This page covers one jurisdiction: the foreign exchange rules Bangladesh sets for Bangladeshi residents traveling abroad. Bangladesh Bank's current rules have no separate SAARC travel quota. The old split, US$5,000 a year for SAARC countries and Myanmar and US$7,000 for other countries, came from the travel chapter of Bangladesh Bank's older foreign exchange guidelines. FE Circular No. 37 of 30 September 2025 replaced it with one annual travel entitlement that applies wherever you go, and FEPD-1 Circular No. 33 of 6 September 2026 raised that entitlement to US$18,000 per calendar year.
A page that still quotes US$5,000 and US$7,000 is quoting the superseded rule. Your bank, acting as an Authorized Dealer, applies the current circulars and can confirm what it will release to you.
Where the SAARC travel quota limit in Bangladesh came from
The split was set out in Chapter 12 (Travel) of Bangladesh Bank's Guidelines for Foreign Exchange Transactions. Paragraph 1(ii) of that chapter allowed Authorized Dealers to release "upto USD 5000" per person during a calendar year to Bangladesh nationals "proceeding to destinations in SAARC member countries and Myanmar," and "upto USD 7000" per person during a calendar year for visits to other countries. Paragraph 1(iii) put minors under 12 at half the adult amount.
Bangladesh Customs, under the National Board of Revenue, still publishes that split. Its currency regulations page for passengers, read on 11 September 2026, states that "an adult passenger can take out up to US$ 12,000 during a calendar year for global private travel", divided as follows.
| Destination group | Countries | Annual amount under the older rule | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAARC and Myanmar | Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus Myanmar | Up to US$5,000 or equivalent | Guidelines Chapter 12, para 1(ii); Customs page, citing FE Circular No. 17 (6 April 2014) and FE Circular No. 02 (11 February 2015) |
| All other countries | Everywhere else | Up to US$7,000 or equivalent | Same sources |
| Minors under 12 | Either group | Half the adult amount | Guidelines Chapter 12, para 1(iii); Customs page |
Bangladesh Customs' question-and-answer page on taking currency out, also read on 11 September 2026, gives the same split and cites the same two circulars.
People tend to miss two details in that table. Myanmar is not a SAARC member, but the old rule grouped it with the SAARC countries. And the SAARC portion was the smaller one, so a traveler whose only trip of the year was to Nepal or India could draw less than a traveler going to Thailand or Malaysia. Neither the guidelines nor the Customs pages explain why the rule was drawn this way, and we are not going to supply a reason the regulator never published.
How FE Circular 37 ended the split
On 30 September 2025, Bangladesh Bank issued FE Circular No. 37, which compiles its rules on outward payments, travel included, "at one place." Its covering letter states that the relevant instructions in the Guidelines for Foreign Exchange Transactions-2018 "and its subsequent circulars will stand repealed with issuance of this circular," apart from certain monthly reporting instructions.
The travel rule now sits in Part-B, paragraph 9, of Circular 37. Paragraph 9(2) reads: "ADs may release foreign exchange up to USD 12,000." It names no destination group. Paragraph 9 contains no SAARC figure, no Myanmar figure and no separate figure for other countries. Paragraph 9(11) counts the annual quota "from January 01 to December 31," and paragraph 9(5) keeps minors under 12 at "half the amount allowable to adults."
From that date, a trip to Kathmandu and a trip to Bangkok drew on the same single annual entitlement.
What FEPD-1 Circular 33 changed in September 2026
FEPD-1 Circular No. 33, dated 6 September 2026, refers directly to paragraph 9(2) of Circular 37. Its paragraph 02 says Bangladesh Bank has decided "to enhance the annual travel entitlement to USD 18,000 or equivalent from USD 12,000 or equivalent." The same paragraph states that:
- the entitlement for minors below 12 "shall remain at 50 percent of the amount admissible for adults", which works out to US$9,000 a year;
- release of foreign exchange in US dollar notes "shall not exceed USD 5,000 (five thousand) per person within the applicable entitlement."
