Start a Business in Korea from Bangladesh: Guide for Bangladeshi Founders

If you are a Bangladeshi founder planning to start a company in Korea, this page gives you the official contacts in Dhaka and Seoul, the trade and tax status, and the main steps to a startup visa. A double tax treaty has been in force since the 1980s, and talks on a Korea–Bangladesh CEPA were concluded in principle in August 2026, but the agreement is not yet in force.

Key contacts

The Korean embassy listed above handles visa applications and consular questions for people in Bangladesh. KOTRA’s Korea Business Center mainly supports trade and investment between Korea and Bangladesh, so it is a useful contact if your business plan involves importing, exporting or investment.

Trade and tax

Trade agreements

There is no Korea–Bangladesh trade agreement in force yet. Korea’s official FTA portal shows that negotiations on a Korea–Bangladesh CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) were concluded in principle on 4 August 2026; the agreement still has to be signed and ratified before it takes effect. Bangladesh has also applied to join RCEP, a regional trade agreement that includes Korea (application in January 2025). Source: Korea FTA portal – status of Korea’s FTAs (as of September 2026).

Double tax treaty

A Korea–Bangladesh double tax treaty is in force: it was signed on 10 May 1983 and entered into force on 22 August 1984. The treaty helps prevent the same income, such as salaries, dividends or royalties, from being taxed twice. Source: Korean government list of tax treaties (조세조약 체결 현황), Public Data Portal, as of 20 July 2026.

Your path to starting a business in Korea

• Startup visa (D-8-4) and OASIS: the usual route for founders from Bangladesh is the startup visa (D-8-4). It requires a company set up in Korea and a minimum score in the OASIS points system (Overall Assistance for Startup Immigration System), which you build through OASIS courses, IP applications or startup competition awards. See our D-8-4 startup visa and OASIS guide.
• K-Startup Grand Challenge: this government accelerator program is open to founders from any country and offers funding, office space and visa support to selected teams. Read the K-Startup Grand Challenge guide.
• Office space and global startup centers: several public centers in Seoul and other cities offer free or low-cost desks to foreign founders, and some of these spaces can also serve as your business address. See free office space for foreign founders in Korea.
• Government support programs: an overview of the main programs open to foreigners, from mentoring to grants, is in our guide to Korean government startup programs for foreign founders.
• Studying in Korea first: if you are, or plan to be, an international student, you can move from a D-2 student visa to the D-8-4 startup visa. See the international student startup guide (D-2 to D-8-4).
• Check visa details with official offices: before you apply, confirm the current document list with the Korean mission in Bangladesh listed above, as requirements can change.

Sources

• Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Bangladesh (Dhaka) – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea
• Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Bangladesh (Dhaka) (Korean version)
• Embassy of Bangladesh in Seoul
• KOTRA Dhaka Korea Business Center
• Korea FTA portal – status of Korea’s FTAs (발효/서명/협상 현황)
• Korean government list of tax treaties (재정경제부 조세조약 체결 현황), Public Data Portal, as of 20 July 2026

Latest updates for founders from Bangladesh

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