INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS

This page
describes the general rules and
procedures related to
Scheduled Flights,
Non-scheduled Flights,
Charter Flights, and
Flights of State Aircrafts.		 For
Documentary Requirements,
Public Health Measures and
other regulations on
International Flights
Click Here

All flights into, from or over the territory of Bangladesh and landings in Bangladesh territory shall be carried out in accordance with the permission received from Chairman, Civil Aviation Authority and in accordance with the national regulations.

Aircraft landing in or departing from the territory of Bangladesh must first land at or finally depart from an International Airport.

The Aircraft, after landing at airport shall not proceed further unless the pilot in command has obtained necessary customs and other clearances in writing from officer of such organization as duly authorized by the Government.

In the event of and aircraft being compelled to land at other than an International Airport the pilot-in-command shall immediately communicate with the nearest customs official, or the police. In all cases where it is necessary to dispatch a customs officer to the scene of an emergency landing a charge for conveyance of such officer shall be made against the owners of the aircraft concerned.

No aircraft, including aircraft engaged in a scheduled air transport service, shall make flights into or in transit across the territory of Bangladesh except in accordance with the above conditions.


 Scheduled Flights
For operation of regular international scheduled flights operated by foreign airlines into or in transit across Bangladesh, the following requirements must be met:

a.  The state of the airline must be a party either to the International Air Services Transit Agreement, 1944 or a party to bilateral air transport agreement with the Bangladesh Government or must obtain special permission under a bilateral agreement or arrangement.

b.  The airline must be eligible to make the flights under the provisions of a bilateral or multilateral agreement to which the state of the airline and Bangladesh are contracting parties and must have a permit to operate into or in transit across Bangladesh airspace. Applications for such permits shall be submitted to the Chairman, Civil Aviation Authority, Kurmitola, Dhaka-1229 well in advance.

c.  Aircraft belonging to or operated for or on behalf of the Government of South Africa, Israel and Taiwan are debarred from flying into or in transit across the territory of Bangladesh.


Non-scheduled Flights
 If an operator intends to perform a (series of) non-scheduled flight(s) into Bangladesh for the purpose of taking on or discharging passenger, cargo or mail he shall apply in writing to the Chairman, Civil Aviation Authority, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Kurmitola, Dhaka-1229 and obtain prior approval to carry out such operations not less that 15 (fifteen) working days in advance of the intended landing.

The application must include the following information in the order shown hereunder:

(a) Name, address and nationality of operator of aircraft.

(b) Type of aircraft, Nationality and Registration Marks of the aircraft.

(c) Call sign of aircraft

(d) Date and time of arrival at, and departure from Bangladesh.

(e) Place or places of embarkation or disembarkation abroad as the case may be of passengers and/or freight.

(f) Purpose of flight and details of passengers and/or nature and amount of freight.

(g) Name, address and business of charterer, if any.

(h) Route to be flown.

(i)  Such other information as may be required by the Chairman, Civil Aviation Authority.



Charter Flights
 If an operator intends to perform a (series of) non-scheduled flight(s) for the purpose of taking on or discharging passengers, cargo or mail in Bangladesh to/from a place outside Bangladesh, he shall apply to and obtain prior approval from the Chairman, Civil Aviation Authority for the exercise of such traffic rights. The application must contain the particulars specified for non-scheduled flights.

No passenger or freight flights originating in Bangladesh for a place outside Bangladesh may be picked up unless the charter/or hire of the whole or part of the space on such aircraft, if considered to have been arranged through the agency of National Operator, and with the prior consent of the Chairman, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh.

Charter flight(s) by Foreign Operators may be permitted, provided the Charterer along with the application produces a declaration from the National Carrier stating that they (National Carrier) are not in a position to meet the requirement of the Charterer.

No advertisement in respect of such flights soliciting booking of traffic or purporting to notify availability of space in aircraft, shall be made in any manner whatsoever, either by the person or the operator.