Paragraph 03 adds that "all other instructions relating to the release of foreign exchange for travel abroad shall remain unchanged." Circular 33 does not bring back a destination split. The state news agency BSS, Dhaka Tribune and Prothom Alo reported the same figures on 6 September 2026, and none of them mentioned a split either.
One more line in Circular 37 is worth knowing. Its covering letter says its instructions "will remain valid for one year from the date of its issuance" and that instructions issued within that period "will be read with this circular." Bangladesh Bank's circular index is where any successor would appear.
The rule over time
| Rule | Date | Annual travel entitlement (adult) | Destination split | US dollar notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guidelines Chapter 12, para 1(ii) | Older guidelines, repealed by Circular 37 | US$5,000 for SAARC and Myanmar; US$7,000 for other countries | Yes | Up to 5,000 in USD notes "at any one instance" |
| FE Circular No. 37, para 9(2) | 30 September 2025 | US$12,000 | No | Up to 5,000 in USD notes "at any one instance" |
| FEPD-1 Circular No. 33, para 02 | 6 September 2026 | US$18,000 | No | Not above US$5,000 per person within the entitlement |
Why the Customs pages still show the split
Both Customs pages, as read on 11 September 2026, describe a US$12,000 total divided by destination and cite circulars from 2014 and 2015. Neither mentions Circular 37 or Circular 33, so the pages appear to predate Circular 37.
What a bank may release to you for travel is set by Bangladesh Bank's circulars, which are addressed to Authorized Dealers. We have no information on how Customs officers use their own page at the airport, and we are not going to guess. If the departure side matters for your trip, Bangladesh Customs is the authority to ask.
What the change means for a real trip
The split was never about which country you could visit. It decided which portion of the entitlement a trip drew on. An illustration, using only the circular figures:
| Trips in one calendar year | Under the old Chapter 12 split | Under Circular 37 as amended by Circular 33 |
|---|---|---|
| One trip to Kathmandu only | SAARC portion, up to US$5,000 | One annual entitlement, up to US$18,000 |
| One trip to Bangkok only | Other-countries portion, up to US$7,000 | The same annual entitlement |
| Kathmandu in March, Bangkok in November | Each trip on its own portion | Both trips share one US$18,000 total |
This shows how the rules are structured, not what a bank will release to you. Before releasing anything, a bank checks what has already been endorsed or issued against your passport in the current calendar year (Circular 37, para 9(8)(d)).
If Nepal is the trip, our guide to the Nepal visa on arrival for Bangladeshis covers the entry side. If it is Bhutan, the Bhutan entry permit and daily fee is a separate cost set by Bhutan, not a Bangladeshi quota question. For a trip outside South Asia, the Thailand e-visa guide for Bangladeshis covers the visa side.
The cash cap was never a destination rule
A second limit sits inside the entitlement: how much of it can be released as physical US dollar notes. Under both Chapter 12 para 1(ii) and Circular 37 para 9(2), up to 5,000 could be released in US dollar notes and the remainder in other freely convertible form. Circular 33 para 02 now says US dollar notes "shall not exceed USD 5,000 (five thousand) per person within the applicable entitlement", and that entitlement is counted by calendar year.
Under the old split, the whole SAARC portion equaled the cash cap, while the other-countries portion was larger than it. Today the same US$5,000 cap sits inside a US$18,000 total, so most of a full year's entitlement would be released in non-cash form. Circular 37 para 9(7) allows the entitlement to be used through international cards issued in the traveler's name. The Customs page words its cash limit as "US$ 5,000 per person per trip"; the current circular text ties the cap to the person and the annual entitlement instead. Our dedicated piece on the cash cap covers this in detail.
What the SAARC quota never controlled
The Bangladesh rule decides what a Bangladeshi bank may release to you. It says nothing about what the country you land in expects.
Each destination sets its own threshold for declaring cash on arrival, under its own law. Staying inside Bangladesh's limit does not exempt you from a destination's declaration, and the reverse is also true. Coming home is a third rule again. Bangladesh Customs' page states that incoming passengers declare foreign currency above US$5,000 on Form FMJ, while Circular 37 para 16, on unspent travel money brought back by returning residents, refers to an FMJ declaration for amounts above US$10,000. Our explainer on declaring foreign currency on Form FMJ at Dhaka covers that step.
