Bangladesh (BD)

Register your address with local police

Foreign nationals are required to register their residential address with the local police station (thana) within 24 hours of arrival. Your hotel or guesthouse may do this automatically — confirm with your accommodation. For longer-term stays in a rented property, your landlord should accompany you to register.

Obtain work permit and visa

Foreign nationals working in Bangladesh must obtain a work permit issued by the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and a valid employment visa. The work permit must be obtained before or shortly after arrival. Your employer typically sponsors and processes this on your behalf.

Track and renew your visa and work permit

Employment visas in Bangladesh are typically issued for 1–2 years and must be renewed before expiry. Work permits are also annual and must be renewed through BIDA. Begin the renewal process at least 60 days before expiry to avoid complications.

Open a local bank account

Opening a local Bangladeshi bank account allows you to receive salary in BDT, pay bills, and use local payment systems. BRAC Bank and Standard Chartered are the most foreigner-friendly with English-language service. You will need employer support for documentation.

Verify your phone with BTRC NEIR (imported handsets)

Bangladesh operates the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR). Handsets active on local networks were auto-registered in December 2025, but from January 2026 any new or imported handset must be verified and registered or it will eventually be blocked from local networks. Check your status by texting KYD plus your 15-digit IMEI to 16002 (IMEI: dial *#06#) or via *16161#; if unregistered, submit a Device Registration request with supporting documents on the NEIR portal and BTRC responds by SMS.

Get the DLS NOC before bringing your pet

Importing a dog or cat requires a No Objection Certificate (import permit) obtained in advance from the Department of Livestock Services (Director of Livestock Services, Krishi Khamar Sharak, Farm Gate, Dhaka). Pets over 3 months must have rabies vaccination given between 30 days and 12 months before entry — multi-year vaccines are not accepted — plus a microchip and an export health certificate from a licensed vet in the origin country. Expect the possibility of up to 21 days of home quarantine after arrival.

Obtain a Tax Identification Number (TIN / e-TIN)

Foreign nationals employed in Bangladesh must obtain an e-TIN (electronic Tax Identification Number) from the National Board of Revenue. Your employer will deduct income tax at source — the TIN is required for filing an annual tax return and for certain financial transactions.

File your annual income tax return with the NBR (deadline 30 November)

Foreign nationals with an e-TIN and taxable income in Bangladesh must file an annual income tax return with the National Board of Revenue by 30 November each year. For most employees, tax is deducted monthly at source by the employer, and the annual return reconciles the final liability; freelancers and those with other income sources have more involved filing. Bangladesh has double-taxation treaties with a number of countries — check whether your home country has one to avoid being taxed twice on the same income.

Register your vehicle with the BRTA

Vehicle registration in Bangladesh is handled by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) — a separate process from getting your driving licence. Submit the application form and required documents to your local BRTA office; the vehicle is then brought in for inspection, and once it passes, the vehicle and owner details are entered into the BRTA Information System. Foreign nationals must also provide a copy of their Bangladesh work permit and proof of current visa validity alongside the standard vehicle paperwork.

Register with your country's embassy

Register with your home country's embassy or high commission in Dhaka upon arrival. This enables the embassy to contact you in emergencies, natural disasters, or civil unrest, and facilitates emergency consular assistance.

Get a local SIM card

A local SIM card is essential for bKash, mobile internet, and staying connected. Grameenphone has the best coverage nationwide. SIM registration requires biometric verification (fingerprint scan).

Set up home broadband internet

Fibre broadband is well established in Dhaka, with Link3 Technologies, Amber IT and Carnival Internet among the largest providers. Link3 is rated highly for reliability with home plans from around ৳1,389/month; Carnival has the widest household/business footprint nationally with plans from around ৳700/month for 20 Mbps; Amber IT is one of the longest-established ISPs, strong in the corporate sector. Coverage and speed both vary significantly by neighbourhood, so confirm what's actually available at your address before signing a lease.

