Bhutan Travel Visa
For all tourists, excepting Indian tourists, need a visa to visit Bhutan. This visa must be applied for and approved in advance of travel. Tourists from Bangladesh and the Maldives also require a visa, but this can be applied for and approved either in advance of travel or upon arrival in Bhutan.
Tourists can apply for a Bhutan visa by themselves or through a licensed Bhutan tour operator. The visa will be issued by the Department of Immigration.
Bhutan visa fee: USD 40 per person and it is non-refundable.
If we apply the visa for you, please provide us:
• A digital copy of your valid passport – The passport must be valid for six months from the intended date of departure from Bhutan.
• A recent passport size photo.
Bhutan Travel Permit
Tourists from India will need a travel permit to visit Bhutan and can be applied for and approved either in advance of travel or upon arrival in Bhutan.
Indian tourists can apply for a Bhutan travel permit by themselves or through a licensed Bhutan tour operator but are required to hold an Indian passport or an Indian voter ID card.
Indian tourists under the age of 18 may enter with a birth certificate or passport and must be accompanied by a legal guardian.
The travel permit will be issued by the Department of Immigration. If we apply the travel permit for you, please provide us:
• A digital copy of your valid passport (The passport must be valid for six months from the intended date of departure from Bhutan) or an Indian voter ID card, or original birth certificates for people under 18 years old.
• A recent passport size photo.
Sustainable Development Fee
The Royal Government of Bhutan sets a tourism levy known as the Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of USD 200 per night for a tourist (excluding Indian tourists) and the SDF must be paid in USD.
From 01 September 2023 to 31 August, 2027 a 50% discount shall be granted on the SDF of USD 200. The effective SDF with the discount shall be USD 100 per person per night.
For tourists from India, the SDF is 1,200 ngultrums, or the equivalent amount in Indian rupees, per person per night and it can be paid in Indian rupees.
For tourists from Bangladesh, the SDF is USD 15 per person per night and it must be paid in USD and do not have to pay the visa fee.
Children aged 6 to 12 at the time of travel receive a 50% concessionary discount on their SDF. Those aged 5 or younger are exempt. Anyone above the age of 12 pays the full SDF rate.
Casual tourists, including tourists from all countries, are exempt from paying the Sustainable Development Fee for visits of up to 24 hours in the border towns of Samtse, Phuentsholing, Gelephu, and Samdrup Jongkhar as long as they do not proceed beyond the authorized zone of the border towns. The SDF waiver will be effective for four years, starting on 01 September 2023 to 31 August 2027.
The SDF will be refunded for any canceled or shortened trips.
Others
- It may take up to five working days to process a visa or a travel permit application.
- A tourist with a visa or permit shall be allowed to visit any areas, except those which fall within the restricted areas. Tourists shall be allowed to visit restricted areas identified as trekking routes by The Department of Tourism (DOT), Bhutan if accompanied by a trekking guide.
- Only DOT-registered tour operators can organize trekking tours for tourists to Bhutan.