Moving to Dhaka Checklist: Relocating to Dhaka Step by Step

Relocating to Dhaka is easier than its reputation suggests, provided you do things in the right order. The city rewards preparation: traffic, paperwork and the rental market all move more smoothly when the basics are arranged before you land. This checklist is written for diplomats, UN and NGO staff, international company employees and their families, and for the HR teams who move them. It reflects what we see every week at Rent Property, where most of our tenants are foreigners on postings of five months to two years.

What should you do before moving to Dhaka?

Documents

• Passport with plenty of validity left and several blank pages. You will need it for your SIM card, bank account, lease and many other registrations.
• Visa and work authorisation. The correct visa category depends on your employer and role. Rules change, so confirm the requirements with your employer, your mission or a qualified adviser rather than relying on forums.
• Copies of everything: passport photo page, visa, employment letter, marriage and birth certificates for family members, and educational records for children. Keep both scans and a few paper copies.
• Passport-size photographs. Several local processes still ask for them.

Housing decisions

Decide on your neighbourhood before you look at individual flats. In Dhaka, traffic makes distance a matter of time rather than kilometres, so start from where you will work and where your children will study. Most expatriates settle in Gulshan, Banani or Baridhara, with Bashundhara, Uttara and Niketon as good-value alternatives. Our guide to the best areas to live in Dhaka for expats compares them side by side.

For budgeting, from properties we currently list, a furnished three-bedroom flat in Gulshan is around BDT 130,000–160,000 a month, in Banani around BDT 120,000–140,000, and in Bashundhara around BDT 80,000–110,000. Expect a security deposit of two to three months' rent and a monthly service charge on top. The full picture is in our Dhaka rent price guide.

Arrival accommodation

Few people sign a long lease sight unseen. A furnished or serviced apartment for your first few weeks gives you a base while you view flats in person. See our serviced apartments in Dhaka for how this works.

Health and shipping

• Visit a travel clinic well ahead of departure for vaccination and malaria-risk advice, and carry enough prescription medicine for the first few weeks, with the prescription.
• If you rent a fully furnished apartment, you may need to ship far less. Many assignees bring only personal items, kitchen favourites and children's things.
• Check what your health insurance covers in Bangladesh and whether it includes medical evacuation.

Your first week in Dhaka

Arriving at the airport

International flights land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the north of the city. Arrange a pickup in advance, whether through your employer, your hotel or your landlord, rather than negotiating with drivers in the arrivals hall after a long flight. Our airport to Gulshan guide covers the route and timings.

How do you get a SIM card in Dhaka as a foreigner?

Mobile SIM cards are sold by the main operators, including Grameenphone, Robi, Banglalink and Teletalk, at their own customer centres and through many retailers. Foreigners usually register a SIM with their passport, and registration is typically linked to biometric (fingerprint) verification. Go to an operator's own customer centre rather than a street stall, take your passport and, ideally, a copy of your visa page. Requirements can change, so ask the operator what is needed on the day. Mobile data is inexpensive and widely available in the main districts.

Money

• The currency is the Bangladeshi taka (BDT). Card acceptance is good in larger supermarkets, restaurants and hotels in Gulshan and Banani, but cash is still essential for many everyday payments.
• ATMs are common in the central districts. Tell your home bank you are travelling so your card is not blocked.
• Mobile financial services are widely used locally; whether you can register for one as a foreigner depends on the provider's rules.

How do you get around Dhaka?

• Car and driver. The most common arrangement for expatriate families and senior staff. Many employers provide one, or you can hire a driver directly. Agree hours, overtime, days off and duties in writing. Traffic drives on the left.
• Ride-hailing. Apps such as Uber and Pathao operate in Dhaka and are convenient for the first weeks, with fares shown in advance.
• CNG auto-rickshaws and cycle rickshaws. Useful for short local trips once you know the city; agree the fare before you set off.
• Metro rail. Dhaka's metro line runs from Uttara south through the city and is a real time-saver on that corridor, though it does not yet reach Gulshan or Banani directly.

Viewing flats

Use your first week to view a shortlist in person, ideally at the time of day you will actually commute. Look at the building as closely as the flat: generator capacity, lifts, water pressure, guards and fire exits. Our apartment security checklist is a useful companion on viewings.

Your first month in Dhaka

Sign the lease properly

• Ask for an English or bilingual agreement and read the notice period, rent-review terms and repair responsibilities.
• Do a dated, photographed inventory at handover and have both parties sign it. It is the single best protection for your deposit.
• Landlords are generally expected to file tenant details with the local police station (thana). Your landlord or agent usually handles this; ask them to confirm it has been done.

Bank account

Opening a local account normally requires your passport, visa and proof of employment or residence, and banks set their own document lists. Most assignees find the process much quicker when the employer's HR team introduces them to a bank it already works with.

Utilities and internet

Confirm which bills the landlord pays and which are yours. Electricity and gas are usually metered separately, prepaid meters are common in newer buildings, and broadband is arranged with a local provider. Ask how much of the flat the generator carries during power cuts.

Healthcare

Register with a clinic or hospital before you need one. Private hospitals used by many expatriates include United Hospital in Gulshan and Evercare Hospital Dhaka in Bashundhara. Save their emergency numbers in your phone and check how your insurer handles direct billing.

Schools

If you are moving with children, apply to schools early, as places at popular international schools can be limited. Well-known options include the American International School Dhaka in Baridhara and International School Dhaka in Bashundhara, alongside other English-medium schools. Choose the school first and the home second; our guide to apartments near international schools in Dhaka explains why.

Domestic staff

Many expatriate households employ a housekeeper, cook or driver. Take references, agree duties and pay in writing, and ask your employer or colleagues what arrangements are customary.

Is Dhaka safe for expats?

Most expatriates live in Dhaka without serious incident, and the main residential districts have visible security. Sensible habits go a long way:

• Register with your embassy if it offers a registration scheme, and follow its travel advice.
• Avoid large gatherings and demonstrations, and keep an eye on local news.
• Choose a building with guards, controlled entry and CCTV, and keep your doors locked.
• Keep phones and bags out of reach of open vehicle windows in traffic.
• Road safety is a bigger everyday risk than crime; use seatbelts and a careful driver.

What is the weather like in Dhaka?

Dhaka is hot and humid for much of the year. The monsoon usually runs from around June to October, bringing heavy downpours and waterlogged roads that slow traffic. April and May are often the hottest months, and the short winter from December to February is dry and pleasant. Mosquito-borne illness, including dengue, tends to rise during and after the monsoon, so use repellent and check that windows have screens. When viewing flats, ask whether the street floods during heavy rain.

Moving to Dhaka checklist at a glance

1. Confirm visa and work authorisation with your employer.
2. Scan all documents; carry paper copies and photographs.
3. Choose a neighbourhood around office and school.
4. Book furnished arrival accommodation and an airport pickup.
5. Get a SIM card with your passport in week one.
6. Arrange a car and driver or use ride-hailing apps.
7. View flats in person and inspect the building.
8. Sign an English lease and a photographed inventory.
9. Open a bank account and set up utilities and internet.
10. Register with a hospital, a school and your embassy.

If your employer is moving several people, our corporate relocation service can coordinate housing for the whole group.

Ask us on WhatsApp

Planning a move to Dhaka? Tell us your arrival date, budget, office location and family size, and Rent Property will suggest suitable furnished apartments. Message us on WhatsApp at +880 1784-222255; we usually reply within one working day.