 Charter Flights by foreign operators not exercising traffic rights when
transiting through Bangladesh
Subject to the observance of the terms of the Convention on International Civil Aviation 1944. application must be made at lease 3 working days before the intended flight, and obtain prior permission from the Chairman, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh for fall aircraft of the Contracting states of the above-mentioned convention desiring to carry out non-scheduled flight into, or in transit non-stop across Bangladesh and to make stops for non-traffic purposes in Bangladesh. The application must contain the following particulars in the order shown hereunder:

a.  Name, address and nationality of aircraft operator.

b.  Type, Nationality and Registration marks of the aircraft

c.  Date and time of arrival at, and departure from Bangladesh.

d.  Purpose of flight and details of passengers and/or nature and amount of freight.

e.  Name, address and business of charterer, if any.

f.  Route to be flow.


Flights of State Aircraft
If a State intends to perform a (Series of) non-schedule flight(s) into Bangladesh to operate military aircraft, it shall apply to the Government of Bangladesh, Ministry of Affairs, Dhaka, Bangladesh (Telegraphic Address- (PARARASTRA DHAKA) for permission to carry out such operation not less than 15(fifteen) working days in advance of the intended landing. The application must include the following information in the order shown hereunder:

a.  Name of operator,

b.  Type of aircraft and registration marks.

c.  Date and time of arrivals at, and departure from Bangladesh.

d.  Place or places of embarkation or disembarkation of passengers and/or freight, etc.

e.  purpose of flight and number of passengers and/or nature and amount of freight.

f.  Route of flight.

g.  A certificate to the effect that " No war-like materials, such as arms, ammunition, explosives (except escape/aid explosives), pyrotechnics (except very pistol signal cartridges) nuclear fissionable materials, ABC gases, photographic equipment and materials (whether installed or

h.  not electronic devices other than required for normal operation of the aircraft, are being carried by the aircraft.

Documentary requirements for clearance of aircraft
It is necessary that the under mentioned aircraft documents be submitted by airline operators for clearance on entry and departure of their aircraft to and from Bangladesh. All documents listed below must follow the ICAO standard format as set forth in the relevant appendices to Annex 9 and are acceptable when furnished in English and completed in legible handwriting.

Aircraft documents required for arrival and departure:

Required by General Declaration Passenger Manifest Cargo Manifest

Customs Officer

 1 2 2

Immigration Officer

 1 1 ...

Airport Health Officer

 2 1 ...

Plant Quarantine Officer

 1* 1* 1*
* For arriving aircraft only

Notes:

a.  One copy of the General Declaration is endorsed and returned by Customs, Signifying clearances.

b.  If no passengers are embarking (disembarking) and no articles are laden (unladen), no aircraft documents except copies of the General declaration need be submitted to the above authorities.


Public health measures applied to aircraft
 All International Travelers coming to Bangladesh from yellow fever zone or in transit through yellow fever zone must possess a valid International Certificate of yellow fever vaccination. There will not be any exception for age, sex and status.

Yellow Fever: The vaccine used must be approved by the WHO and the vaccination centre must be notified by the WHO. Yellow fever epidemic zones of Africa and South America are given below:

AFRICA: Angola, Benin Botswana, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinu, Guineu-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan (South of 15 N), Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Tanzania, Upper Volta, Zaire, Zambia.

SOUTH AMERICA: Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyane, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad, Tobago and Venezuela,

Note : When a case of yellow fever is reported from any Country, that country is regarded by the Government of Bangladesh as infected with yellow fever and is added to the above list.

In case any traveler fails to produce such valid certificate he will either not be permitted to enter Bangladesh or will be isolated till he is considered free from infection by local Health Administration. A simplified E/D-cum Health Card is to be filled in by an arriving passenger of all categories.

Desensitization of aircraft in flight is not acceptable. However, spraying on the ground is not required provided a "Desensitization Certificate" from the place of origin is carried on the aircraft.

Aircraft and aircrew engaged on non-scheduled flights to Bangladesh shall comply with the requirements of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago, 1944) and the national regulations in force in Bangladesh.


Cabotage Carriage
No passenger or freight originating at a point in Bangladesh and destined for another point in Bangladesh may be picked up by a foreign operator.

