Indian tourist visas re-open on June 28

FE REPORT | Published: June 26, 2026 00:04:50

India's tourist visas for Bangladeshis will resume on June 28, the new Indian envoy announced in Dhaka on Thursday, ending a long moratorium since political upheavals and regime change in Bangladesh.
And this marks a major policy move after the newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, formally assumed office in Dhaka.
The decision lifts nearly two years of restrictions on tourist visas and is being viewed by diplomatic observers as a positive step towards normalising bilateral relations between the two neighbours.
Trivedi made the announcement shortly after presenting his credentials to President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban and officially beginning his tenure as India's 18th High Commissioner to Bangladesh.
Under the new arrangement, five Indian Visa Application Centres (IVACs) -- in Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna -- will begin accepting tourist-visa applications next Sunday. The service will later be expanded to other cities, the envoy said.
"Today I officially began my work as India's High Commissioner in Bangladesh. When I first entered Bangladesh through the border, the first question people asked me was about visas. That issue remained on my mind," Trivedi told reporters after visiting the IVAC facility at Jamuna Future Park in Dhaka.
"Tourist visas are important, but medical visas are even more important. Therefore, we will also accelerate the processing of medical visas on humanitarian grounds," he said.
India suspended most visa services for Bangladeshi citizens following the political upheaval in Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, citing security concerns and instability in the country.
The disruption led to the closure of Indian Visa Application Centres, affecting both passport submission and collection services. Later that month, passport returns resumed on a limited scale under special arrangements, while new applications remained largely suspended.
In subsequent months, India gradually resumed limited visa issuance through five IVAC centres, focusing primarily on medical, double-entry and-business visas. The reopening of tourist visas marks the most significant expansion of services since the restrictions were introduced.
The visa moratorium had also created difficulties for Bangladeshi travellers seeking visas for several Western European countries, as many applications required processing through diplomatic missions in New Delhi. Students planning to pursue higher education abroad were among those affected most.
The Indian government appointed Dinesh Trivedi High Commissioner to Bangladesh in April, replacing former envoy Pranay Verma.
The 75-year-old politician arrived in Bangladesh through the Benapole land port on June 12 ahead of formally taking up his post.
A former railway minister in the government of former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, Trivedi served as a member of the Trinamool Congress before resigning from the party in February 2021 and joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) the following month.
He has also served as India's Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and has been a member of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, representing constituencies in West Bengal and Gujarat respectively.
His appointment is notable because India has traditionally appointed career diplomats to ambassadorial posts in neighbouring countries. Trivedi's posting marks the first major political appointment to a neighbouring country in more than three decades.
During his visit to the visa centre, Trivedi said he had discussed operational challenges with staff and applicants and instructed officials to improve facilities, particularly for children and persons with disabilities.
He suggests creating dedicated waiting areas for children equipped with toys, refreshments and drinking water, as well as ensuring adequate ramp access for wheelchair users.
"Overall, I am happy with the facilities I saw today," he says. "However, every service can be improved, and we will continue working to make the visa-application process more comfortable and efficient."
Announcing the reopening of tourist visas, Trivedi said: "We have opened regular tourist visas. Applications will begin from 28 June. This is good for us, good for the people here, and something everyone deserves."
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