Bhutan tourist visa and SDF

Under Bhutan's Immigration Rules every foreigner must hold a valid e-visa unless a bilateral arrangement exempts them. In practice only Indian nationals are exempt: they receive an entry permit on a passport or voter ID card. Nationals of Bangladesh and the Maldives need a visa but can obtain it on arrival; holders of SAARC visa exemption stickers are also exempt. No nationality is barred from receiving a visa, and all other visitors apply in advance.

The tourist visa covers holidays, cultural visits, festivals and treks. Treks must be done with an accredited tour operator or guide, and visitors must be accompanied by a guide certified by the Department of Tourism at all times. A guide also removes the need for a route permit for travel around the country.

The Department of Immigration asks tourists only for a copy of the passport and a recent passport-size photo, although it may request more documents during assessment. The passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the date you plan to leave Bhutan, and you must travel on the same passport that was used for the visa clearance; otherwise an amendment is needed before arrival and a fine of Nu. 6,450 can apply.

In the portal you also enter arrival and departure dates and payment details, and you accept Bhutan's Pledge of Friendship. One person can apply for the whole travelling party if they hold everyone's details, and an unfinished application can be saved and completed later.

The tourist visa fee is USD 40 per person, paid once and not refunded. The Sustainable Development Fee funds public services and conservation and is charged per night: USD 100 for adults, USD 50 for children from age 6 until they turn 12, and nothing for children under 6. Indian nationals pay Nu. 1,200 per night instead, and the first 15,000 Bangladeshi guests are eligible for the regional rate of USD 15 or Nu. 1,200 per day.

Both amounts are paid online when the application is submitted, usually by international card. The Department of Tourism advises warning your bank in advance, because some banks block payments to Bhutan. Since 2 June 2026 tourists who stay only 24 hours in the border towns of Samtse, Phuentsholing, Gelephu or Samdrup Jongkhar, within the designated zones, pay no SDF; the waiver runs until August 2027.

Bhutan has five designated ports of entry: Paro International Airport and the land checkpoints at Phuentsholing, Gelephu, Samdrup Jongkhar and Samtse. Drukair and Bhutan Airlines connect Paro with cities such as Bangkok, Delhi, Kolkata, Kathmandu, Dhaka, Dubai and Singapore. At the border the immigration officer records biometrics and endorses the stay; the e-visa alone does not guarantee admission.

A tourist may stay up to 90 days from entry. Travel insurance is no longer mandatory since 23 April 2024 but is strongly recommended. Tourists are fined Nu. 18,215 for every day of overstay.

Under the stamp-less visa regime introduced on 26 February 2026, extensions are requested online at immi.gov.bt with the same login, before the current visa expires; no passport has to be shown at an immigration office. The extension fee and the SDF for the additional nights are paid in the portal.

If a trip is cancelled or shortened, the SDF for nights not spent in Bhutan is refunded by the Department of Immigration minus bank charges; the request is made through the visa portal and processed after you leave. The USD 40 visa fee is never refunded.