As global tourism finally normalizes after the pandemic, there is a natural rush for travel abroad, and Bangladeshis are no different. Now is the time to check where Bangladeshi passport holders can travel visa-free, or with visa on arrival, or with an eTA. Here’s a detailed list.  Bangladeshi Passport and its Types  Bangladeshi passport has historically not had a very good global score since independence. According to the Henley Passport Index for 2023, Bangladesh ranks 99th globally with a mobility score of 40. The mobility score estimates that with a Bangladeshi passport, a person will have a world reach of about 24% which is significantly lower than a lot of countries.  These rankings apply to the ordinary Bangladeshi passports only. There are a total of three types of passports active in Bangladesh. These are:  Ordinary Passport  The ordinary passport is issued to any general civilian with Bangladeshi citizenship. The right to a passport has been promulgated in the constitution, and any legal citizen of the country can avail the service for personal use such as study trips, medical needs, vacations, or business trips.  Read more: How to Get E-Passport in Bangladesh: Things you need to know Official Passport  The official passport of Bangladesh is issued to government employees of the state. The passport is issued as a special designation for individuals representing Bangladesh in any kind of official capacity. The features of the official passport are similar to those of the ordinary passport. Except in certain cases, many visa requirements in different countries are waived for official passport holders. A person holding an official passport will also need to have an NOC from their respective government authority before traveling. 

Currently, the Bangladesh passport application and renewal processes are quite simple. Like the locals, the Bangladeshi expatriates are also benefitting from the centralized hybrid application system. In this article, we will take a look at how can Bangladeshi expatriates residing in a foreign country apply for passport renewal.    Passport Renewal: MRP to E-passport  Assuming that the expatriate is already residing in a foreign country, and s/he already has a passport. Handwritten passports were last issued in 2010, with MRP replacing them in the same year. As an expatriate, you are most likely to hold an MRP because each passport has a maximum validity of 10 years.  Now the question is, should the expatriate renew his or her MRP to MRP or e-passport? For local applications, the government has stopped issuing the MRP, with e-passports being available at every regional passport office in Bangladesh. As a result, there is no longer scope for MRP-to-MRP renewal. For expatriates, if the Bangladesh mission abroad - where the expatriate is currently residing - supports e-passports, then s/he should go for the e-passport renewal option. However, e-passport is still not available at every Bangladeshi mission abroad. In that case, if the embassy doesn’t support e-passports, then the expatriates can go for the MRP option.  Read More: How to Get E-Passport in Bangladesh: Things you need to know Step-by-Step Process of Bangladesh Passport Renewal Application The application process for renewing a Bangladesh passport is a hybrid one. The Bangladeshi expatriate needs to fill out an online application form and then make an appointment with the relevant Bangladeshi mission in the expatriate's country of residence. In case there is no Bangladeshi mission, the application will be handled by a partnering mission in Bangladesh.   A detailed outline of the online application can be found in our passport renewal process article. But since there are some key changes in information input, we will cover the steps again.  Step 1: Location Registration   The first thing to do is to visit the online passport application portal. Here the Bangladeshi expatriate needs to register an account. But before that, the expatriate needs to fill out some basic information regarding the passport.  On the prompt “Are you applying from Bangladesh?”, the Bangladeshi expatriate needs to select “No.” After that, the expatriate will have to select the country of his or her current residence. From there, the relevant Bangladeshi mission or a partnering mission will be selected automatically, which will process the passport renewal application.  Read More: E-Passport for Children in Bangladesh: Application process, necessary documents Step 2: Account Registration The second step is to register an account on the e-passport web portal using your e-mail. Here the expatriate has to input his/her name and e-mail address. Here the expatriate should make sure that the given name and surname match his or her existing passport/NID/BRC. The expatriate will also need to input his/ her contact details here.  After that, an activation e-mail will be sent to your registered mail. From there, the expatriate will be able to start the application process.  Step 3: Form Fill-Up  The next step is a long one. This is also the step where the Bangladeshi expatriate needs to be most careful as the expatriate will have to correctly input a lot of information. Here’s what the expatriate will need to fill up.  Personal Credentials  The first section is related to personal credentials. Here the expatriate will outline all his or her information step by step. The applicant must make sure that the information she or he provides is in line with the NID/BRC information.  