Schengen Visa for Bangladeshi Nationals Living in the UK

Do Bangladeshi nationals living in the UK need a Schengen visa?

Yes. Every Bangladeshi passport holder needs a short-stay Schengen visa to visit any of the 29 Schengen countries, whatever their UK status. That includes Skilled Worker and Health and Care visa holders, spouses and dependants, students, Graduate route visa holders and people with Indefinite Leave to Remain.

Because you live here lawfully, you apply from the UK, not from Dhaka. One visa covers the whole Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. If you are in the UK only as a visitor, the centres here will not normally accept you; see our guide to applying on a UK visitor visa.

Note: If you have naturalised and hold a British passport, travel on that and you need no visa. Bangladesh allows dual nationality, so many British Bangladeshis hold both passports; the Schengen rules follow the passport you travel on.

The rules and fee are the same as for any other nationality: the standard €90 fee and 15-day decision deadline apply. The EU can adopt temporary visa measures for specific nationalities under Article 25a of the Visa Code, such as a higher fee or a longer processing period, so check the European Commission’s visa policy page for the current position before you apply. What differs is the detail that gets checked: names, certificates from Bangladesh, funds and family files. Our Schengen visa from the UK guide covers the general process.

Which country should you apply to?

Apply to the country where you will spend the most nights. If nights are equal, apply to the country that is the main purpose of the trip or, failing that, your first point of entry.

Many trips are family visits to Bangladeshi communities in Rome, Lisbon, Madrid or Paris, combined with sightseeing elsewhere. A fortnight with cousins in Lisbon and three nights in Madrid belongs with Portugal, even if you fly into Spain. Applying to whichever country has easier appointments, for a trip that is mainly elsewhere, is a common reason for refusal. Our guide to which country to apply to works through mixed itineraries.

Where do Bangladeshi nationals apply in the UK?

Each country uses its own provider and booking system, and some assign your centre by home address. The table covers the most popular destinations and what to know before you book.

Every provider books appointments in the applicant’s own name on its official system, and the booking is free; extras such as premium lounges are optional and charged by the centre. Official slots are never for sale, so treat travel shops, agents or social media groups offering them with caution. We do not book, hold or supply appointments: we explain how each system works and help you complete the booking correctly yourself. For timing, see our appointment guide.

Important: The Embassy of Slovakia’s London checklist says nationals of Bangladesh (along with Belarus, Iran, Morocco, Pakistan and Vietnam) must submit an invitation verified by the Slovak Foreign Police, whatever the purpose of the trip. Your host applies in Slovakia, pays €50 per invited person, and the verified invitation is valid for 90 days from issue. Read the Slovakia document checklist before planning a Bratislava visit.

How do you prove your UK status with an eVisa?

With your UKVI eVisa and a share code, not a BRP. All BRPs have expired, and an old card is not proof of status for a Schengen application.

1. Sign in to GOV.UK’s View and prove your immigration status service.
2. Check the passport linked to your eVisa is the one you are applying with. If you renewed your Bangladeshi passport, update your UKVI account first and allow time for the change to show.
3. Generate a share code close to the appointment. It lasts 90 days, which covers processing of up to 45 days.
4. Download the status page showing your photo, permission type and end date, and bring both.

Your UK permission should usually run at least 3 months beyond your return, as Italy’s main visa page asks; several countries accept 1 month (Germany after the trip ends, Greece after you leave the Schengen area, Poland after the visa expires), so check your destination’s rule. Graduate route holders and spouses waiting on an extension are most often caught out. Our eVisa and share code guide covers each step.

How should your name appear on every document?

Exactly as in your passport. Name formats cause frequent practical problems: passports often abbreviate Mohammad or Muhammad to “MD”, some leave the surname field blank, and UK payslips or bank records may reverse the order or drop a name.

Tip: Copy the spelling from the two machine-readable lines at the bottom of the data page onto the form, flights, hotel and insurance. If the passport has no surname, follow the airline’s instructions for single-name passengers rather than inventing one.

Family files need extra care. Bangladeshi spouses and children often do not share a surname (a wife named Begum or Khatun, children with different family names), so the officer relies on certificates to link you. Bring the full birth certificate for each child listing both parents, and the marriage certificate. Where any document differs, ask the issuer to correct it or explain it in one line of your cover letter.

