- Capital
- Dhaka (DAC)
- Dialing Code
- + 880
- Time Zone
- UTC / GMT +6
- Language
- Bangla (or, Bengali)
- Best Time to Go
- October – February
- Currency
- Bangladesh Taka (BDT)
Travel Tips
- March – mid May is the hot season and May – October is the wet season
- All water should be regarded as being potentially contaminated, milk is generally unpasteurised
- Check the local political situation before finalising travel plans, protests should be avoided
- ATM’s are common in the main cities, but cash should be carried if visiting smaller towns. Credit cards may be accepted in Dhaka, but have limited acceptance elsewhere
- Pickpocketing is frequent and aimed at tourists, public transport can be unsafe
- Permission should be asked before photographing people, especially women
Last updated 28 September 2026
Visa Guide
Foreign Representation in South Africa
Bangladesh High Commission
410 Farenden Street, Sunnyside, Pretoria 0002
Telephone: 012 343 2105 / 6 / 7
E-mail: mission.pretoria@mofa.gov.bd
Website: pretoria.mofa.gov.bd
Monday - Friday, 08:00 - 16:00 (Closed for lunch 12:30 - 13:30)
Closed for prayer Friday, 12:30 - 14:00
Public Holidays
2026
February: 21
March: 20 - 22, 26
April: 14
May: 1, 27 - 29
June: 17 - 26
August: 5, 26
September: 4
December: 16, 25
Visa Requirements
South African passport holders are required to obtain a visa to enter Bangladesh,
Visa applications must be handed in at the Embassy
All visa decisions are made by the Ministry of Home Affairs in Bangladesh, and not with the embassy staff, with the following required:
- 1 completed application form
- 2 Passport size photos
- Police verification report
- Latest 3 months bank statements
- Invitation Letter from Bangladeshi Citizen residing in Bangladesh with their National Identity (NID) Card Copy or Bangladeshi Passport Copy, and reachable Bangladeshi mobile number OR Purpose of Visit Statement duly signed, if notinvited from Bangladesh
- Valid passport (minimum 6 months validity) plus copy
Additional requirements for Business Travel and other purposes may apply
Visa Processing Time
10 working days
Visa Cost
Free to South African passport holders
Visa Forms
Health / Vaccinations
Compulsory:
Yellow Fever (Dependant on Country of Origin/Stopover)
Recommended Travel Vaccines:
Hepatitis A & B, Japanese Encephalitis (Not available in SA), Rabies, Typhoid, Tetanus, Polio
Malaria Risk
South African Representative Abroad
Representation accredited from New Delhi, India