The NVR stamp Bangladesh issues through its missions abroad is a "No Visa Required" endorsement placed in a foreign passport. You qualify if you are a foreign citizen of Bangladeshi origin, or the foreign-citizen spouse or child of someone who is, and your foreign citizenship is not from a SAARC country. You apply to the Bangladesh embassy, high commission or consulate that covers where you live, usually after filling in an online form on visa.gov.bd. The stamp lasts as long as that passport does.
This guide is general information about Bangladesh's rules as its own missions publish them. It is not legal or immigration advice, and the mission that handles your file is the final authority on whether you qualify.
What the NVR stamp is, in one paragraph
An NVR is not a visa and not citizenship. It is permission to enter Bangladesh without a visa, placed in one specific foreign passport. The Bangladesh Consulate General in New York calls it a "seal"; the Consulate General in Dubai calls it a "sticker". Both describe the same effect. On its validity page, which we read on 27 September 2026, the New York consulate says the endorsement stays valid "as long as the passport remains valid on which it is affixed," with multiple entries and no time limit on each stay. When the passport expires, so does the NVR, and you apply again in the new passport.
Who qualifies for an NVR stamp in Bangladesh's rules
The clearest eligibility list we found is on the New York consulate's instructions for applying for NVR, read on 27 September 2026. It endorses NVR for four groups:
- Bangladeshi-origin foreign citizens, except citizens of SAARC countries
- Spouses and children of Bangladeshi-origin foreign citizens, except SAARC countries
- A Bangladeshi citizen's spouse and children who are citizens of foreign countries, except SAARC countries
- Foreign citizens with investment in Bangladesh worth USD 5 million
Most readers fall into group 1 or 2. Group 3 covers the family of someone who is still a Bangladeshi citizen on a Bangladeshi passport. Group 4 is a separate investor route that most families will never touch.
The SAARC exclusion
Every one of the family categories on the New York list excludes SAARC countries. SAARC is the South Asian regional grouping that includes Bangladesh's neighbors such as India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. If your foreign citizenship is from a SAARC country, the NVR route as these missions describe it does not apply, and the mission is the place to ask what does.
Your parent's NVR does not make you eligible
This is the rule that catches families most often. The Bangladesh High Commission in London and the Consulate General in Dubai both say, in almost the same words, that a parent's NVR in a previous passport does not qualify their children. One parent must hold a Bangladeshi passport, NID or Bangladeshi birth certificate. Dubai applies the same logic to spouses: an NVR in your husband's or wife's old passport does not make you eligible; the spouse needs one of those Bangladeshi documents.
In other words, eligibility runs through Bangladeshi documents, not through a chain of NVR stamps. If the only proof in the family is an old NVR, it is worth finding the parent's Bangladeshi passport or birth certificate before you start.
Wording differs by mission
The London High Commission words its eligibility as a Bangladeshi-origin British or EU national with a valid UK residence permit who has a Bangladeshi passport, NID or Bangladeshi birth certificate. New York words it by category. Dubai asks for proof of UAE residence. The substance is similar, but you are judged against the page of your own mission, not a summary of another one.
Who does not need an NVR
Not everyone of Bangladeshi origin needs this stamp:
- If you still travel on a valid Bangladeshi passport, you enter Bangladesh as a citizen on that passport. The NVR is for entry on a foreign passport. If yours has lapsed, our guide to e-passport renewal in Bangladesh covers the timing.
- If you have no Bangladeshi origin and no Bangladeshi spouse or parent, the NVR does not apply to you, and a regular visa is the route.
- If you are a citizen of a SAARC country, see the exclusion above.
How to apply: the usual sequence
Each mission runs its own process, but the three we read (New York, London and Dubai) follow the same broad sequence.
Step 1: Confirm which mission covers you
You apply where you live, not necessarily at a mission of your passport country. New York asks non-US citizens for proof of US residence. Dubai asks for an Emirates ID or UAE visa. London serves applicants with a valid UK residence permit, and the UK also has Bangladesh assistant high commissions in Birmingham and Manchester, which may be the right office depending on your address. If you are unsure, the nearest Bangladesh mission can tell you which office covers you.
Step 2: Fill in the online form
All three missions point applicants to the Bangladesh government's visa portal, visa.gov.bd, and ask for a printed copy. London adds practical form tips on its NVR page: skip the payment and photo upload sections, choose "Others" in the organization field, and avoid special characters in the address.
