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Home ministry clarifies passport rules for govt workers
Daily Sun Report, Dhaka
Published: 24 Sep 2026, 12:00 AM
Government employees paid from the revenue budget will now receive official passports free of charge for travelling abroad on official duty, according to a recent circular from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
On the other hand, permanent officials who are ranked grade 9 and above under the national pay scale will have to pay a prescribed fee to obtain an official passport for personal travel, it said.
The ministry consolidated and revised several previous circulars before issuing this fresh directive on 21 September, clarifying rules regarding the issuance of both official and ordinary passports for government workers.
Similar provisions will apply to employees of Parliament, the Supreme Court, Attorney General's Office, Election Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission, Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, Public Service Commission, and Bangladesh Bank.
Meanwhile, government employees temporarily engaged in development projects and paid from the development budget as well as elected representatives of local government institutions will be issued ordinary passports, it added.
The circular further states that spouses and children aged less than 25 of non-diplomatic officials and staff serving at Bangladesh missions abroad will be issued official passports with five-year validity. However, these passports must be returned once the official's tenure at the mission ends.
Additionally, the maximum validity of an official passport has been set at 10 years – or until the official's retirement or the end of post-retirement leave – whichever comes first.
To verify the authenticity of government orders and no-objection certificates for official foreign travel, each ministry, division and department has been directed to designate a focal point and alternate focal point, whose contact details must be shared with the ministry, Department of Immigration and Passports, Special Branch, and Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism.
The circular, effective immediately from its date of issuance, was signed by the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Mohammad Nuruzzaman.
Copies were also sent to the Cabinet Secretary, Prime Minister's Office, Bangladesh Bank, National Board of Revenue, and several other key government offices.