Bangladesh does not use the apostille. Documents travel by the older attestation chain, and the mission is the final step for papers going from the United States to Bangladesh. Anyone who has dealt with a neighbouring country recently should not assume the same route applies.
Quick facts
The direction matters. A U.S. document works up through notary, state and federal levels before reaching the mission. A Bangladeshi document is attested by the relevant authority and the foreign ministry there before it means anything here.
The chain
| Step | Who does it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Notarisation | U.S. notary public | For private documents |
| State certification | Secretary of State | Of the issuing state |
| Federal authentication | U.S. Department of State | Where the chain requires it |
| Mission attestation | Embassy or consulate general | Final step for use in Bangladesh |
| Bangladeshi documents outward | Issuing authority, then foreign ministry | Mirrors the chain in reverse |
Educational certificates usually need attestation by the education board or university before the ministry will touch them, and that internal step is where most of the delay sits.
How to prepare a document
- Ask the receiving institution exactly which attestations it needs.
- Order a certified copy, or notarise the private document.
- Obtain the state certification and, where required, the federal one.
- Submit to the mission covering your state with the fee in an accepted form.
- Include a prepaid return envelope if you are filing by post.
- Keep the chain together, since each stamp certifies the one before it.
Required documents
- Original document, intact and unaltered.
- Completed attestation request form.
- Copy of your identification.
- Money order or cashier’s check for the fee.
- Prepaid priority or express return envelope.
What the missions do
They issue electronic passports and travel permits, place the no-visa seal, issue visas, attest documents, execute powers of attorney and affidavits, issue dual nationality certificates and run consular tours.
Additional notes
Check before you start
Requirements differ between a university, a bank and a land office in Bangladesh. One question first avoids an entire wasted chain.
Budget for the whole route
Three or four separate fees and several rounds of postage add up, and the total is well above what an apostille would cost.
Order two copies
Bangladeshi offices keep what they receive. A spare set saves repeating everything.
Names must be consistent
English spellings of Bengali names vary across documents. Reconcile them before starting, not after a rejection.