The expatriate will also need to specify the country of birth if she or he was born outside of Bangladesh. You will also need to outline the means of your nationality (eg. By birth or by naturalization).  Read More: Bangladesh Passport Renewal Process: How to renew MRP, Handwritten Passport Address Information  The next step is to input address details. There are two distinct parts here, permanent and present address.  If the applicant is a Bangladeshi by birth, then the expatriate will need to input a permanent residence address in Bangladesh. The present address should be the expatriate's current location from where she or he is applying for renewal.  Passport Information In this step, the expatriate will need to provide details of his or her NID/BRC as well as the existing passport. You will also need to select why you are applying for a new passport. In this case, you will need to select either “expired” or “e-passport conversion”.  Parental and Spouse Information  In the next step, the expatriate will need to provide his or her parental information. This is a highly detailed section where you will need to fill out their personal details, address, and profession.  If the expatriate is married, then s/he will also need to input the same information for your spouse.  Read More: Bangladeshi passport’s ranking improves in 2023, still behind Iran and Sri Lanka as per Henley Index Emergency Contact  The Bangladeshi expatriate will need to set an emergency contact as well. It is better to select someone from the same country the expatriate resides in. The first step is to select the relationship the expatriate shares with that person. After that, the expatriate will have to fill out their details in the same way as parental information. After all the information has been correctly input, the expatriate will need to submit the application and pay the application fee.  Passport Fee and pages  The new e-passport is available in either 48 or 64 pages. The Bangladeshi expatriate will also get two validity options at either 5 or 10 years. The fee structure for expatriates varies depending on the location of the expatriate.  Appointment at Mission  After completing the online application and fee payment, the Bangladeshi expatriate will need to download the application form and the application summary. Both these pdf documents can be found on your applicant’s dashboard.  After that, the expatriate will need to schedule an appointment with your designated mission for biometric verification. The expatriate should make sure to take the two printed documents with him or her for verification purposes.  Read More: Bangladesh E-passport Error Correction Process Final Words  Even a few years ago, the passport renewal process in Bangladesh was quite hectic and tedious. The process was completely analog with a spur of middlemen creating hindrances at every step. But with the introduction of the hybrid application system, the process has become easier for everyone. It has reduced complicacy, streamlined processes, and made every step more efficient.  The passport renewal process for Bangladeshi expatriates has also become seamless and easy. With proper application and delivery options, an applicant can get a renewed passport at the earliest. This was previously a very tedious and time-consuming aspect. This is certainly a step towards efficient bureaucracy. 

The 2023 edition of the Henley Passport Index – the most widely-accepted rating of global travel documents – places Bangladesh’s passport at 101st position, up three places from last year. The latest edition of the Passport Index features a total of 109 spots with some countries’ passports sharing the same ranking. Bangladesh shares the 101st position with Kosovo. In 2022, Bangladesh ranked 104th. Interestingly enough, passports of heavily sanctioned Iran, economically devastated Lebanon and Sri Lanka, and conflict-ridden Sudan have fared better compared to that of Bangladesh – at 99th and 100th (shared) positions respectively. Read more: Bangladesh Passport Renewal Process: How to renew MRP, Handwritten Passport According to the 2023 Henley Passport Index, a Bangladeshi passport entitles visa-free travel to 41 destinations. In South Asia, Bangladeshi passport is in a better position compared to those of Nepal (at 103), Pakistan (106) and Afghanistan (109). At 61, Maldives’ passport is in the best position in the region. Indian passport ranks at 85 and Bhutan’s at 90. The top 5 ranking passports according to the Henley Index are: Japan at 1, allowing citizens visa-free access to 193 destinations; Singapore and South Korea at 2; Germany and Spain sharing the 3rd spot; Finland, Italy, Luxembourg at 4; and Austria, Denmark, Netherlands and Sweden at 5. Read more: Travelling 100 countries with the 9th weakest passport in the world The bottom 5 ranking passports as per the index are: Afghanistan at 109, Iraq at 108, Syria at 107, Pakistan at 106 and Yemen at 105. The Henley Passport Index, the only one of its kind based on unique data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), has historical data going back 18 years. The database lists 227 travel destinations and 199 passports. The index is updated every quarter, and is regarded as the go-to resource for global citizens and sovereign states for determining where a passport ranks on the scale of global mobility. Read More: E-Passport for Children in Bangladesh: Application process, necessary documents Karim Waheed is the Digital Editor at UNB.

