Bhutan visa, made simple

Who needs a Bhutan visa?

All international visitors need a visa arranged before travel. There is no visa on arrival for most nationalities. Indian nationals need an entry permit instead and pay a reduced SDF of INR 1,200 per night. Bangladeshi and Maldivian nationals can obtain a visa on arrival, though applying in advance saves time at the border.

Bhutan has no embassy in the United States, so US citizens apply online like everyone else.

Visa or permit? At a glance

How to get a Bhutan tourist visa, step by step

1. 1

   Plan your trip

   Choose your dates and route. A licensed guide is required to visit any dzong, temple or museum and to travel beyond Paro and Thimphu, so most visitors book a guided tour.

2. 2

   Book your flights

   Reserve your flights into Paro. Seats on Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines are limited in spring and autumn.

3. 3

   Send your documents

   A clear scan of your passport (valid for at least six months after you leave Bhutan), a recent passport photo and travel insurance covering your whole stay.

4. 4

   Pay the visa fee and SDF

   The USD 40 visa fee and the Sustainable Development Fee for every night of your stay are paid in advance with the application.

5. 5

   Receive your e-visa

   Applications are processed on the official immigration portal, usually within about five working days. Print the approval letter; the visa is stamped into your passport when you land in Paro.

When you book with Lucky Dragon, we prepare and submit the application for you. You just send the documents.

Documents you'll need

• Passport valid for at least six months beyond your departure from Bhutan, with blank pages
• A recent passport-style photograph
• Travel insurance covering the full length of your stay
• Your arrival and departure dates and flight details

Do you need a guide in Bhutan?

You can walk around the towns of Paro and Thimphu on your own, but a licensed Bhutanese guide is required to enter any dzong, monastery, temple or museum, and to travel to any district beyond Paro and Thimphu, such as Punakha, Phobjikha, Bumthang or the east. That is why almost every visitor travels with a guide and driver.

Bhutan entry permit for Indian nationals

Indian nationals don't need a visa for Bhutan. Instead you need an entry permit, which is free, and you pay a reduced Sustainable Development Fee of INR 1,200 per adult per night. Children aged 6 to 11 pay INR 600, and children under 6 pay nothing.

You can apply online before you travel, which we do for you, or get the permit on arrival at Paro airport or at the land border in Phuentsholing. Applying in advance saves a long wait, especially in Indian school holidays. At Phuentsholing the permit is only issued if you can show hotel bookings and a licensed guide for your whole stay.

The permit lists the districts you'll visit, so travel beyond Thimphu and Paro has to be added to it, and Indian visitors need a licensed guide for dzongs, temples and museums like everyone else. To stay longer, apply for an extension at the Department of Immigration before your permit runs out.

Indian rupees are accepted in Thimphu, Paro and most towns, as the ngultrum is pegged one-to-one to the rupee. Documents you'll need:

• A valid Indian passport or voter ID card (an Aadhaar card is not accepted)
• A birth certificate for children under 18, who must travel with a parent or legal guardian
• A recent passport-size photograph
• The original passport, voter ID or birth certificate to show at the border

When you book with us, we apply for the permit and any district permits for you, along with hotels and your guide.