Do certificates from Bangladesh need an apostille and translation?

Usually, if you rely on them. Bangladesh joined the Hague Apostille Convention on 30 March 2025. A Bangladeshi certificate can now usually be apostilled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including through its e-Apostille service, instead of going through full legalisation. Spain expects documents issued outside the UK and EU to be legalised or apostilled, and Italy asks for documents issued outside the UK to be translated into English or Italian and legalised, so confirm with the consulate that it accepts the apostille before relatives in Bangladesh start.

Documents that usually need this treatment:

• Nikah nama (marriage registration), for spouses applying together or a sponsoring partner
• Birth registration certificates, for children and to prove a parent-child sponsor link; older ones are often in Bangla only
• Property deeds, land records or trade licences, if you include them as evidence of ties
• Bank solvency certificates or statements from a Bangladeshi bank, if issued in Bangla

Get the apostille on the original first, then the translation, so the translator covers it too. Spain wants a sworn translation; Italy accepts English or Italian; Switzerland accepts English, French, German or Italian. Certificates issued in the UK, such as the birth certificate of a child born here, need none of this. Allow several weeks.

How much money do you need to show?

The same as any other applicant, judged mainly from three months of UK bank statements. Several countries publish a minimum per person; the rest look for a steady pattern that comfortably covers the trip.

Show it for every traveller: a family of four going to Spain for 10 days needs €4,884 available on top of flights and hotels. Three patterns come up often in Bangladeshi files.

Cash and small-business income

Many applicants work in or run restaurants, takeaways and shops where some income arrives in cash. Regular cash deposits are fine if your tax records support them: add your SA302 or tax year overview, your Companies House record if you are a director, and business statements. See our guide for the self-employed. Large, irregular cash deposits just before applying, with no paperwork, are what cause doubt.

Money sent to family in Bangladesh

Remittances to parents or siblings are normal and not a reason for refusal, but they commit part of your income, so make sure the remaining balance still covers the trip.

Funds held in Bangladesh

Fixed deposits, savings certificates (sanchayapatra) and land show ties but are not money you can easily spend in Europe. Treat them as supporting evidence only. If family there are funding the trip, move the money into your UK account early and keep the receipts. Our bank statements guide explains what officers check.

What do students, spouses and families need?

Each person needs their own form, photo, appointment and fee, and children need their own passports. Book consecutive slots so you attend together, and use one shared itinerary and matching bookings.

Our guides to dependants and children’s visas go further. If you will stay with relatives rather than in a hotel, the host usually needs an official form from their local authority or police; our family visit visa guide compares them.

Do you need a visa to change planes in Europe on the way to Bangladesh?

Usually yes. Bangladesh is on the EU’s common list of nationalities that need an airport transit visa (type A), even if you never leave the international transit area. UK residence does not exempt you. A valid Schengen visa, or a valid US, Canadian or Japanese visa, does.

This affects trips home via Paris, Frankfurt or Amsterdam. Direct flights to Sylhet or Dhaka, and connections through the Gulf or Istanbul, avoid it because they do not touch a Schengen airport. If you collect bags or change terminals through passport control, you need a full Schengen visa instead. Check with your airline first.

What about multiple-entry visas?

There is no separate cascade for Bangladesh, so the standard Visa Code rules apply. Three Schengen visas obtained and lawfully used in the previous two years can lead to a one-year multiple-entry visa, then two years and up to five. Visas used while living in Bangladesh count, so bring old passports holding them. A visa cannot outlast your passport and is often capped at your UK permission’s end date. Our multiple-entry cascade guide has the details.

How can you avoid delays and get help?

Plan early and keep every document consistent. Delays usually come from timing and consistency rather than eligibility: Eid and summer slots fill early, names differ between documents, and certificates arrive from Bangladesh too late. Apply up to 6 months ahead and no later than 15 calendar days before travel; our processing time guide helps you plan. If you have been refused, read our guide to Schengen visa refusals.

Schengen Visa Support is an independent UK visa admin support service. We help Bangladeshi nationals across the UK prepare consistent applications for any Schengen country: a personal checklist, form completion, document review and a cover letter that explains names and funds. The consulate makes every decision. See how it works and our pricing.