Fees Bangladeshi migrant workers pay before leaving

Q: How much is the welfare fee for going abroad from Bangladesh?

Tk 5,500 from 1 October 2026. It was Tk 3,500 before.

Q: Is the BMET smart card free now?

Yes. The Tk 500 charge was dropped in late 2024.

Q: Do migrant workers pay travel tax?

Yes. Migrant workers are not on the exemption list. The rate depends on where you fly.

Last checked: 19 October 2026 · Workers and visitors

From 1 October 2026 a Bangladeshi worker going abroad pays a Tk 5,500 welfare fee, up from Tk 3,500 ¹. You pay it when you get immigration clearance, along with a Tk 1,000 insurance fee ¹. The BMET smart card, which cost Tk 500, has been free since late 2024 ^1,2. Workers are not on the travel tax exemption list, so the normal rate for your destination applies ³.

Welfare fee: Tk 5,500 from 1 October 2026 ¹
Old welfare fee: Tk 3,500, set in 2015 ¹
Insurance fee: Tk 1,000 ¹
BMET smart card: Free, was Tk 500 ^1,2
QR exit clearance: No fee ²
Travel tax to the Gulf: Tk 4,000 ³

The welfare fee rise

The Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment raised the welfare fee from Tk 3,500 to Tk 5,500, bdnews24.com reported on 22 September 2026 ¹. The new fee applies from 1 October 2026, according to Shariful Islam, deputy director of the Wage Earners' Welfare Board desk at Hazrat Shahjalal airport ¹.

The fee is collected when workers get immigration clearance ¹. It covers workers going abroad for the first time, workers already abroad and those who pay at airports ¹. The government said the rise reflects wider welfare services and the value of the US dollar ¹.

What you pay at clearance

Here are the clearance charges reported in September 2026 ¹. Before the change, the welfare fee, insurance and smart card came to Tk 5,000, bdnews24.com said ¹.

Item	Before	From 1 October 2026
Welfare fee	Tk 3,500 ¹	Tk 5,500 ¹
Insurance fee	Tk 1,000 ¹	Tk 1,000 ¹
BMET smart card	Tk 500 ^1,2	Free ^1,2
Total of these items	Tk 5,000 ¹	Tk 6,500 ¹

BMET smart card and exit clearance

The ministry told the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) to stop charging for the smart card, Dhaka Tribune reported on 1 December 2024 ². The card had cost Tk 250, plus Tk 250 for changes to it ². QR-coded exit clearance stays free ².

BMET's official site is bmet.gov.bd and the welfare board's site is wewb.gov.bd. Use only these and licensed recruiting agencies for clearance.

Benefits the welfare fee pays for

The welfare board pays Tk 35,000 toward burial and transport when a worker dies abroad and the body arrives at Dhaka, Chattogram or Sylhet airport ¹. The family gets a one-time grant of Tk 300,000 ¹. The board offers medical help for sick workers and stipends for workers' children ¹.

Travel tax for workers

The travel tax exemption list does not name migrant workers ³. So a worker flying to a Gulf state pays the Tk 4,000 rate for other countries. Malaysia is not in the Tk 6,000 list either, so a worker flying there pays the same Tk 4,000 ³.

Passports for workers

A 48-page e-passport valid for five years cost Tk 4,025 on regular delivery in March 2025 ⁵. The Home Minister told Parliament on 17 June 2026 that the government is reviewing a plan to cut passport fees for Bangladeshis living abroad ⁴. Overseas missions use outsourcing firms to give passport services to migrant workers, he said ⁴.

Common questions

How much is the welfare fee for going abroad from Bangladesh?

Tk 5,500 from 1 October 2026 ¹. It was Tk 3,500 before ¹.

Is the BMET smart card free now?

Yes. The Tk 500 charge was dropped in late 2024 ^1,2.

Do migrant workers pay travel tax?

Yes. Migrant workers are not on the exemption list ³. The rate depends on where you fly ³.

What does the welfare fee cover?

Death benefits of Tk 35,000 plus a Tk 300,000 family grant, medical help and stipends for children ¹.

Will passport fees for expatriates go down?

A cut is under review by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Home Minister said on 17 June 2026 ⁴. No new amount was given ⁴.

Rules and fees change. Check the official site linked above before you apply or pay. Spotted an error? Email [email protected] with the official link.

Sources

Bangladesh travel tax: what you pay to leave the country
Bangladesh travel tax rates for air, land and sea trips, who is exempt, half rates for children, and the separate excise duty on air tickets.
Bangladesh e-passport fees
Bangladesh e-passport fees for 48 and 64 pages, 5 and 10 year validity, regular, express and super express delivery, with the official link.
Airport charges on tickets from Bangladesh
The airport development fee, passenger security fee, VAT and excise duty added to tickets from Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet and other Bangladesh airports.