Bhutan Travel Guide
Visa summary
247 passport nationalities researched for entry into Bhutan.
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Guide
Bhutan is not expensive because of a visa fee, it is expensive because of the Sustainable Development Fee, and the two are easy to confuse. The SDF runs 100 US dollars per adult per night, a rate that holds from September 2023 through August 2027, with children aged 6 to 12 getting a 50 percent discount and those under 6 staying free. On top of that sits a one-off, non-refundable visa application fee of 40 dollars, processed through a licensed Bhutanese tour operator via the Bhutan Tourism Council portal, or arranged for you by the hotel or operator you book with. From 1 January 2026, a 5 percent goods and services tax applies to tourism services on top of these figures, though it does not apply to the SDF itself.
Indian nationals pay a very different rate under a separate bilateral arrangement, 1,200 Indian rupees per adult per night, 600 rupees for children aged 6 to 12, and nothing for those under 6, reflecting Bhutan's close relationship with India rather than a discount available to anyone else.
Border crossings
- Paro, the only airport
Every air arrival funnels through Paro, a short final approach through mountains that a handful of specially certified pilots are qualified to fly, and the only air entry point recognized for foreign visitors.
- Phuentsholing, Gelephu, and Samdrup Jongkhar, the land crossings
These three named posts on the Indian border are the only land entry points available to foreign visitors, each requiring the same SDF and visa arrangement as an air arrival, just cleared at a land post instead of an airport.
Transit routes
- Let your operator or hotel handle the visa filing
Since the SDF and visa go through the Tourism Council portal via a licensed operator, most travelers never touch the application directly, the practical task is picking and paying the operator.
- Budget the SDF per night, not per trip
At 100 dollars a night for most nationalities, a week in Bhutan adds up fast, and that is before flights, hotels, or the one-off visa fee.
Entry point notes
- Only four ports of entry exist
Paro by air, or Phuentsholing, Gelephu, and Samdrup Jongkhar by land, there is no other way in for a foreign visitor.
- Indian nationals follow a separate fee schedule
Do not use the SDF figures quoted for other nationalities when budgeting an Indian visitor's trip, the bilateral rate is much lower.