If an operator intends to perform a (series of) non-scheduled flight(s) originating at a point in Bangladesh and destined for another point in Bangladesh for the purpose of taking or discharging passengers, cargo or mail, he shall have to provide satisfactory evidence that no Bangladesh registered operator is in a position to carry the passengers or freight available between the two points in Bangladesh. Thereafter, he shall apply to the Chairman, Civil Aviation Authority for permission to carry out such charter flights.


Other Commercial Flights
If an operator intends to perform a (series of) non-scheduled commercial flight(s) e.g. Business flights, survey flights or spraying flights in Bangladesh he shall apply giving details of the flights(s) to the Chairman, Civil Aviation Authority, Kurmitola, Dhaka-1229 for permission to carry out such operations. Grant of permission will be governed by the merits of the individual cases of consultation with any other department of Government of Bangladesh that may be concerned.


Employment of foreign aircraft for public transportation or aerial works
An aircraft not registered in Bangladesh is precluded from employment as a public transport aircraft or an aerial work aircraft in Bangladesh territory without special permission from the government of Bangladesh, an aircraft owned by a person other than a national of Bangladesh who is resident in resident in or carrying on business in Bangladesh may be registered as Bangladesh aircraft, but is precluded from employment as public transport aircraft or an aerial work aircraft without special authorization from the chairman, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh.

PASSENGERS AND CREW

This page describes
Immigration Requirements and
Customs Requirements.		 For
Public Health Requirements and
Plant Quarantine Requirements


Immigration Requirements

01.   Passport and Visa:

Valid passports are required for nationals of all countries to visit Bangladesh. Passports are not required for the holders of identity certificate, Laissez Passer issued by United Nations and its affiliated Bodies, continuous Discharge Certificate/Nullies/Seaman Book (Traveling on duty to join or repatriate from ship) issued by any country recognized by Bangladesh.
     
02.   Visas are required for all countries except the nationals of following countries:
   

Bhutan, Barbados, Cyprus, Fiji, New Zealand, Western Samoa, Canada, Singapore, Tonga, Leone, Lesotho, Zambia, Tanzania, Malta, Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia, Nauru, Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Trinidad, Tobago, Ghana, Srilanka (Stay not exceeding One Month), Ireland, Tunisia, Vatican, Gabon And Spain
     
03.   Yugoslavia and Japan do not require any visa if stay does not exceed 3 months:
     
04.  

No entry permit/visa will be required for a period of up to 15 days by the foreign tourists from the following countries arriving in or transiting through Bangladesh provided they hold return or onward air tickets:

U.S.A., Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, France, Portugal, Spain Italy, Federal Republic Of Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, Austria, Maldives, Philippines, Switzerland, U.K., Greece

Such facilities shall not, however, be extended to those persons who are blacklisted or to whom visas are not issued ordinarily under the rules.

 
05.

Any Missionary/Social Worker or person(s) employed in Bangladesh, paid or unpaid, is required to obtain a visa, prior clearance for such category of foreigners are required for visiting Bangladesh.
   
06.

Foreigners who are required to obtain visa for visiting Bangladesh but cannot obtain the same due to unavoidable circumstances or inadvertence are generally allowed to enter in the country for 72 hours. in order to prevent hardship. In such cases foreigners will be required to obtain visa from Director, Immigration and Passport of nearest Regional Passport Offices in Bangladesh if duration of stay exceeds 72 hours.

   
07.

In all cases, foreigners are required to fill up an embarkation/ disembarkation-cum-health card available at the entry-point with the following additions:
(a) i) For arriving passengers-intended address/addresses.
  ii) For passengers leaving-last address.
(b) Purpose of visit.
(c) Proposed Length of stay in Bangladesh and places visited (with approximate dates)
(d) Passport Number
(e) Place and date of issue of passport


08.  

No registration and exit permit is required by a foreigner who visits Bangladesh. Foreigners are required to obtain road permit from the Director General, Immigration and Passports, Dhaka, if they intend to take their exit from the country by road
     
09.  

Where a flight crew member on a scheduled service retains his license in his possession when disembarking, and remains at the airport where the aircraft has stopped or with the confines of the adjacent city, and departs on the same aircraft or on his next regularly scheduled flight out of Bangladesh, his crew member license or crew certificate is accepted in lieu of passport or visa for temporary admission into Bangladesh, only if the said certificate or license is issued by a country with whom a Bilateral Agreement exits.


