The reopening is expected to revive tourism.
Bangladesh has fully restored visa operations for Indian citizens from February 23, 2026, signalling improved relations and relief for travellers, businesses and cross-border families.
The Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi and other missions have resumed issuing tourist, medical, business and work visas after weeks of uncertainty for hopeful applicants.
Visa and consular services were suspended in late December 2025 due to political unrest and heightened security concerns at Bangladeshi diplomatic missions in India.
Protests outside diplomatic premises and rising tensions between both nations disrupted normal processing, slowing people-to-people exchanges and halting many planned journeys.
The freeze occurred under the interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, when bilateral ties reached one of their lowest points in recent years.
New Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has since authorised the full restoration of services, framing the move as a practical step towards rebuilding cooperation with India.
Officials in Dhaka described the decision as a goodwill gesture intended to stabilise diplomatic engagement and restore confidence after months of uncertainty.
All major visa categories are now operational again, with tourist visas returning last after essential travel categories such as medical, business and work permissions were gradually reinstated earlier.
Regular processing has resumed in New Delhi and assistant missions in Kolkata, Agartala and Siliguri, helping clear applications delayed during the suspension.
Consular staff are also working through accumulated backlogs, aiming to normalise waiting times that had stretched for weeks during the disruption.
The reopening is expected to revive tourism, including cultural visits and religious travel that remain popular among Indian visitors exploring Bangladesh’s shared heritage and historic sites.
Medical travel is also set to improve, allowing patients and caregivers to access Bangladeshi healthcare facilities more smoothly after months of administrative difficulty.
Business travellers connected to garments, logistics, IT and energy partnerships are likely to benefit as mobility improves across the busy India-Bangladesh economic corridor.
Companies previously reported project delays caused by visa restrictions, particularly when deploying staff or supervising supply chains dependent on frequent cross-border movement.
Indian authorities have begun restoring visa services for Bangladeshi nationals in response, already issuing medical and double-entry visas while preparing to reopen additional categories.
Analysts say full normalisation is vital for sustaining multibillion-pound trade links and maintaining the daily flow of university students, workers and families connected across both neighbouring nations.
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