VISA POLICY OF BHUTAN

To visit most countries, you would probably just pack up your travel bags and start your journey without visa or any prior bookings. This is not an option for the Kingdom of Bhutan. Travel to this magical country is highly regulated under the tourism policy of “High Value, Low Volume” and the government strictly discourages backpackers in order to minimize the impact on the country’s unique society and pristine environment. There is no restriction on the number of visitors as misunderstood by many travel enthusiasts around the world.


With the exception of Indian, Maldivian and Bangladeshi, all other foreign nationals must have a valid visa to enter Bhutan. Tourists cannot apply for visa directly without buying a trip. Visas are not issued by any of the Bhutanese Embassies/Missions abroad and therefore, it is only processed and issued in Thimphu through the licensed local tour operators.

  • How to obtain visa?

    It is a regulation by the Royal Government of Bhutan that all visa applications must be processed only upon receiving the full cost of the tour and a separate visa fee of US$40. A clear copy of the biodata page of your passport including the machine-readable zone must be sent to us by email at info@bhutanacorn.com. Your passport should have at least six months of validity from the day you depart from Bhutan. You may also want to check the passport validity requirement by your next destination country after you exit from Bhutan.


    Once we receive the cost of the tour and the visa fee and a clear copy of your passport, we will initiate the visa application process. Visa is applied through an online system by a licensed Bhutanese tour operator like us and then endorsed by the Tourism Council of Bhutan before the final approval by the Department of Immigration. It takes 4-5 business days to get approval. After we receive the approved e-Visa in the form of a PDF we will send you a copy by e-mail. The actual visa will be stamped on your passport on arrival. Tourists are required to present a printed copy of the e-Visa at the time of check-in at the airport. Any passenger without an e-Visa will be denied boarding right at the Check-in counter. Travelers entering Bhutan by land from the border town of Phuentsholing, Gelephu or Samdrupjongkhar are required to present their e-Visa at the border immigration counter.

  • How much is the visa fee?

    The Visa fee is USD40 per person. All of our tour cost includes the visa fee so that you do not have to worry about paying it separately.

  • Can the visa be extended?

    Visas are issued only for the exact duration of your trip. The extension of visa is granted only upon paying the additional cost of the trip.

  • What are the requirements for citizens of India, Bangladesh & Maldives?

    The citizens of India, Bangladesh and Maldives do not require visa to go to Bhutan. However, they must apply for an entry permit through hoteliers or tour operators. Following are the requirements:

    • A clear copy of biodata page of the passport including machine-readable zone must be submitted to apply for an entry permit. Passport should have at least six months of validity from the day you depart from Bhutan. 
    • For Maldivians and Bangladeshi, a Sustainable Development Fee of USD16 is levied per night per person and must be paid in advance.
    • For Indian nationals, Sustainable Development Fee is INR1,200.00 per night per person and must be paid in advance.
Call US
Bhutan: +975 77655137
Thailand: +66 8 9494 2064