Passport certifies the identity and nationality of its bearer by the government for any international travel whereas the visa is a permit issued by a country to a foreigner to enter and stay in the country for a certain period. All rules and regulations depend on the country of the passport holder. Sometimes this rule is very strict, in some cases, it is very relaxed. This feature will focus on the list of countries where Bangladeshi passport holders can go without a visa. Visa-free countries for Bangladeshi passport holders According to data from the International Air Transport Authority, the Henley Passport Index publishes a ranking of countries around the world by verifying the visa process of 199 passports at 227 destinations every year. As per its 2021 edition, Bangladesh's ranking is 108, which is 10 points lower than last year. In this ranking, Bangladeshi valid passport holders will be able to travel to 40 countries without a visa. Among them, 19 countries have on-arrival visas, meaning visas can be obtained by applying just before entering the destination country. Electronic visas will be available only when entering Sri Lanka. Moreover, Bangladeshi citizens don’t have to go through any visa-related activities in the case of the remaining 20 countries. Also read: How to Get E-Passport in Bangladesh: Things you need to know 19 countries with on-arrival visas Africa (13) Madagascar, Mauritania, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Togo, Uganda, Cape Verde Islands, Comoros Islands, and Guinea-Bissau Asia (3) Maldives, Nepal, and Timor-Leste USA (1) Bolivia Oceania (2) Samoa and Tuvalu Read Najmun Nahar Shohagi: Bangladeshi globe trotter aims to travel 200 countries 20 countries without any visa activities Africa (2) Gambia and Lesotho Asia (2) Bhutan and Indonesia Caribbean (11) Bahamas, Jamaica, Barbados, Grenada, Dominica, Haiti, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines Oceania(5) Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Fiji, Micronesia, and Niue. READ: e-Passport to brighten Bangladesh image: PM Hasina Overall free-Visa status of Bangladeshi passport Considering the state of Bangladesh's passports over the past two decades, a retrospective view emerges. Bangladeshi passport holders on free visas had the highest number of travel opportunities in 2010 and 2014. In that period, a Bangladeshi passport holder could have traveled to a total of 42 countries in the world without a visa. In 2006, Bangladesh's position was the highest; 68th. However, at that time the number of destinations calculated in the Henley Passport Index was much lower than it is now (227). Bangladeshi passport holders had visa-free permits in 28 countries. From 2009 to 2021, the minimum number of visa-free countries for Bangladesh was 38 and the year was 2017. In other years, the number has risen from 39 to 41. The number of 2019 (40) has come back again this year. Read Best Honeymoon Destinations in Asia Final word According to the data of the International Air Transport Authority, Bangladesh's passport is constantly stepping backward in terms of ranking. However, a few years showed some improvements. From 2012 to 2013, it went from 93rd to 85th place. Ranking from 99 to 95 for three consecutive years from 2015 to 2017. The statistics from 2018 to 2020 are also the same which went from 100 to 98. But the record of 108th place in 2021 has faded from the slowly rising level in the last six years.

The position of Bangladeshi passports slipped two places to 101 in the Henley Passport Index 2020.