Set up Dhaka's daily-life apps

Daily life in Dhaka runs on apps: Pathao for on-demand motorbike and car rides (plus food delivery, logistics and payments in one app), Chaldal for groceries (the online grocery pioneer, with about 25 warehouses operating 24/7), Foodpanda for meals and shopping essentials, and Daraz for general online shopping. With Dhaka traffic among the worst anywhere, motorbike ride-hailing is often the only way to keep an appointment.

Enrol children in an international school

Dhaka has several accredited international schools offering IB, Cambridge, and American curricula. Enrolment should be arranged 3–6 months in advance as spaces are limited, especially in the more reputable schools.

Register your teen for Cambridge IGCSE/A-Level exams via the British Council

If your teenager follows a British/Cambridge curriculum rather than Bangladesh's national system, the British Council administers Cambridge International GCSE, O Level and A/AS Level exams in Bangladesh. For the May/June 2026 session, regular registration ran 15 December 2025 to 3 February 2026, with a late window to 3 March 2026; the October/November 2026 session runs 29 June to 5 August 2026 (late to 26 August). Your application isn't processed until the exam fee is paid, via bank deposit at a designated Standard Chartered branch. This applies whether your child attends a British Council partner school or sits as a private candidate.

Know your rights under the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006

The Labour Act 2006 (with the 2015 Rules) sets the floor for covered workers: a standard 8-hour day with up to 2 hours overtime (10 hours maximum), at least 15 days of paid annual leave (up to half of it encashable once a year), plus festival and sick leave. Chapter XII obliges employers to pay compensation for death, permanent or temporary disablement from workplace accidents. Note the Act's coverage rules — many managerial/administrative roles and some sectors sit partly outside it, so your contract is the real baseline for expat professionals.

Hire domestic staff, knowing the legal gap that exists

Many expat households in Dhaka employ a driver, cook or maid — a full-time driver typically costs BDT 15,000–25,000/month. The Labour (Amendment) Act 2026, passed 9 April 2026, formally recognised domestic workers as a category for the first time — but notably still excludes them from minimum wage, regulated working hours, holidays and past-service benefits, a significant gap compared to garment-sector workers (whose minimum wage is BDT 12,500/month). In practice, pay and terms for domestic staff are set by individual negotiation, not statutory floors, so a clear written agreement protects both employer and employee.

Know the maternity leave rules (16 weeks full pay)

Under the Labour Act 2006, a woman with at least 6 months of service is entitled to 16 weeks of maternity leave at full pay — 8 weeks before the expected delivery and 8 weeks after — calculated on average daily earnings. The statutory benefit does not apply if the worker already has two or more surviving children (contractual benefits may still apply). Confirm with HR how your employer administers it and how your health cover handles delivery costs.

Set up bKash mobile banking

bKash is Bangladesh's dominant mobile financial service, used for paying rent, utilities, rickshaws, shops, and daily transactions. Having a bKash account linked to a local SIM makes daily life vastly easier. You need a Bangladeshi mobile number to register.

Understand foreign currency account and outward remittance rules

Bangladesh Bank tightly regulates outward foreign exchange. You can open a foreign currency account with an initial deposit of around USD 1,000 or GBP 500 (or equivalent), and remit up to roughly USD 12,000/year for personal purposes without prior approval. Above that, you must apply to Bangladesh Bank through your bank with documentation covering the purpose of transfer, source of funds, your TIN and bank statements. This matters for expats specifically: exceeding permitted remittance limits without approval risks not just a blocked transfer but cancellation of your work permit.

Arrange health insurance coverage

Bangladesh has limited public healthcare infrastructure. Expats are strongly advised to have comprehensive international health insurance covering evacuation to Singapore, Thailand, or India for serious conditions. Many employers provide insurance — verify coverage on arrival.

Take dengue prevention seriously

Bangladesh has recurring, serious dengue outbreaks and is currently listed by the CDC among countries with higher-than-usual dengue activity in 2026. Vaccine options remain limited: Dengvaxia was discontinued due to low global demand, and while Qdenga is WHO-prequalified and approved in roughly 40 countries as a two-dose series for ages 4+, availability in Bangladesh should be confirmed with a travel medicine clinic rather than assumed. In the absence of broad vaccine access, mosquito bite prevention — repellent, screens, long sleeves at dawn/dusk, and eliminating standing water around your home — remains the primary protection, especially for expats and long-term residents who spend more time outdoors than short-stay visitors.

