Bhutan Visa, Permits & the SDF
How the Bhutan visa works, what the Sustainable Development Fee pays for and how Indian, Bangladeshi and Maldivian travellers differ.
- SDF (international)
- USD 100 per adult per night
- SDF (Indian nationals)
- INR 1,200 per adult per night
- Visa fee
- USD 40, one time
- Passport validity
- 6 months from exit
Every visitor to Bhutan, except Indian, Bangladeshi and Maldivian nationals, needs a visa. It is issued online before you travel, and we handle the whole application once your trip is confirmed — you only send a clear passport scan and a recent photo.
The Sustainable Development Fee
Bhutan charges a daily Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) for each night you stay. It funds free healthcare and education, conservation and the carbon-neutral commitment that keeps the country as green as it is. For most nationalities the SDF is USD 100 per adult per night, a rate the government has confirmed until August 2027. Children aged 6–11 pay half, and children under 6 pay nothing.
Indian nationals pay INR 1,200 per adult per night (children 6–11 pay INR 600). Indian travellers do not need a visa; instead they receive an entry permit on arrival with a passport or voter ID card.
Day visits to border towns
Day visits to the southern border towns of Phuentsholing, Samtse, Gelephu and Samdrup Jongkhar are exempt from the SDF as long as you stay within the town zone and leave within 24 hours.
Permits for restricted areas
Travel beyond Thimphu and Paro needs a route permit, and dzongs and some temples need a visitor permit. We arrange all of these as part of your trip.
What we need from you
- A colour passport scan (or voter ID for Indian travellers)
- Your flight or overland entry details
- Full payment of the trip before the visa is lodged