All tourists
(excluding Indian, Bangladeshi and Maldivian passport holders) who wish to
travel to Bhutan require a visa and must book their holiday through a Bhutanese
tour operator or one of their international partners. The tour operator will
take care of Visa arrangements for visitors.
Checklist for
Visa Application
- We require color scan of passport with not less than 6 months’
validity for visa application about 30 days prior to travel date (sooner the
better & minimum 7 working days needed to process and obtain Bhutan visa).
- Colored scan copy of first page of passport or take picture by your
mobile phone of the passport page with face image and passport number & email
us in Jpeg/pdf format.
- Remaining validity in passport after Bhutan tour must be minimum 6
month excluding travelling month.
- Multiple Indian visa
required if you enter Bhutan from India and re-enter India after Bhutan tour.
- Tourism Council of Bhutan requires full tour payment while applying
visa so along with passport copy, please forward us wire transfer copy or payment
details, to process visa.
- Passengers visiting India on E – tourist visa & entering Bhutan
by Air (by remaining in transit at Delhi / Kolkata airport) and re-entering
India after Bhutan tour by surface (Phuentsholing, Samdrup Jongkhar &
Gelephu) are required to travel with original Indian visa stamped in passport
by Indian embassy/consulate at their home country as there is no facilities at
these border towns to check & verify Indian E – Visa.
- No passport size photo/any pictures / any visa form etc. required
for Bhutan visa – only requirement is clear/readable copy of passport copy in
Colour.
- Dual passport holders are required to use the same passport whose
details are submitted on to Bhutan for Visa authorization, prior to arrival in
Bhutan.
- It is mandatory for a tourist (except Indian/Bangladeshi/Maldivian)
to buy full service tour package from a local Bhutanese tour operator like us
to avail Bhutan visa.
- Bhutan visa fee is US$ 40.00 which is going to be included in tour
cost submitted by us.
Indian, Bangladeshis & Maldives nationals do not require visa for Bhutan.
Transfer full
payment to Bhutan.
The visa will
be processed by the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) once the full payment of
your holiday (including a USD $40 visa fee) has been wire transferred and
received in the TCB bank account. Once the full tour payment has been
received, the visa clearance will be processed within 72 working hours.
At your point
of entry, you will be required to show your visa clearance letter, the visa
will then be stamped into your passport.
The minimum
daily package covers the following services.
- A minimum of 3-star accommodation (4 & 5 star may require an
additional premium).
- All meals
- A licensed Bhutanese tour guide for the extent of your stay
- All internal transport (excluding internal flights)
- Camping equipment and haulage for trekking tours
- All internal taxes and charges
- A sustainable tourism Royalty of $65. This Royalty goes towards
free education, free
healthcare,
poverty alleviation, along with the building of infrastructure.
The
minimum daily package for tourists travelling in a group of 3 persons or more
is as follows:
- January, February, June, July, August, and December- US$200
per person per night
- March, April, May, September, October, and November – US$250
per person per night
Government
Surcharge:
Surcharge:
Single individual – US$ 40 per night
Surcharge:
Group of 2 persons only – US$ 30 per person per night
These rates are
applicable per tourist per night halt in Bhutan. On the day of departure, the
‘local agents’ host obligation shall be limited to providing breakfast only and
any extra requirements shall be payable on usage basis. The Royal Government of
Bhutan sets minimum selling prices for packages to Bhutan. These must be paid
in US dollars prior to arrival in Bhutan.