Visa & Entry Requirements for Bhutan

Bhutan issues tourist visas only through licensed Bhutanese tour operators — you cannot apply directly to an embassy the way you might for most countries. In practice this means your operator (that's us) submits your passport details and travel dates to the Department of Immigration on your behalf once your trip and Sustainable Development Fee payment are confirmed.

The main exceptions are travelers from India, Bangladesh, and the Maldives, who can enter with a valid passport (or, for Indian nationals, a voter ID card) and a permit issued at the port of entry rather than a pre-approved visa.

For everyone else, the visa is typically approved within a few working days once your booking is confirmed, and the physical visa stamp is issued on arrival at Paro International Airport or at one of the land border crossings. We'll let you know exactly what we need from you — usually just a scanned passport copy and your travel dates — as soon as your trip is booked.