The Bangladesh Government, in a recent interview, announced that they are making the travelling process for foreign nationals with roots in their country, a lot simpler. They mentioned an NVR seal, which stands for No Visa Required, that applicants could get on their passport if they could prove their links to the country.
With an NVR seal, foreign nationals can use their passports to travel in and out of Bangladesh, without a visa. Furthermore, they can stay in the country for as long as they want and can make as many trips back and forth. The NVR seal is valid for the duration of the passport’s validity and can be renewed when extending the passport’s validity.
Candidates were even allowed to get the same seal for their spouses and children if they wanted it as well, allowing the entire family to travel to Bangladesh if they wanted to.
However, they cannot carry this process forward to grandchildren even if there is a clear connection showing that they have a Bangladeshi origin through their grandparents.
How was the process carried out?
While the process seems like a tedious task, the High Commission, which has offices in most countries around the world were allowing people to coordinate the entire process through their office. Additionally, they created a website, allowing people to find the respective application forms, and required documents to handle the process. They could even fill out the online application and upload the necessary documents for their NVR seal to be processed. All these applications are also available on the MRP Passport website, along with processes to coordinate the application processes for NVR Visas, a Bangladeshi passport, and even NVR seals.
Whether done through the internet or in person, the main requirement was a foreign passport with at least six months of validity. Furthermore, this passport had to be sent to their office to be stamped. While applicants could send their passport, through the mail or a courier services, they
needed to account for a process to get it back. They either needed a paid-for return envelope or plans to coordinate it is sent back with courier service after receiving the NVR stamp on it.
Additionally, the High Commission does not take any responsibility for the passport if it is misplaced before or after stamping it.
What are the facts about this process?
The High Commission takes any time between five to ten working days to get this done. There are instances where they have taken longer, especially if some of the documentation or information needs to be further verified.
All No Visa Required Stamps are now machine-readable like the previous machine-readable passports and visas and can get through scanners with ease reducing the time spent when passing through Bangladesh or foreign airports.
The fees for the application process an NVR seal vary, depending on the country it is applied from, and the specific details of the High Commission. Countries that are part of the SAARC group cannot apply for an NVR stamp.
