Living in Bangladesh as a French National: Visa, Safety, Climate, Health and Daily Life

Bangladesh is a South Asian country where the reception of expatriates relies on employer-linked work permits and on a demanding environment in terms of safety, climate and health. France Diplomatie advises against all travel to Bangladesh except for compelling reasons for the whole country, because of the terrorist risk, the latest attacks dating from 2019, and recalls that political or social demonstrations are very frequent, can arise suddenly and turn violent. The French embassy is located in the Baridhara diplomatic enclave, in Dhaka (+880 2 55 66 86 00), and the consular section on Madani Avenue, in the same enclave.

Public health benchmarks give a measure of the context: current health spending represents about 2% of GDP, of which nearly 80% paid directly by households, and life expectancy at birth is about 75 years (World Bank). Details of care are in the page healthcare system in Bangladesh.

A visa is compulsory for any French national. Tourist, work and business visas are requested before departure at the Bangladesh embassy in Paris, which France Diplomatie strongly recommends. The visa on arrival requires online registration before departure and printing of the acknowledgement; it costs about 60 euros (an amount liable to change), payable in cash in foreign currency, and requires at least USD 500 or the equivalent and return tickets. Valid for 30 days for a single entry, it is not renewable except in exceptional circumstances; a traveller who needs multiple entries applies to the embassy. Some airlines may refuse boarding without a visa.

No admission is possible by sea: ports such as Chittagong have no immigration services. Entry by land with a vehicle (car, van, motorcycle) is no longer possible, the authorities no longer recognising the customs carnet. The districts of Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban (Chittagong Hill Tracts) require prior written authorisation from the Ministry of the Interior, to be requested at least one month in advance. To reside and work, the employer registered with BIDA (the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority) requests the work permit within 15 days of the expatriate’s arrival, who must first have obtained an investor (PI) or employment (E2 or E3) visa on BIDA’s recommendation; these procedures are described in the page working in Bangladesh.

The France Diplomatie vigilance map classes the border with Myanmar and Saint Martin’s Island in the red zone, formally advised against, because of drug and human trafficking, piracy in the Bay of Bengal and frequent arrests. The rest of the country is in the orange zone, with particular vigilance for the Chittagong Hill Tracts, where recurring conflicts between communities take place; any meeting with members of ethnic minorities is held in the presence of the military, border police or local officials.

Street crime, including bag snatching, is rising, especially at night in Dhaka, where walking or taking a rickshaw in the evening is advised against. Gatherings are to be avoided, as is travel at night, and hotels and restaurants with security checks are to be preferred. Roads are often cut during the monsoon; from early April to the end of May, the storm period, boats and ferries on rivers and in the Bay of Bengal are formally advised against. Useful numbers are 999 (police, fire brigade, rescue) and 1090 (information during natural disasters).

The monsoon runs from June to the end of September: water levels rise, including in Dhaka, and floods are frequent and may occur at short notice. Fog is frequent from December to February. From November to March, large cities, and first of all the capital, suffer severe air pollution: France Diplomatie recommends a quality mask outdoors, an air purifier at home, doors and windows closed during peaks and limited outdoor activity.

Trains are crowded, roads and domestic flights are often disrupted, and many boats lack suitable safety equipment. Driving with a French licence accompanied by an international licence is accepted, but using a vehicle with a driver is recommended, and driving at night outside large cities is strongly advised against.

Payments are generally made in dollars or takas. Cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) are accepted mainly in the large hotels and restaurants of Dhaka and Chittagong, where cash machines are also found; it is advisable to use those in enclosed spaces. Importing currency is not limited, but sums of more than USD 5,000 are declared on arrival (France Diplomatie).

France Diplomatie recalls local rules and customs: the population is mostly Muslim, modest dress is advised and drinking alcohol in public is to be avoided; drug offences are severely punished, homosexuality is illegal and punishable by imprisonment, and importing pornographic material is prohibited. These rules apply to visitors and residents alike.

The French vaccination schedule must be up to date. Depending on the conditions and length of stay, France Diplomatie also suggests vaccines against hepatitis A and B, typhoid, meningitis ACWY (in the dry season or in case of an epidemic), rabies, chikungunya, dengue, Japanese encephalitis and, for children under 15 on frequent or long stays, tuberculosis. There is no curative treatment for dengue and anti-inflammatories are to be avoided. The Nipah virus, present from December to May, has neither treatment nor vaccine: avoid bats and animals that may carry it, contaminated fruit and raw date palm juice.

It is recommended to drink only capped or sealed drinks, or filtered, boiled or chemically disinfected water, to observe food hygiene, to avoid raw or undercooked food and not to buy medicines from street vendors. Malaria mainly concerns the thirteen districts bordering Myanmar and India, mainly the Chittagong Hill Tracts and the west of the country; Dhaka is generally spared but occasionally affected, which justifies advice on protection against mosquitoes and, where appropriate, preventive treatment.

France Diplomatie judges medical infrastructure insufficient: some establishments in Dhaka offer acceptable care, serious cases require evacuation to Bangkok or Singapore and care outside Dhaka is very limited. An assistance contract covering all medical costs, surgery, hospitalisation and medical repatriation is essential, the embassy being unable to pay these costs. Dengue is clearly increasing, with a peak during the monsoon from June to October, malaria mainly affects the thirteen districts bordering Myanmar and India and the Nipah virus appears from December to May.

See also the pages healthcare reimbursement in Bangladesh and retiring in Bangladesh. Schooling options and housing costs are not detailed here for lack of an official source consulted: the French embassy informs families.