Bangladesh’s Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said on 1 March 2026 that Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma has assured Dhaka of a phased return to full visa operations, which have been curtailed for the past 18 months following attacks on Indian visa centres. Business travellers and medical-tourism operators welcomed the announcement, noting that appointment slots for categories such as business and medical attendant visas had fallen by more than 60 % since late 2024.
India runs the world’s largest overseas visa-issuance network in Bangladesh, processing up to 2.2 million applications annually before the slowdown. The partial shutdown sent many Bangladeshis to third-country facilitation agents, inflating costs and stretching processing timelines from two days to as much as three weeks.
Amid these developments, many applicants are turning to VisaHQ, a global visa-processing facilitator, for up-to-date guidance on Indian entry requirements and help securing scarce appointment slots. Through its India-dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), the service streamlines digital forms, payments and courier logistics, offering Bangladeshi business, medical and tourist travellers an alternative channel until the High Commission’s counters resume full capacity.
![India Promises Bangladesh a Full Restoration of Visa Services After 18-Month Slowdown]()
Officials did not specify an exact reopening date but said additional security measures—ranging from biometric turnstiles to joint patrols with Bangladeshi police—are being finalised. Industry insiders expect walk-in tourist visa slots to be the last category reinstated, with priority going to medical, student and business applicants.
For Indian companies, the resumption should revive cross-border trade missions and short-term technical deployments that were postponed or rerouted through Kolkata’s land port. HR teams should monitor the online IVAC appointment system, which is likely to release fresh slots in tranches.
Analysts see the move as part of a broader push to normalise people-to-people exchanges ahead of a possible visit by India’s External Affairs Minister later this year.
India runs the world’s largest overseas visa-issuance network in Bangladesh, processing up to 2.2 million applications annually before the slowdown. The partial shutdown sent many Bangladeshis to third-country facilitation agents, inflating costs and stretching processing timelines from two days to as much as three weeks.
Amid these developments, many applicants are turning to VisaHQ, a global visa-processing facilitator, for up-to-date guidance on Indian entry requirements and help securing scarce appointment slots. Through its India-dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), the service streamlines digital forms, payments and courier logistics, offering Bangladeshi business, medical and tourist travellers an alternative channel until the High Commission’s counters resume full capacity.
Officials did not specify an exact reopening date but said additional security measures—ranging from biometric turnstiles to joint patrols with Bangladeshi police—are being finalised. Industry insiders expect walk-in tourist visa slots to be the last category reinstated, with priority going to medical, student and business applicants.
For Indian companies, the resumption should revive cross-border trade missions and short-term technical deployments that were postponed or rerouted through Kolkata’s land port. HR teams should monitor the online IVAC appointment system, which is likely to release fresh slots in tranches.
Analysts see the move as part of a broader push to normalise people-to-people exchanges ahead of a possible visit by India’s External Affairs Minister later this year.