Customs Requirements
 

01.  

Arrival and departure of aircraft all passengers and crew shall present themselves personally with their baggage to Customs and make a declaration of currency on a prescribed from supplied by customs at the declaration counter on arrival. The form must be retained, On departure this form should be re-submitted to Customs showing the balance of foreign and local currency remaining in his possession.

     
02   Restriction on the movement of cash currency in and out of Bangladesh are in force.
     
03  

Any unaccompanied baggage following should be notified to the Customs officer on the appropriate form before the passenger departs from the Customs hall.

Public Health Requirements
The entry and departure of an aircraft infected or suspected to be infected with infectious diseases is governed by the Aircraft (Public Health) Rules, 1950.

Aircraft coming from the West except India and Ceylon are considered to be suspected of yellow fever infection until they have been inspected by the Health Officer and the passengers and crew have been medically examined.

The Commander of an aircraft coming to Bangladesh is required to send a health report to the authorities at the aerodrome where it intends to land , so as to reach them at least two hours before landing, stating whether there is any person on board the aircraft suffering from any illness and whether during the voyage there has been a case of infectious disease.

The procedures enforced in regard to aircraft itself is that the pilot is required to produce the journey log book or any other documents showing the previous movement of the aircraft for the last three months and the date and place of its disinsectization. An aircraft will be regarded "CLEAR", if:

a.  its log shows that it has been disinfected in accordance with Schedule VIII of the Aircraft (Public Health) Rules, 1950, after its last departure from or its landing in a yellow fever infected area;

c.  it has not landed anywhere in a yellow fever infected area during the present journey; and

d.  no non-vaccinated person coming from any yellow fever infected area has gone in board the aircraft en-route for Bangladesh during the 9 days following the date on which the aircraft left yellow fever infected area.

A person is considered to be protected against yellow fever if:

a.  he has been protected against the disease by a previous attack; OR

b.  he has a satisfactory inoculation against the disease performed not less than 10 days before arrival in the yellow fever infected area or not less than 12 days before arrival in Bangladesh. A satisfactory inoculation is performed at center duly empowered and notified through the World Health Organization by the Government concerned as having been authorized to inoculate persons against yellow fever: with a yellow fever vaccine manufactured at any one of the following institutes:

1.  Instituted Eatudious Carios Finally, Bagota, Columbia.

2.  National Institute of Health, United States, Public Health Services, Namilton, Montana.

3.  Pasteur Institute, Dakar.

4.  Rockefeller Foundation, New York.

5.  Service Nacionale do Febre Amarela, Rio de janerio.

6.  South African Institute for Medical Research, Johannesburg.

7.  Welcome Institute, London.

8.  Indich Institute, Amsterdam (Netherlands).

9.  Pasteur Institute, Paris (France).

10. The Commonwealth Serum Laboratory, Melbourne (Australia).

11. The National Drug Company, Seuftwater, Pa, U.S.A.

An unprotected person arriving in Bangladesh from a yellow fever infected area within ten days of his having left the area will be detained in quarantine for a period not exceeding ten days and if an aircraft not disinfected as indicated above arrives from area infected with yellow fever, all protected persons on board the aircraft will be detained in quarantine for a period not exceeding 10 days. To avoid detention in quarantine all crew and passengers should carry International Certificates of satisfactory inoculation against yellow fever. They are also advised in their own interest to be in possession of International Certificates of vaccination against cholera and smallpox while coming Bangladesh.

Passengers and members of the crew will not be charged for a vaccination or an inoculation, when the operations are performed at the airport by Health Department officials.

Passengers and members of the crew will not be charged for accommodation including treatment and drugs, if any, at the isolation Hospital when they are sent there at the discretion of the Health Officer.

During an epidemic and aircraft that loads passengers from the epidemic ridden area must ensure that no infected person embarks into the aircraft, if any illness develops during the flight the information should be transmitted at once to the Airport Health Authority where the aircraft is supposed to land.

