Expatriate Work Permit & VISA in Bangladesh

Work Permit & VISA for Foreigners in Bangladesh

Work Permit VISA is mandatory for every foreign national seeking employment in Bangladesh. Foreign nationals working in Bangladesh must obtain a mandatory Work Permit VISA. This document grants legal permission to work in the country. Working without it can result in severe consequences for both the employee and the employer.

?1. What Is Work Permit?

For any foreign national who wants to work abroad, a valid work permit is important. A Bangladesh work permit is a document that legally gives you the right to work in this country. To secure this important document, you can approach a work visa agency in Bangladesh.

2. What is the duration of work permit?

Primarily, foreign national is awarded work permit for one (1) year. Extension of the work permit is normally allowed for maximum five (5) years.

3. What is the procedure for application of work permit in Bangladesh?

• Permission for work permit is process through BIDA’s OSS portal (https://bidaquickserv . org/),?An inter-ministerial committee award work permit,
• Details for getting work permit can be found in the Guideline 2011 for granting permission for establishing/opening of branch/liaison/representative office of foreign companies in Bangladesh and issuing work permit to foreign nationals,
• Expatriate must submit application for work permit to BIDA within 15 days after arrival,
• Companies/commercial offices must have registration issued by BIDA to appoint foreign nationals.

4. Does foreign employees need to notify BIDA when they start working for a new or another employer in Bangladesh?

Yes. If any foreign employee wants to change employer in Bangladesh, then He/She must cancel the existing Work Permit and immediately leave Bangladesh. Then enter Bangladesh again with proper Visa and get Work Permit for the new employment. To Cancel work, Permit the respective foreign workers has to Submit Tax Clearance Certificate along with other required docs to work under new Employer.

5. How long does it take to obtain the work permit, once all the required documents are submitted?

• Work permit of foreign workers for industrial projects registered with BIDA is issued with- in three (3) days if all information and documents are accurately provided.
• Work permit of foreign workers for commercial offices (branch, liaison/ representative offices registered with BIDA is issued within 16 days if all information and documents are accurately provided.

5. How long does it take to obtain the work permit, once all the required documents are submitted?

• Work permit of foreign workers for industrial projects registered with BIDA is issued with- in three (3) days if all information and documents are accurately provided.
• Work permit of foreign workers for commercial offices (branch, liaison/ representative offices registered with BIDA is issued within 16 days if all information and documents are accurately provided.

6. What type of VISA is available for foreigners to make them eligible for working in Bangladesh?

Work permit are issued by economic Zones (EZ), Export Processing Zone (EPZ), High- Tech Park and NGO Affairs Bureau for foreign workers working in their jurisdiction, But VISA can only be issued form Bangladesh missions abroad. Sometime, The respective foreign workers can visit with Visa on Arrival and then convert to Employment Visa within Bangladesh.

• Foreign investors and employees must hold PI (private investor) or E2/ E3 (employment) type VISA for applying for work permit.
• Recommendation letter is issued by BIDA to obtain PI and E2/E3 VISA.
• VoA can be converted to E2, E3, and PI types of VISAs upon submission of all required documents. Eligibility for getting E2, E3 and PI visa as per revised VISA Policy 2019 (effective from July 2021):
• PI (private investor) VISA: for foreign investors investing in industrial/ commercial estab- lishment under 100% foreign owned or joint venture in private sector.
• E2 VISA: for i) expatriates working in national/ international/ government/ semi-gov- ernment/ autonomous/ private industrial/ commercial organizations/ branch/liaison/ representative office, ii) expatriates working under contractor including EPC contractor/ sub-contract, or in projects of the government/ semi-government/ autonomous bodies of Bangladesh.
• E3 VISA: for expatriate working for machinery and software installation/ maintenance supervision/ project inspection

7. Can foreign employees obtain the work permit and VISA from any other institutes in addition to BIDA?

Work permit are issued by economic Zones (EZ), Export Processing Zone (EPZ), High- Tech Park and NGO Affairs Bureau for foreign workers working in their jurisdiction, However, VISA can only be issued form Bangladesh missions abroad.

(Information Source: BIDA)

What is the Penalty/Consequence Not Having Work Permit?

The legal penalties for such actions are significant and can have serious implications for both the foreign worker and the employer involved. Here are the potential consequences:

?(i) Section 16 (B) of ITO 1984, which mentions that employers of the foreign nationals, having no work permit from BIDA, shall be charged additional tax at the rate of 50 per cent or the tax payable on his income or Tk 0.5 million whichever is higher in addition to tax payable under the ordinance.

?(ii) Moreover, section 165? of the ordinance which states that an employer guilty of an offence for unauthorized employment of foreigners can be jailed for three (3) years and fined Tk 0.5 million.

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