Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, all visitors need a visa to enter Bhutan, except for visitors from India, who require a permit.
Nationals of Bangladesh and the Maldives, as well as nationals of Switzerland and Thailand who hold diplomatic or government-official passports, are also eligible for a visa on arrival at their port of entry.
Visitors from India will need a permit to enter Bhutan and are required to hold an Indian passport or an Indian voter ID card. Indian nationals under the age of 18 may enter with a birth certificate or passport and must be accompanied by a legal guardian.
Visitors can apply for their visa or permit through this website, or they can engage tourism service providers to process their travel documents.
Although visitors from Bangladesh and the Maldives can process their visas on arrival at their port of entry and visitors from India can process their permits on arrival, it is recommended that these be applied for online instead in order to reduce the wait time at the port of entry.
- A digital copy of your passport if applying online (or the hard copy of your passport if applying in person). The passport must be valid for six months from the intended date of departure from Bhutan.
- A recent digital passport-appropriate photograph (or recent passport-size photograph if applying in person).
- Valid travel insurance for the duration of the trip.
The visa fee is US$40 per person; this fee is non-refundable.
It may take up to five working days to process a correctly input visa application.
- A digital copy of your passport if applying online (or the hard copy of your passport if applying in person). The passport must be valid for six months from the intended date of departure from Bhutan.
- A recent digital passport-appropriate photograph (or recent passport-size photograph if applying in person).
- Valid travel insurance for the duration of the trip.
The visa allows you to remain in Bhutan only for the number days for which SDF is paid.
Yes, provided the extension is applied for before the original visa or permit expires.
Visitors can extend their stay via the online visa application portal on this site, using the same log-in details that were used to process the original visa.
The fees for processing your extension application, and daily Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) for the duration of your extended stay, are payable via the same portal.
Following our reopening on September 23rd 2022, visitors to Bhutan will be required to make an active contribution to Bhutan’s economic, social and cultural development. The Sustainable Development Fee will go towards investment in transformative programmes that preserve our cultural traditions, protect our heritage and environment, upgrade infrastructure, create opportunities for our young people, and build resilience.
For all visitors, except those from India, the SDF is US$200 per person, per night. For guests from India, the SDF is 1,200 ngultrum, or the equivalent amount in Indian rupees, per person, per night.
Children aged 6 to 12 at the time of travel receive a 50% concessionary discount on the SDF. Those aged 5 or younger are exempt.
Day visitors to the Bhutanese towns bordering India are also exempt from paying the SDF until they reach a point designated by the Bhutanese government.
The SDF is collected by the national exchequer and funds are allocated to various projects that enhance facilities, services and infrastructure for Bhutanese nationals and visitors, as well as funding free healthcare and education.
The SDF must be paid during the visa or permit application via wire transfer or using a credit card.
The SDF is paid in US dollars. Indian nationals applying for a permit can pay in Indian rupees.
Visitors eligible for a visa on arrival pay the applicable SDF in US dollars at the port of entry.
Yes, the SDF will be refunded by the Department of Immigration for any cancelled or shortened trips; any bank charges will be deducted from the total refunded. Requests for SDF refunds should be submitted online using the visa portal. The refund will be processed after visitors leave Bhutan.
Yes. All visitors must have full, valid travel insurance for the duration of their visit. For all visitors except for those from India, Bangladesh and the Maldives this is required to be in place when you make your visa application.
Visitors from India, Bangladesh and the Maldives have the option to purchase domestic travel insurance from Bhutanese insurance providers at their port of entry. Please contact tourism information officers stationed at all ports of entry if you need assistance, or click here for more information on travel insurance sold by Bhutan Insurance Limited.
(https://www.bhutaninsurance.com.bt/index.php?page_id=112)