The Tamchog Chakzam chain bridge and its tower, Bhutan

Who needs a visa for Bhutan?

Southern Asia · Thimphu

Photo: Bernard Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Of 198 nationalities, 3 enter Bhutan with no paperwork at all. The rest: 195 must be approved before they travel.

Government fee
$40
Typical decision
3 to 5 working days
Stay permitted
Tourists can stay up to 90 days
Apply on the official Bhutan government site

This is the government's own portal. We are not paid to send you there.

Checked 18 October 2026 — read the fees and rules on immi.gov.bt

What Bhutan asks for

  • Digital copy of your passport
  • A recent digital passport-size photograph
  • The original passport, shown at the port of entry

Worth knowing

  • The US$40 visa fee is not refundable or transferable.
  • The Sustainable Development Fee is charged per person for every night you stay, on top of the visa fee. Children under six are exempt, and children aged 6 to 11 pay half.
  • The SDF is refunded if the trip is cancelled, minus bank charges.

Photo requirements

We have not yet read the photo rules for Bhutan on an official page, so we print no sizes. Photo rules we have checked, and official links for the rest

Resize a photo in your browser. It is never uploaded.

What do you need?

Who needs what

Visa free 3

Nothing to apply for and nothing to pay before you travel.

eVisa (electronic visa) 195

A real visa application, made online instead of at an embassy. It is assessed, it takes days rather than minutes, and it can be refused.

About Bhutan

Region
Southern Asia
Capital
Thimphu
Population
796,682 2025 · 164th of 197
Size
38,394 km² 133rd largest of 199
Density
21 per km²
Language
Dzongkha
Currency
Bhutanese ngultrum BTN
Borders
China India

Capital, area, languages and currency from the open country dataset, pulled 21 September 2026. Population from the World Bank, series updated 13 July 2026. Density is calculated from the two figures above.