Bhutan Visa & Permits

The visa is our job, not yours. Bhutan keeps entry refreshingly simple for travellers — there is no embassy queue and no form to puzzle over alone. Once your trip is confirmed, we apply for your visa and arrange every permit your itinerary needs on your behalf. We recommend booking a few weeks before departure so your documents are processed comfortably in time. Here is exactly how it works.

It is mandatory for all tourists (other than Indian nationals, who travel on a permit) to obtain a Bhutan visa clearance before traveling to Bhutan. Visitors can apply online through the Department of Immigration portal https://immi.gov.bt/ or have a tourism service agent such as Little Bhutan process the travel documents and plan the trip.

To apply for a visa, you will need:

• A digital copy of a valid passport
• A recent digital passport photo
• Arrival and departure dates

As soon as we receive these, we will send you the tour invoice with the payment schedule — typically an initial payment of 40–50% to confirm the booking, with the balance due 1–2 months before travel. Payment can be made by wire transfer or online card payment. Once the initial payment is received we process your visa clearance with the Department of Immigration (DOI) and send you the visa confirmation code.

You are encouraged to carry a printed copy of the visa confirmation code and your flight tickets as these need to be produced at the check-in counter at Paro International Airport. Your actual Bhutan visa will be stamped on your passport upon your arrival. For those entering Bhutan via road through India, your visa will be stamped at the immigration check point in Phuentsholing or Samdrup Jongkhar.

Indian nationals travel on a permit rather than a visa — applied for online at immi.gov.bt or at the port of entry, upon production of a valid passport (a Voter Identity Card is also accepted). Bangladeshi nationals still need the visa clearance, but the US$ 40 visa fee is waived and their SDF is US$ 15 per person per night. For Maldivian nationals, the applicable rate is confirmed at the time of enquiry.

Passport

Passports must have a minimum validity of 6 months or more. Travelers are requested to travel using the same passport on which the Bhutan visa is stamped.

Permits for special areas

Route permits are a thing of the past — since 2023, visitors travelling with a licensed guide can move freely across the whole country, Thimphu and Paro included. A few protected areas and trekking routes still require special permits, and some dzongs and monasteries charge monument entry fees. You do not need to arrange any of this yourself: as your licensed operator we obtain every permit and ticket your itinerary requires, so there is nothing extra to organise once you arrive.

Trips

Select an itinerary from our list of tour packages.
If you want a customized itinerary, you can click on our Customize your trip link and send us the following details:

• The number of days you plan to spend in Bhutan
• Tentative date of travel
• Group Size
• Personal interests and things you want to do while in Bhutan
• Indicate clearly where you are arriving from

Daily SDF (Sustainable Development Fee)

The Government of Bhutan collects the SDF and uses the funds in healthcare, education, tourism and hospitality, infrastructure, environmental preservation, cultural preservation, local businesses, and the economy of the country. It helps maintain forest cover, carbon neutrality, tranquility, and an intimate experience for guests.

The tourism tariff for tourists traveling to Bhutan is set by the Royal Government and the Department of tourism and has been fixed as following:

Land cost/Government fee: US$ 100 per person per night (SDF)

Visa Fee: US$ 40 per person per tour

Fast-track visa processing (optional): US$ 10 per person — a small add-on that speeds up the approval, worth taking when you’re booking close to departure. We’ll suggest it whenever your timeline calls for it.

Land Cost/Government Fee: INR 1200 per person per night (SDF for Indian travelers)

Land Cost/Government Fee: US$ 15 per person per night (SDF for Bangladeshi travelers — visa fee waived)

Note: (The cost of the tour will be added later based on the tour program of the clients)

Discounts for Children

Children under 6 pay no SDF at all. Children aged 6–11, travelling with a parent or guardian, pay half — USD 50 per night — and the full rate applies from age 12. The complete picture, including every exemption, is in our Bhutan SDF guide.

Cancellations

Tour Programs booked and subsequently cancelled shall be subject to charges as follows:

• Before 30 days or more of start of program~ no charges.
• 50% cancellation charges will be applicable if a tour gets cancelled between 30 – 10 days of start of tour program.
• 100% cancellation charges will be applicable if a tour gets cancelled within 10 days or less of start of tour program.

Travel insurance recommended, not required

Travel insurance is no longer mandatory for visiting Bhutan — the requirement was lifted on 23 April 2024. We still strongly recommend full travel and medical cover for the duration of your visit.

Covid-19 regulations in Bhutan

Although we recommend all visitors stay up to date with vaccinations against covid-19 to help stop the spread of the disease, there are now no covid-19 vaccination requirements for adults or children to enter Bhutan from September 23rd 2022. There is no quarantine requirement either.

Important links:

• Department of Tourism- bhutan.travel
• Information for Americans Traveling to Bhutan– travel.state.gov
• Information for British Nationals Traveling to Bhutan – fco.gov.uk
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bhutan – MoFA
• Indian Embassy in Bhutan – indembthimphu.gov.in

Back to the Bhutan Travel Guide, or see how the visa and permits fit a real itinerary on our 5-day Paro–Thimphu–Punakha tour.