Step 3: Gather proof of origin and relationship
This is the heart of the file: your foreign passport, a Bangladeshi document proving origin (yours, or your parent's or spouse's), a marriage or birth certificate for family applicants, and proof of residence if you are not a citizen of the country where you apply. Our companion guide on the NVR application documents lists what each of these three missions asks for, line by line.
Step 4: Submit and pay
Submission routes differ:
- New York lists a mail-in service for NVR alongside its standard application instructions.
- London takes in-person applications by appointment and also accepts postal applications with a prepaid return envelope.
- Dubai takes submissions through an appointed outsourced service center, by appointment.
For spouse applications, London says the applicant and the Bangladeshi spouse must both be present on the day of the appointment for an interview. Dubai lists police verification for spouses.
Step 5: Wait before you book
Processing is not instant, and the Dubai consulate specifically advises against buying an air ticket until the passport is back with the NVR.
Fees and processing times, as published
There is no single worldwide NVR fee. Here is what three missions listed when we read their pages on 27 September 2026. Each mission can change its fee without notice, so treat this as a snapshot and check your own mission's page on the day you apply.
| Mission | Fee as listed | Payment | Processing as listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consulate General, New York | USD 88, effective from 1 June 2025 | Money order, credit card, cashier's check or official check; no cash or personal checks | Not stated as a fixed period on the fee page |
| High Commission, London | GBP 70 | Postal order for postal applications; applicants from Ireland send bank drafts totaling GBP 85 including GBP 15 postage | 5 to 7 working days in person; the page gives both 21 days and 30 business days for postal applications |
| Consulate General, Dubai | AED 350 | Cash only | At least seven working days for a standard application |
New York and Dubai both state that the fee is non-refundable, even if the application is withdrawn or refused. London's No Visa Required page, read on 27 September 2026, also says plainly that "NVR is never an urgent service."
Because the London page gives two different postal figures, the longer one is the safer planning number. It is also worth leaving margin beyond any published time, since a mission may ask for an interview or extra documents.
When the NVR stamp matters at Dhaka airport
With an NVR in your foreign passport, you pass through immigration at Dhaka as a foreign passport holder whose entry does not need a visa. The officer may still ask routine questions about your visit. Our guide to Dhaka airport immigration questions explains what that conversation usually covers.
A practical point: the NVR was issued abroad, so the officer in front of you has not seen your file. Carrying a copy of the proof of origin you used is a reasonable backup, especially for children traveling on their first NVR.
Common reasons applications stall
- Name differences. If your name on the foreign passport differs from your Bangladeshi documents, New York asks for a court order, or a marriage certificate where a spouse's surname was added. Our guide to name and date of birth mismatches on a Bangladeshi passport explains how these gaps usually arise.
- Relying on a parent's NVR. As above, London and Dubai do not accept it for children.
- Wrong mission. Applying at a mission that does not cover your address.
- Originals. New York asks applicants not to send original documents other than the passport being stamped, while London asks to see the original Bangladeshi document at an in-person submission.
- Timing. Applying close to a travel date with no margin.
Rules, fees and document lists change. Before you apply or travel, confirm the current requirements with the Bangladesh mission that will handle your application.
FAQ
What is the NVR stamp Bangladesh missions issue?
It is a "No Visa Required" endorsement placed in the foreign passport of an eligible person, mainly people of Bangladeshi origin and their foreign-citizen spouses and children. It lets the holder enter Bangladesh without a visa for as long as that passport is valid.
Can my child get an NVR because I have one?
Not on that basis. The London High Commission and the Dubai consulate both say a parent's NVR does not qualify children. One parent needs a Bangladeshi passport, NID or Bangladeshi birth certificate, and the child's birth certificate must name the parents.
Are citizens of India or Pakistan of Bangladeshi origin eligible?
The New York consulate's list excludes citizens of SAARC countries from the family categories. SAARC includes India and Pakistan. Ask the relevant mission what route applies instead.
How much does an NVR cost?
It depends on the mission. On 27 September 2026, New York listed USD 88, London GBP 70 and Dubai AED 350. Fees change, so check your own mission's page before applying.
Do I need a new NVR when my foreign passport is renewed?
Yes. The NVR is valid only for the passport it is placed in. New York accepts a copy of the previous passport's photo page and NVR page as supporting proof when you reapply.