In case there is an epidemic in the port of embarkation the embarking passengers must possess valid proof of effective Vaccination against the epidemic disease, if available.


 Plant Quarantine Requirements
 On arrival of the aircraft all passengers and crew shall declare any plant or plant materials carried by them on the scheduled card to be supplied by the plant Quarantine Officer for further laboratory test/final disposal/destruction.

Passengers arriving in Bangladesh after visiting any rubber growing countries of Central America including Mexico, and countries in South America, should immediately report to the Plant Quarantine Officer for a special treatment of all his personal belongings.

The importation of plants and seeds into Bangladesh is governed by special rules. In every case where it is intended to carry plants or seeds on aircraft entering Bangladesh, enquiries should first be made from the Department of Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Complex, Farmgate, Dhaka.

CARGO
Regulations concerning importation, transshipment
and exportation of cargo

Customs requirements:

Carriage of arms and explosives
1. The Carriage in aircraft of any arms, ammunition, explosives, military stores or articles of highly inflammable nature is prohibited under the Bangladesh Aircraft Rules, except explosives or other articles required exclusively for the working of the aircraft and such arms and ammunition as may reasonably be required for private use.

2. No civil registered aircraft, whether national or foreign shall carry ammunition of war or implements of war in or across the territories of Bangladesh.

3. Personal and sporting arms ammunition accompanied or unaccompanied may be imported, exported or transited by air into, our of or through Bangladesh subject to the condition that such arms and ammunition are kept in the custody of the Pilot-in-command and stored in a place not accessible to passengers.

4. A license for firearms to be carried on aircraft must be obtained from the appropriate authorities (Deputy Commissioners at Dhaka and Chittagong are the licensing authorities). In all cases the bore of the arm and amount of ammunition which it is intended to carry should be specified. It must be noted that the importation into Bangladesh of arms and ammunition of .303 and .450 bores, of 6.5 MM. 8 MM or 9 MM calibre, or muskets of .410 bore, or rifles of any other bore containing important components of the aforesaid rifles, or pistons or revolvers of .411, .455 or any intermediate bore or .38 bore or 9 MM calibre, or parts of, or fittings for rifle, muskets, Pistols or revolvers of such bores, or of ammunition which can be fired from such firearms , or of appliances the object of which is the silencing of firearms, is prohibited.

5. Sporting arms and ammunition, explosives (other than those which are used for handling and operating an aircraft), poisons, corrosive liquids or irritant gases, as aesthetic gases, liquids and compounds, flammable solids, liquids or gases, oxidizing materials shall not be carried in bulk on any passenger carrying aircraft, whether national or foreign in or across the territory of Bangladesh except in such quantities as may be notified from time to time.

6. When any of the articles mentioned in above is carried, the carrier shall ensure that:

(a) the quantity is within the prescribed limits;

(b) it is properly and securely packed and correctly labeled showing the content of the package with appropriate instructions for handling;

(c) it is stored in such a place that if the container is damaged, the crew, passenger and the main structure of the aircraft is not likely to endangered by its effects.

7. (a) Articles mentioned in paragraph 5 may be transited in bulk through Bangladesh on a foreign registered aircraft provided the owner of the aircraft has obtained prior permission of its Government for conveyance of the cargo on board and 24 hours advance notice of the arrival of aircraft is given to the Airport of intended landing in Bangladesh.

(b) National Operator in Bangladesh shall not undertake to remove any of the articles mentioned in paragraph 5 in bulk unless prior permission of Government has been obtained.

A list of articles which are classified a "Prohibited Cargo" or "Dangerous Cargo" is available at all civil aerodromes.

Plant Quarantine Requirements:
Importation of Plants and seeds
The importation of plants and seeds into Bangladesh is governed by special rules. In every case where it is intended to carry plants or seeds on aircraft entering Bangladesh, enquiries should first be made from the Department of Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Complex, Farmgate, Dhaka.

Customs Duty on Airport
No customs duty is levied on an aircraft which is in transit or is to make a temporary stay in Bangladesh for a period of less than six months, However, declaration must be supplied to the Customs Officer at the Airport of entry that the aircraft is in transit or that it is intended to re-