Philippines and Bangladesh sign visa waiver agreement

Wikipedia photo

Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. Del Rosario and His Excellency Maj. Gen. John Gomes (ret.), Ambassador of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to the Philippines, signed on 6 March 2014 the Agreement Between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh on the Waiver of Visa Requirements for Holders of Diplomatic and Official Passports.

The Agreement guarantees that holders of diplomatic and official passports from both countries will be allowed to enter, transit through, or stay in the territory of either country for up to thirty (30) days without obtaining a visa. It also allows holders of diplomatic and official passports from both countries who are working in a mission or consular post, including their dependents issued with similar passports, to enter either country without obtaining a visa, and simply notify the host country of their arrival within thirty (30) days in order to secure residence/multiple visas for the duration of their assignment.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Undersecretary for Administration Rafael E. Seguis, Philippine Ambassador to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Vicente Vivencio Bandillo, Office of Consular Affairs Visa Division Director Arnel Talisayon, Third Secretary of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Manila Probash Lamarong, and Office of Asian and Pacific Affairs Southeast Asia-A Division Principal Assistant Ajeet Panemanglor.

The signing of the Agreement is a significant milestone in the diplomatic relations between the Republic of the Philippines and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, and will further strengthen the already vibrant and dynamic relations between the two countries.