A valid city corporation trade license for your Bangladesh business
Get the trade license your Bangladesh business needs from the city corporation or local government office where it operates. PayrollBangladesh checks the right office and category, prepares the document set, files the application and tracks the fiscal-year renewal so the license never lapses.
Which Route Fits You
Every business location in Bangladesh needs its own trade license from the local government office for that address. The document set and the follow-up differ by the kind of business, so start with the card that matches yours.
New RJSC Company
Your company is incorporated with RJSC and now needs the license that lets it trade from its registered address.
- Incorporation certificate and memorandum prepared for filing
- Office rental deed or ownership paper checked
- License obtained before invoicing or opening a bank-facing business file
Branch or Liaison
A foreign company with an approved office in Bangladesh needs a license for that office too.
- Invest Bangladesh (formerly BIDA) permission letter used in place of an incorporation certificate
- Office address and signatory documents prepared
- See branch office setup and liaison office setup
Factory or Plant
A manufacturing site needs the standard set plus the clearances the local authority asks for.
- No objection certificate from the ward councillor or union parishad
- Sketch map, machinery list, fire license and environmental clearance
- Tax certificate kept ready for each renewal
Renewal or Change
Your license exists and needs renewing for the next fiscal year, or your address, name or activities have changed.
- Renewal filed against the fiscal-year calendar
- Change of address or activity documented with the issuing office
- Separate license arranged for each additional location
How License Filing Works
Licensing runs in six stages, from confirming the issuing office to collecting the license and booking its renewal. Each stage below names who leads it.
| Stage | What happens | Who leads |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Office and category check | Confirm which city corporation zone, pourashava or union parishad covers your address and which business category applies | PayrollBangladesh |
| 2. Document set | Incorporation certificate or Invest Bangladesh office permission, certified memorandum, rental deed or ownership paper, attested photographs and national ID or passport copy | You, with a checklist from PayrollBangladesh |
| 3. Factory clearances | For a production site, the no objection certificate, sketch map, machinery list, fire license and environmental clearance | You, with PayrollBangladesh coordinating |
| 4. Application | Filing with the issuing office, online where the corporation offers it, including Dhaka South through the Invest Bangladesh OSS portal | PayrollBangladesh |
| 5. Fee payment | Payment of the license fee at the rate the issuing office sets, online where the portal allows it | You, with PayrollBangladesh confirming the amount due |
| 6. Issue and renewal calendar | Collection of the license and a reminder set for the fiscal-year renewal | PayrollBangladesh |
What Our Support Covers
PayrollBangladesh takes the paperwork, filing and follow-up off your team. You keep the decisions on location and activities, while PayrollBangladesh prepares the set, files it and tracks the renewal.
- ✓Right office first. The license must come from the local government office for the business address, so PayrollBangladesh confirms the zone and category before anything is filed.
- ✓Renewal control. A trade license is issued for a year and renewed each fiscal year, and PayrollBangladesh tracks that date so trading does not continue on a lapsed license.
- ✓Ongoing compliance. After issue, the investment compliance service keeps the license, returns and office permissions current together.
- The city corporation or local government office decides every application.
- License fees are paid at the rate the issuing office sets.
- Fire, environmental and tax certificates come from the authorities that issue them.
- Legal and tax advice comes from a qualified lawyer or adviser.
Guides Before You File
A trade license follows the structure you choose. These pages cover the steps that come before it and the routes that produce the document it needs.
Company Registration
Incorporation with RJSC, the step that produces the certificate a trade license application needs. See company registration.
Branch Office Setup
Invest Bangladesh permission for a branch, which stands in for the incorporation certificate when the office applies. See branch office setup.
Compare Entity Types
Company, branch, liaison office or hiring through an employer of record, compared before you commit. See foreign entity setup.
Incorporation Guide
Background reading on the steps a foreign company follows to incorporate. See foreign company incorporation in Bangladesh.
Your Trade License FAQs
These are the questions businesses ask most often before applying for a trade license in Bangladesh. Each answer opens with the direct answer, and the rules come from the official pages listed at the end of this section.
What does trade license support cover?
It covers the whole filing, from confirming the issuing office to collecting the license. PayrollBangladesh checks the zone and category, prepares the document set, files the application, confirms the fee due and tracks the fiscal-year renewal.