The personal travel entitlement also does not cover every purpose. Circular 37 deals with other purposes in separate paragraphs, for example paragraph 10 on travel for medical treatment, and Bangladesh Bank's circular index lists FEPD-1 Circular No. 29 of 10 August 2026 on "Release of foreign exchange for study abroad through international cards." Study, medical treatment, migration and employment are separate questions for your bank.
Where the sources stand, side by side
| Source | Annual total | Destination split | Cash limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| FEPD-1 Circular No. 33 (6 September 2026), para 02 | US$18,000 | None | US dollar notes not above US$5,000 per person within the entitlement |
| FE Circular No. 37 (30 September 2025), para 9(2) | US$12,000, since raised by Circular 33 | None | Up to 5,000 in USD notes |
| Guidelines Chapter 12, para 1(ii), repealed by Circular 37 | US$5,000 or US$7,000 by destination | Yes | Up to 5,000 in USD notes |
| Bangladesh Customs passenger page, read 11 September 2026 | US$12,000 | Yes, citing 2014 and 2015 circulars | US$5,000 per person per trip |
| Bangladesh Customs Q&A page, read 11 September 2026 | US$12,000 | Yes, same split | US$5,000 per person per trip |
| BSS, Dhaka Tribune and Prothom Alo reports of Circular 33 | US$18,000 | Not mentioned | US$5,000 in US dollar notes |
The circulars are the operative text. The Customs pages and the news reports are secondary, and where they differ from the circulars, the circulars are what a bank works from.
What to ask your Authorized Dealer bank
These questions are worth raising at the branch or travel desk before you book.
- Are you applying FEPD-1 Circular No. 33 of 6 September 2026 to my endorsement?
- How much of my entitlement for this calendar year has already been drawn against my passport?
- How much of what you release can be in US dollar notes, given what I have already drawn this year?
- If my trip crosses 31 December, how will you record it? Circular 37 para 9(11) counts a transaction in the year of its date.
Nothing on this page is financial or legal advice. Confirm the current position with your bank and with Bangladesh Bank's circular index in the week you travel.
FAQ
Is there a separate travel quota for SAARC countries in Bangladesh?
Not under Bangladesh Bank's current rules. FE Circular No. 37 of 30 September 2025, paragraph 9(2), sets one annual travel entitlement with no destination split, and FEPD-1 Circular No. 33 of 6 September 2026 raised it to US$18,000 per calendar year. The US$5,000 SAARC and US$7,000 figures come from the older guidelines that Circular 37 repealed. Your bank can confirm what it will release.
Why does Bangladesh Customs still show US$5,000 and US$7,000?
Its pages, read on 11 September 2026, cite circulars from 2014 and 2015 and appear to predate Circular 37. Bangladesh Bank's circulars govern what a bank may release. Questions about the airport itself go to Bangladesh Customs.
Is Myanmar counted as a SAARC country for the travel quota?
Under the old Chapter 12 rule, Myanmar was grouped with the SAARC countries for the smaller US$5,000 portion, although it is not a SAARC member. The current circulars have no separate Myanmar figure.
Does the SAARC limit apply to children?
There is no SAARC limit in the current circulars. Circular 33 para 02 keeps minors below 12 at 50 percent of the adult entitlement, which is US$9,000 a year, whatever the destination.
Does the travel quota decide how much cash India or Nepal lets me bring in?
No. The quota is a Bangladesh rule about what a Bangladeshi bank may release to you. The destination country's customs authority sets its own declaration rules.
Sources read on 11 September 2026: the text of Bangladesh Bank FEPD-1 Circular No. 33 (6 September 2026), FE Circular No. 37 (30 September 2025) and Chapter 12 of the Guidelines for Foreign Exchange Transactions, read from Bangladesh Bank's PDFs; the Bangladesh Bank circular index; the Bangladesh Customs currency regulations page and its currency Q&A page; the BSS, Dhaka Tribune and Prothom Alo reports of 6 September 2026. This page is reviewed every 90 days because the rules it describes change by circular.