Visa & Entry Permits

Who needs a visa for Bhutan, who receives an entry permit instead, and how the application works.

Who needs what

Every visitor needs permission to enter Bhutan, but the form it takes depends on your passport. Citizens of India, Bangladesh and the Maldives receive an entry permit. Everyone else needs a tourist visa, which is issued before you travel and checked when you land or cross the border.

Either way, you will also pay the Sustainable Development Fee for each night you stay, and you will need a licensed guide for sightseeing beyond Paro and Thimphu. We arrange all three together.

The tourist visa

The visa fee is US$40, paid once for your trip. It is applied for online through the Department of Tourism’s official system, either by you directly or by us on your behalf. Most of our guests let us do it, because the application needs your confirmed hotel bookings and SDF payment, which we already hold.

A passport valid for at least six months beyond your departure from Bhutan
A clear passport-style photograph and a scan of the passport photo page
Your travel dates and confirmed accommodation
Payment of the visa fee and the Sustainable Development Fee
Travel insurance details (recommended — see below)

Once approved, the visa clearance letter is emailed to you. Airlines ask to see it at check-in for flights to Paro, so keep a printed or downloaded copy with your passport.

Indian, Bangladeshi and Maldivian nationals

Travellers from these three countries receive an entry permit on arrival at Paro airport or the land border, or can apply for it online in advance. Indian nationals may use a valid passport or a voter ID card; children travelling without either should carry a birth certificate. Rules for minors and documents change occasionally, so we confirm the current list with you when you book.

The entry permit covers Paro and Thimphu. We arrange the additional route permit needed to travel further, such as to Punakha, Bumthang or the east.

Travel insurance

Insurance is not a visa requirement, but we strongly recommend a policy that covers medical treatment, evacuation and trip cancellation. If you plan to trek, check that it covers walking at the altitudes on your itinerary. Medical evacuation from the mountains is expensive without it.

Arriving

At Paro airport, immigration officers check your passport and visa letter. Your Roam Bhutan guide waits just outside the arrivals hall. If you are crossing by land, your guide meets you at the border gate and helps with the formalities there.

Timing your application

Apply once your itinerary, hotels and flights are settled — usually four to eight weeks before travel is comfortable. Processing is normally quick once everything is submitted, but spring and autumn are busy, and a missing document is the most common cause of delay. We check every application before it goes in.

If your plans change after the visa is issued — new dates, an extra night, a different entry point — tell us straight away. Some changes need the clearance to be amended, and it is far easier to do that before you fly.

Common questions

Can I get a visa on arrival? No — the visa clearance must be issued before you travel.
Is the visa fee refundable? Treat it as non-refundable once issued.
Do children need visas? Yes, every traveller needs their own, whatever their age.
Can I extend my stay? Extensions are possible in some cases; ask us early, as the SDF applies to extra nights.
Do I need a guide? Yes, for dzongs, monuments and travel beyond Paro and Thimphu.

Travel info

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