Find and register rental accommodation

Most expats in Bangladesh live in Dhaka's Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara, or Uttara areas — where international schools, restaurants, and embassies are concentrated. Rental agreements should be in writing. Register your address with local police after moving in.

Confirm backup power at your accommodation

Bangladesh's 2026 power situation is genuinely difficult: fuel shortages (gas, coal, furnace oil, worsened by disrupted imports) have left dozens of power plants idle or under-capacity, pushing national load shedding to 8–9 hours/day at points during the year, with the worst impact in rural areas. Dhaka's two distribution utilities have generally avoided the harshest cuts, but 2026 saw even the capital introduce trial load shedding during peak heatwave demand. A working generator or IPS (battery backup/inverter) at your accommodation is close to essential rather than a nice-to-have — confirm it works, not just that it exists, before signing a lease.

Arrange reliable water filtration — don't trust the tap or the jar

Dhaka WASA tap water is not safe to drink untreated — studies have found a majority of household tap and pipeline samples exceed national and WHO drinking water standards, with over half testing positive for coliform bacteria and E. coli, largely due to contamination in the aging distribution network (WASA itself estimates 40% water loss in its system). Concerningly, even commercially delivered 'filtered' jar water is not a safe default — one study found 97% of filtered jar water sampled in Dhaka still contained coliform bacteria. A household filtration system you maintain yourself, or water you personally boil, is more reliable than assuming a delivered jar is clean.

Review your insurance — motor cover is NOT automatic

Bangladesh is unusual: the Road Transport Act 2018 made third-party motor insurance optional — there is no penalty for driving without it (proposals to restore compulsory passenger insurance keep circulating). Given the accident statistics, driving or being driven without comprehensive motor cover is a serious financial risk, so arrange it deliberately rather than assuming the car is insured. While reviewing, confirm your health insurance covers medical evacuation (see the health task) and consider contents cover for your home.

Get home contents and property insurance

Bangladesh's non-life insurance market includes established private insurers such as Green Delta Insurance (roughly 9% market share) and Pragati Insurance (roughly 6% market share, and 1st place in the 2025 IDRA Insurance Excellence Award for general insurance), alongside the state-owned Sadharan Bima Corporation (SBC). New regulatory directives from the Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA), effective December 2025, require insurers to document fire-risk rates in more detail — splitting building, machinery and stock values and referencing specific tariff clauses — which is worth asking your insurer about when comparing property/contents cover.

Learn basic Bengali (Bangla)

While English is used in business and expat circles, learning basic Bengali is greatly appreciated by locals and makes daily life — from bargaining at markets to giving rickshaw directions — much easier and more enjoyable.

Get a Police Clearance Certificate when you need one (fully online)

The Bangladesh Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) is issued through pcc.police.gov.bd and since 2026 the whole process — registration to certificate download — runs online with no office visit. Foreign passport holders, including former residents, can apply with the passport bio page, proof of present and permanent address, and the BDT 500 fee via treasury challan; the application routes to the SP or Commissioner for the address in your passport, and processing takes about 7–15 working days. You will need it for onward visas, some jobs and immigration processes after living in Bangladesh.

Obtain or validate a driving licence

Foreign nationals can drive in Bangladesh on their home-country licence for up to one year. For longer stays, you must obtain a Bangladeshi driving licence. Many expats use professional drivers (CNG auto-rickshaw, Uber, Pathao) rather than driving themselves due to chaotic traffic.

Plan around the absence of a public safety net

Bangladesh has no unemployment insurance, and its social protection programmes target citizens in poverty — nothing covers a foreign professional who loses a job. What exists for workers is employer-based: Labour Act Chapter XII compensation for workplace injury or death, and provident fund or gratuity schemes where your employer provides them. Your realistic safety net is your contract's termination terms, your own savings, comprehensive insurance and home-country pension continuity.