamp

✓Recent passport-size photographs

✓Attested certificates of academic qualifications and professional experience

✓Signed appointment letter stating salary, benefits and duration

✓Evidence of local recruitment effort, such as a published advertisement

✓Proof of work permit fee payment through treasury chalan or the OSS online channel

Fees and quota ratios are set by the issuing authority and change without notice. HRBD confirms the current figure against the BIDA OSS portal before every filing. Ask us for the current schedule.

E-Visa, Work Permit or PI Visa: What Is the Difference?

The E-visa is entry permission issued to the employee by a Bangladesh mission abroad. The work permit is employment permission issued to the employer by the regulator. The PI visa is for investors. None of the three is sufficient on its own.

These three approvals are routinely confused, and the confusion is expensive. A tourist or short-term visitor visa never confers the right to work in Bangladesh, regardless of the length of stay or the nature of the activity performed.

Table 2: E-visa, work permit and PI visa compared across issuer, applicant and timing.
	E-Visa (Employment)	Work Permit	PI Visa (Investor)
What it is	Entry authorisation for employment	Authorisation to hold a specific job at a specific employer	Entry authorisation for a shareholder or director
Issued by	Bangladesh mission abroad	BIDA, BEPZA, BEZA, BHTPA or NGO Affairs Bureau	Bangladesh mission abroad, on BIDA recommendation
Applied for by	The employee	The employer	The investor
When	Before travelling to Bangladesh	Within 15 days of arrival	Before travelling
Tied to	The individual	The role and the employer	Shareholding in the entity
Enough on its own?	No	No	No

What happens if you employ a foreign national without a work permit?

Working without a valid permit exposes both parties. The employee risks deportation and blacklisting from future entry, while the employer faces financial penalties and damages its standing with the regulator that governs its registration — which affects every future permit application for other staff. A residence permit alone does not confer the right to work, and neither does an approved visa recommendation before the permit itself is issued.

Short-term visitors travelling for meetings rather than employment need a different route entirely — see our business and visit visa services.

Work Permit and E-Visa in Bangladesh: Frequently Asked Questions

The employer applies for the work permit and the employee applies for the E-visa. A business or tourist visa never confers the right to work in Bangladesh, and the permit stays tied to one employer and one role.

1Can a foreign national work in Bangladesh on a business visa?

No. A business visa permits commercial visits and meetings but does not confer the right to take up employment. Employment requires an E-visa together with an issued work permit.

2Who applies for the work permit, the employer or the employee?

The employer. The application is submitted by the Bangladesh-based employing entity on the employee’s behalf, and the permit is tied to that specific role and organisation.

3How long does the process take?

The timeline depends on the regulator, the completeness of the file and the Ministry of Home Affairs security clearance, which is usually the longest single stage. HRBD confirms the current published service standard with BIDA at the start of each case rather than quoting an estimate.

4What if my company is inside an EPZ?

Apply to BEPZA rather than BIDA. Companies in BEZA economic zones apply to BEZA and firms in Hi-Tech or Software Technology Parks apply to BHTPA. The core sequence is similar, but documentation and processing times differ.

5Does the work permit transfer if the employee changes employer?

No. The permit is tied to the employer and the role. A change of employer or a material change to the employment agreement requires an amendment or a fresh application.

6What happens when the employee leaves Bangladesh permanently?

The employer completes exit formalities including tax clearance and cancellation of the permit with the issuing authority. Leaving the file open creates continuing compliance exposure for the employer.

7Can HRBD handle this if we have no legal entity in Bangladesh?

Yes. Under an Employer of Record arrangement HRBD acts as the legal employer and files under its own registration, so the appointment can proceed before your entity is established.

Reviewed by Romana Aktar, Head of Compliance, HRBD

Expatriate work permit and immigration compliance, Bangladesh.

Regulatory sources: Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority and the Ministry of Home Affairs. Primary references: BIDA work permit procedure, BEPZA and BIDA. Fees, quota ratios and processing standards are set by the issuing authority and change without notice; HRBD verifies the current position against the BIDA One Stop Service portal before each filing. This page is informational and does not constitute legal advice.

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