BhutanVisits and short stays

Bhutan personal guest visa

Personal guest visa (guest of a Bhutanese citizen)

In short

A Bhutanese citizen who has lived in Bhutan for at least a year may invite up to two personal guests a year for the actual visit or 30 days, whichever is less. The host applies, the Personal Guest Committee of the Department of Immigration decides, and the visit is a privilege rather than an entitlement.

checked 24 October 2026

Key facts

Maximum stay
Actual duration of the visit or 30 days, whichever is less
Fee
BTN 5,000Non-tourist visa fee for visas of 30 days or less
Work
No
Family
Each guest counts toward the host's limit of two guests a year
Path to permanent residence
No
Where to apply
The Bhutanese host applies to the Department of Immigration (paper application allowed)

Other family visits

Separate quotas exist for relatives of foreigners living in Bhutan. Resident diplomats, professional staff of missions and international organisations, FDI investors, professional foreign workers after six months and foreign students after six months may each invite their parents, parents-in-law and adult children once a year for up to 30 days. Supporting documents must be in English or translated, and notarised.

Anyone visiting purely as a tourist, including friends of Bhutanese citizens who do not use the personal guest quota, can travel on the ordinary tourist e-visa with the SDF.

Conditions for the host and the guest

The host must be a Bhutanese citizen resident in Bhutan who has lived in the country for at least one year when applying, is at least 18, can document the acquaintance with the guest and will be in Bhutan during the visit. A host may sponsor at most two personal guests in a year.

The Personal Guest Committee checks that the acquaintance was made in the guest's own country, or, if made elsewhere, lasted continuously for at least six months. Evidence of acquaintance can be used only once, and the guest must not have been invited as a personal guest in the last three years unless they are a relative of the host, which has to be proven with documents.

What the host submits

The host files the personal guest application form, signed by the host, and the visa application form signed by the guest, together with a copy of the host's Citizenship Identity Card, the guest's passport or identity document, a birth certificate if the guest is under 18, a detailed itinerary and any other supporting evidence. Personal guest visas are the one category that may still be submitted on paper rather than electronically.

The guest's passport must be valid for at least six months beyond departure from Bhutan, and the guest must travel on the same passport used in the application.

Required documents

Identity

  • Guest's passport valid at least six months beyond departure

Travel

  • Detailed travel itinerary of the guest

Family

  • Personal guest application form signed by the Bhutanese host
  • Copy of the host's Citizenship Identity Card
  • Documentary evidence of the acquaintance or relationship

Other

  • Visa application form signed by the guest

Supporting documents (where they apply)

Family

  • Birth certificate if the guest is under 18

During the visit

Personal guests are non-tourists and may not work. Non-tourist categories need a route permit to travel to places not listed in their immigration permit; the permit is issued by the nearest immigration office, usually within one working day. Misusing the purpose of visit is fined Nu. 4,300 per person, and misuse of a non-tourist category can be penalised at double the tourist SDF.

An overstay costs a lump sum of Nu. 6,450 plus Nu. 215 per day, with re-entry bans of three months to one year depending on the length.

How to apply, step by step

  1. Confirm that your host is a resident Bhutanese citizen with at least one year in Bhutan and an unused guest quota.
  2. Gather evidence of how and where you met, or of your family relationship.
  3. Sign the visa application form and send it with your passport copy and itinerary to the host.
  4. The host submits the personal guest application to the Department of Immigration.
  5. Wait for the Personal Guest Committee's decision and pay the visa fee.
  6. Travel on the same passport, obtain route permits if you leave the places in your permit, and depart within 30 days.

Frequently asked questions

Do personal guests pay the SDF?

Personal guests are a non-tourist category, so the tourist SDF is not part of their application; misuse of the category, however, is penalised at double the tourist SDF.

Can the same friend visit me every year as a personal guest?

No. A guest who is not a relative cannot have been a personal guest in the previous three years, and evidence of acquaintance is valid only once.

Can a foreigner living in Bhutan invite friends as personal guests?

Personal guest quotas belong to Bhutanese citizens and resident diplomats. Foreign workers, students and investors can invite only parents, parents-in-law and adult children once a year.

Who decides on the application?

The Personal Guest Committee constituted by the Department of Immigration; the head of the Department is not a member.

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for Bhutan

Visits and short stays

  • Tourist visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days from the date of entry

Business and self-employment

  • Business visa Maximum stay: Actual duration of the visit or 30 days, whichever is less
  • Investor visa Maximum stay: As permitted under section 43(e) of the Immigration Act for cleared investors

Study and training

  • Student visa Maximum stay: Length of the course or five years, whichever is less

Work

  • Work visa Maximum stay: Up to one year per employment visa, renewable with the work permit

Family

Online travel permits

  • Visa on arrival Maximum stay: Tourists up to 90 days; other purposes as approved

Bhutan visa guide