Bangladesh police launched the online ED Card system for foreign travelers Aug. 19

Foreign air travelers heading to Bangladesh can now complete their embarkation and disembarkation forms before flying, replacing the traditional handwritten paper slips handed out on planes.

Online submission for airport entry and exit

The Special Branch of Bangladesh Police launched an official online ED Card system on Aug. 19, giving foreign passport holders a digital pre-submission option for flights in and out of the country.

The free portal covers both E-Arrival and E-Departure cards for international air routes. While Bangladeshi citizens remain completely exempt from submitting arrival cards, all foreign nationals must complete them, including tourists, business visitors and remote workers navigating staying in Bangladesh.

Paper cards remain available at airport immigration desks during the initial rollout, as authorities haven't announced a mandatory cutoff date for paper processing, JETRO confirmed.

Required details and border clearance

Travelers can fill out the form before departure to avoid manual paperwork at immigration checkpoints. The online system requests:

• Passport details, including full name, number, sex and nationality

• Flight information, including carrier number, travel dates and port of embarkation

• Local stay information, including lodging address, local phone number and email

• Visa details, including current visa number, category and validity dates or visa-on-arrival requests

The portal also allows principal travelers to register accompanying family members under a single submission. Submitting the digital form doesn't replace standard immigration control. Foreign passengers must still present their physical passport, boarding pass and visa or visa-on-arrival documentation to border officers, though pre-filing eliminates manual card processing at the counter.