Short answer: as of November 2026, Bangladeshi passport holders cannot get a Vietnam visa in practice. Applications for the Vietnam visa for Bangladeshi citizens are currently not being approved, and that includes the online e-visa and visa on arrival letters. Bangladeshi news reports since 2025 say Vietnam has halted visa issuance for Bangladeshi nationals, and we see the same in our own processing.
So please do not pay for an e-visa, an “approval letter” or a “guaranteed visa” until this changes. The government fee is not refunded if an application is refused. This page explains what we know, who is not affected, what to do instead, and how you will know when visas reopen.
Vietnam visa for Bangladeshi citizens: status (checked 9 November 2026)
- Tourist and business e-visas: not being approved.
- Visa on arrival: not available, because it also needs a pre-approved letter.
- Diplomatic and official passports: visa-exempt under a 1999 agreement between the two countries.
- Dual citizens: if you travel on another passport, the rules for that passport apply.
- Government fee: not refundable if refused.
- Reopening date: none announced. We will update this page when it changes.
Why Vietnam stopped issuing visas to Bangladeshi citizens
Vietnam has not published a public notice about the pause. However, Bangladeshi media have reported it since at least July 2025, when TBS News listed Vietnam among countries that had “completely halted visa issuance for Bangladeshis”. In April 2026, the Bangladesh Monitor reported that visa services were still suspended and linked the pause to undocumented Bangladeshi migrants in Vietnam. According to that report, repatriation efforts were under way, and Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry was in talks with Vietnam to reopen visa services.
The pause has also delayed flights. Vietnam Airlines announced plans for direct Dhaka to Hanoi and Dhaka to Ho Chi Minh City routes, but said the launch depends on visas resuming.
How many Bangladeshi visitors went to Vietnam before the pause
Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security counted 12,288 arrivals from Bangladesh in 2019. The number then fell to 70 in 2021, when Vietnam’s borders were closed, and recovered to 2,628 in 2022. In January 2023 alone, 967 Bangladeshis arrived.
What the pause means for your trip
- Do not book non-refundable flights or hotels for Vietnam on a Bangladeshi passport until visas reopen.
- Be careful with agents who promise a guaranteed visa or visa on arrival. Visa on arrival still needs an approval letter from Vietnam’s immigration department, and those letters are affected too.
- Living abroad does not change it. The pause is reported to apply to Bangladeshi passports, not to where you live, so a Bangladeshi living in Malaysia or the UAE is affected as well.
- Dual citizens can use their other passport. For example, a Bangladeshi-British dual citizen can enter Vietnam on the British passport for up to 45 days without a visa. Then use that same passport for check-in, entry and exit.
- Already refused? The government fee is not refunded. If you paid a service, ask it about its own refund policy.
Diplomatic and official passports
Holders of Bangladeshi diplomatic and official passports are exempt from Vietnam visas under a 1999 agreement between the two governments, according to Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If you travel on such a passport, confirm your trip through official channels as usual.
Other passports are affected too. See the full list of nationalities that cannot get a Vietnam visa right now.
Embassies on both sides
Embassy of Vietnam in Dhaka. Vietnam reopened its embassy in Dhaka in January 2003. It is the best place to ask about the official visa position before you plan anything.
Embassy of Bangladesh in Hanoi. Bangladesh opened its embassy in Hanoi in November 1993. It helps Bangladeshi citizens who are already in Vietnam, for example with lost passports or other consular needs.
When will the Vietnam visa for Bangladeshi citizens reopen?
No date has been announced. In the meantime, the most reliable signs that visas have reopened are an official notice from the Vietnamese embassy in Dhaka, e-visa approvals for Bangladeshi passports on evisa.gov.vn, and the start of Vietnam Airlines’ direct flights from Dhaka. We check the situation regularly and will update this page, with the date, as soon as approvals resume. For general rules that apply to other nationalities, see our pages on the Vietnam e-visa and who is exempted from Vietnam visa.
FAQ: Vietnam visa for Bangladeshi citizens
Can Bangladeshi citizens get a Vietnam e-visa now?
Not in practice. As of November 2026, e-visa applications on Bangladeshi passports are not being approved.
Can I get a visa on arrival in Vietnam with a Bangladeshi passport?
No. Visa on arrival needs a pre-approved letter, and those are affected by the same pause. Learn how it normally works in our guide to Vietnam visa on arrival.
Is there a Vietnamese embassy in Bangladesh?
Yes, in Dhaka. Contact it for the official visa position.
I have a British or other second passport. Can I travel?
Yes. The rules for the passport you travel on apply. For example, British passport holders can stay up to 45 days without a visa.
Sources: TBS News (July 2025); Bangladesh Monitor (April 2026); Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Vietnam Ministry of Public Security arrival figures; our own application processing. Last reviewed: 9 November 2026. We are an independent visa service, not a government website.
