Travel Information

VISA

Visa requirement

All foreign nationals, except visitors from Indian, Bangladesh and Maldives require a visa clearance before coming to Bhutan. Visa can be obtained through a licensed tour operator.

Tourist visiting from India, Maldives and Bangladesh can obtain Visa at the point of entry on producing a valid passport with a minimum of 6 months validity. Indian tourist can also use Voters identity card (VIC) to enter Bhutan. Visa in Bhutan is issued by the department of Immigration under Ministry of Home and Cultural affairs.
Note: All tourist visiting Bhutan should have a passport validity of more than 6 months

How to obtain VISA

  1. First, you have to pay all your visa fee and tour costs through a local tour operator.
  2. Visa clearance will be approved by the Tourism Council of Bhutan once payments are made in full.
  3. A copy of the VISA clearance letter will be issued to the concerned tourist before their travel dates and the visitors should carry a copy of that letter when travelling to Bhutan.
  4. The visa will be stamped in your passport at the point of entry at Paro airport or Samdrup Jongkhar/Phuentsholing/Gelephu if you are travelling by road.

Documents or Information required

Once you have confirmed your trip to Bhutan and paid your visa fee and tour costs in full, you have to send the following documents so that the tour operator can process your VISA

 

  1.      Scanned copy of your passport
  2.     A recent digital passport photo
  3.     Travel Insurance
  4.      Arrival and departure dates
  5.      Payment details
  6.     SDF  $200 per day per person

Visa extension

If a tourist plans to stay longer, the extension is possible provided you have to pay an additional fee of Nu 500 which is about US $6.41 (1 USD=Nu.78).

Visa fee

A non-refundable  visa application fee of $40. 

Indian Tourist Permit

SDF tariff for Indian Tourist 

  1. Sustainable Development Fees is levied by the Royal Government of Bhutan to all tourists visiting Bhutan. This is levied to promote sustainable and responsible tourism under the overall principle of “High value, Low volume” tourism. SDF contributes to social welfare, developmental activities, conservation of the environment, promotion of culture, and enhancement of infrastructure and facilities for tourists.

 Tariff for Indians tourists visiting Bhutan

  • For adults INR 1200 per person per night
  • For 6 to 12 year old, it is INR 600 per child per night 
  • Free for children 5 years & below

SDF Payment & Currency 

  • SDF can be paid in Indian Rupees through RTGS/NEFT.

 Tour Payments from India to Bhutan

  • Payments for the tour to Bhutan Green Chillies Excursion be made through NEFT/RTGS  .

 Bhutan Entry Permits for Indians.

  • Bhutan Green Chillies Excursion will issue the entry permits for Indians traveling to Bhutan from Thimphu. E-copy of the permits will be provided prior to arrival in Bhutan.  The permit will be valid to travel across the places mentioned in it.

 Traveling to Bhutan on Your Own.

  • One need to book the tour with us, where all the arrangements will be taken care. This is because of the change in the policy. One may not be able to take care of every requirement on your own. Nevertheless, one is free to choose any hotels, any types of vehicles to travel and guides from Bhutan Green Chillies Excursion.
  • Anyone is free to travel on any day beyond Thimphu and Paro with the same single permit that we provide to you.
  • If one wish to extend the stay, one has to plan beforehand as the offices will remain closed during weekends and public holidays.

 

 Online Permit for Indian Tourists visiting Bhutan.

  • The travel company will organize advance online permit for the tourist from India.  One  can choose any day for departure . We will help to organize the online permits.
  • Customer must confirm guide for the entire trip and approve the hotels being  booked  for all nights.
  • Must produce valid Indian Passport, more than 6 months from the intended date of departure from Bhutan.
  • Must take approved hotels, HBT transports, and guides
    HBT needs clear high-resolution front page passport copy
  • Minimum 7 working days to process the permit for approval
    Online permits are valid for traveling within Bhutan as per the itinerary confirmed during the time of booking.

We will arrange your online permits, hotels, transport and guide mandated by guidelines.

 

Route Permit for Traveling Beyond Thimphu and Paro.

  • The entry permit will allow one  to enter Bhutan and visit Paro, Thimphu and Phuntsholing district only. However, if one wishes to visit other places which are not included in the list, then one must apply for Route permit on arrival in Thimphu at the Immigration office.

Documents required  

  • Indian passport with a minimum validity of 6 months or valid Voter Identity Card
  • 2 standard size passport photographs
  • Duly filled entry permit application form
  • Hotel booking detail (hotel bookings must be confirmed prior to applying for the permit)
  • Tour Guide details (certified local tour guide is must)

Processing the entry permit can take up to few hours and for Indian tourists travelling to Bhutan by road should note that the Department of Immigration offices are closed during the weekends and therefore must plan their trip accordingly to avoid unnecessary delays.

 

Documents required for route permit

  • Valid Indian passport with a minimum validity of 6 months or valid Voter Identity Card
  • Duly filled route permit application form
  • Copy of the Entry Permit

These must be processed and should not be ignored. The immigration check post en route to most places will check for this permit and Indian tourists failing to apply for it will not be allowed to continue their journey.

Banking details

Transfer all the payments, including flight charges, tour costs and visa fees in our company’s bank account opened with Bhutan National Bank, which is one of the oldest bank in Bhutan as shown below. All the payments must be sent four weeks prior to date of arrival in Bhutan.To transfer money to Bhutan national bank, from any place outside Bhutan and India, please request your correspondent to remit as shown below.

Beneficiary Name : Bhutan Green Chillies Excursion

Account No : 0100178584001
Beneficiary Bank : Bhutan National Bank,
P.O.Box 439,
Thimphu, Bhutan
Swift Code BNBTBTBT

Correspondent Bank:
One Madison Avenue,
New York,NY 10010-3603
Swift Code: SCBLUS33
CHIPS ABA No: 0256
FED ABA 026002561
Standard Chartered Bank Ltd,

NOTE: Once the payments are made, please kindly email a copy of the remittance to trace the payments

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