The visa policy of the Kingdom of Bhutan is strictly regulated under the policy "High Value, Low Volume" Tourism,[1] in order to minimize the effect on the country's unique society and environment. Bhutanese policy ensures that only an acceptable number of tourists enter the country at a time, preventing the country from being overwhelmed by mass tourism and consequently changing its character, and that tourists who do arrive get the best experience and value from their visit.

Visa for Bhutan issued in 2002

Visitors to Bhutan must obtain an e-Visa unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries or citizens who may obtain a visa on arrival.
All visitors must have a passport valid for at least 6 months.

Visa policy map

Visa policy of Bhutan
  Bhutan
  Freedom of movement
  Visa on arrival

Visa exemption

Freedom of movement

Citizens of  India do not need a visa to enter Bhutan, because the 1949 Treaty between Bhutan and India allows for free movement of people between the two nations on a reciprocal basis.
From 23 September 2022, this freedom of movement is now restricted to travel within the border towns of Phuentsholing, Gelephu, and Samdrup Jongkhar. Travel beyond these border towns will require a permit, which can be obtained on arrival.
Citizens of India may use any of the acceptable documents mentioned below to enter Bhutan:

Visa on arrival

Citizens of the following countries may obtain a visa on arrival in Bhutan:[2]

Diplomatic, service and official passports

Holders of diplomatic or official passports of the following countries may obtain a visa on arrival at the port of entry:[3]

90 days

Electronic visa (e-Visa)

Citizens of other countries must obtain an e-Visa.[4]

Visa clearance letter

All foreigners (except for citizens of Bangladesh, India and Maldives) may obtain a visa in advance through a licensed tour operator and receive a visa approval before travel.
All visas are approved from Thimphu and are only issued to tourists booked with a local licensed tour operator, either directly or through a foreign travel agent.
Applications for tourist visas are submitted by the tour operator.
If visa is approved, they are given a visa clearance letter, and must present it at the port of entry. The visa is then stamped into their passport.[5][6]
All foreign citizens may only enter Bhutan through Phuntsholing, Gelephu and Samdrup Jongkhar if coming by land or Paro if coming by air.

Entry requirements

The Royal Government of Bhutan is pleased to announce additional incentives and policy measures to boost the tourism sector. This is in view of the important role of the tourism sector in generating employment; earning foreign exchange; realizing the potential for spillover benefits for ancillary industries; and in boosting overall economic growth.

The incentives and measures shall consist of the following:

  • A 50% discount is provided on the current Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of 200 USD for tourists visiting Bhutan . The current discounted SDF is 100 USD per person per day for tourists paying in US dollars.
  • In addition, children between the ages of 6 and 12 years are also given a 50% discount on SDF at the rates applicable to children traveling as tourists. Children ages of 5 years and under are exempt.
  • Visitors to the Bhutanese towns bordering India are exempt from paying the SDF for up to 24 hours.[7]

The above incentives will come into effect from 1 September 2023 and shall remain effective for 4 years till 31 August 2027.[8]

Visitor statistics

Most visitors arriving to Bhutan were from the following countries of nationality:[9]

RankCountry or territory20192018201720162015201420132012
1 India230,381191,836172,751114,301————
2 Bangladesh13,01610,45010,5367,753————
3 United States11,70710,5619,2207,2927,1377,2916,9976,102
4 China7,5646,8786,4219,2089,3998,1114,8273,816
5 Singapore4,7443,8864,1293,0152,5871,7202,0511,611
6 United Kingdom4,2413,5853,2463,1242,9582,6802,3092,491
7 Thailand4,0863,8864,0474,1773,77812,1053,5273,617
8 Germany3,3753,4222,9702,2972,4982,9712,7702,895
9 Australia3,1532,7392,2491,8181,8332,0372,0621,950
10 Japan3,0102,6742,7444,8332,4372,7074,0357,029
11 Malaysia2,7613,1402,9561,9671,5462,0672,0541,312
12 Vietnam2,0721,9611,423—————
13 France1,9531,7731,5451,5011,5631,6361,5721,863
14 Canada1,8701,8071,5241,110————
15 Spain1,6591,3971,142—————
16 Taiwan—1,4961,4911,812————
17  Switzerland—1,3791,352—————
18 Italy—1,229978—————
19 Indonesia—1,033——————
20 Netherlands—757——————
Others20,007——————
Total315,599274,097237,529209,570155,121133,480116,209105,407

See also

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Bhutan.

References

  1. ↑ "Bhutan revises its tourism policy to redefine High Value Low Volume tourism". Daily Bhutan. Daily Bhutan. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  2. ↑ "Visa to Bhutan". Druk Asia. Druk Asia / Tourism Council of Bhutan. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  3. ↑ "Do I need a visa to enter Bhutan?". Tourism Council of Bhutan. Tourism Council of Bhutan.
  4. ↑ "Bhutan eVisa".
  5. ↑ "General information" (PDF).
  6. ↑ "Bhutan Visa Application Procedures".
  7. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". Tashel.
  8. ↑ "Passport & Visa to enter Bhutan".
  9. ↑ "Bhutan Tourism Monitor". Tourism Council of Bhutan. Tourism Council of Bhutan. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
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