Who issues a trade license in Bangladesh?
The local government office for the business address issues it: the city corporation in Dhaka, Chattogram and the other corporations, or the pourashava or union parishad elsewhere. Invest Bangladesh states that each location needs its own license from its local authority.
Which documents does a company need?
Invest Bangladesh lists the standard set for a trade license application:
- The certificate of incorporation, or the Invest Bangladesh permission letter for a branch, liaison or representative office.
- A certified copy of the memorandum of association.
- The rental deed or ownership paper for the business address.
- Three attested photographs of the applicant.
- A copy of the national ID card or passport.
What extra documents does a factory need?
A factory adds clearances to the standard set:
- A no objection certificate from the ward councillor or union parishad.
- A sketch map of the factory and its surroundings.
- A description of the machinery to be used.
- A fire license and an environmental clearance certificate.
- A tax certificate, which is required at renewal.
How long is a trade license valid?
One year, renewed every fiscal year. That is the rule published by Invest Bangladesh, and Dhaka South City Corporation confirmed in August 2026 that its licenses are still renewed yearly while it plans a five-year renewal option. No multi-year term is treated as available until the issuing office confirms it in writing for your license.
Does a branch or liaison office need a trade license?
Yes. An office approved by Invest Bangladesh applies with its permission letter in place of an incorporation certificate, together with the office address and signatory documents.
Can the application be filed online?
In part. Dhaka South City Corporation trade licenses can be applied for and paid through the Invest Bangladesh One Stop Service portal, and other corporations publish their own procedures. PayrollBangladesh files through whichever route your issuing office accepts.
How much does a trade license cost?
The fee depends on the business category and the issuing office, and PayrollBangladesh does not publish amounts because each corporation sets its own schedule. You receive the exact fee due for your category before payment.
How long does it take to get a trade license?
No fixed timeline is promised. It depends on the issuing office, whether the document set is complete at first filing and whether any clearances are still pending.
Do we need a separate license for a second office?
Yes. Invest Bangladesh states that a business with more than one location needs a separate trade license from the local government authority for each location.
Who sees our company documents?
Only the people and offices the filing needs. Documents are used to prepare and submit the application to the issuing office, and you can ask which documents will be shared before anything is submitted.
Can we switch from another provider mid-way?
Yes. Send the documents filed so far and the current status, and PayrollBangladesh confirms whether the application can continue or should be refiled.
What happens after I send an enquiry?
PayrollBangladesh starts with a short review in four steps:
- You share the business address, structure and planned activities.
- PayrollBangladesh confirms the issuing office and the license category.
- You receive a checklist of the documents needed.
- Document preparation and filing begin.
Does PayrollBangladesh issue licenses or give legal advice?
No. The city corporation or local government office decides every application, and legal or tax questions should be confirmed with a qualified lawyer or adviser.
Rules for trade licenses
This summary is general information, not legal advice. Each rule comes from the official page linked here, so check it is still current before you rely on it.
- Issuer and documents. Invest Bangladesh trade license guidance: the license is issued by the local government office where the business is located; a branch, liaison or representative office applies with its investment authority registration letter; each location needs a separate license; the license is issued for a year and renewed every fiscal year.
- Online filing. Invest Bangladesh notice, 18 March 2021: Dhaka South City Corporation trade licenses can be applied for and paid through the One Stop Service portal.
- City corporation procedures. Dhaka North and Dhaka South publish their issue and renewal procedures in Bangla; fees and forms follow those pages.
- Reported change. The Business Standard, 16 August 2026: the Dhaka South administrator said the corporation will soon allow five-year renewals; this is a stated plan, not a rule in force, and is noted here so the yearly rule above is read with it.
- Statute. Local Government (City Corporation) Act, 2009: the Act under which city corporations are constituted and levy their taxes and fees.
- Authority. Invest Bangladesh press release, 23 August 2026: Invest Bangladesh began operations on 23 August 2026 under the Invest Bangladesh Act, 2026, formed through the merger of BIDA, BEZA and PPPA. The BIDA pages linked above remain the published source for these rules and are cited as such.
Reviewed by Romana Akter Shila
Get Licensed With Us
Send the business address, your structure and the activities you plan. PayrollBangladesh reviews the details and replies with the issuing office, the license category, the documents needed and the next steps for filing.