Bhutan Fees for Indians 2026-27: SDF per Day, Entry Permit, Car Permit and Guide Rules

The main Bhutan fees for Indians are simple: a Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of Nu 1,200, the same as ₹1,200, per person per night, and nothing at all for the entry permit. Children aged 6 to 11 pay ₹600 a night, and children under 6 pay no SDF. If you drive your own car or bike past the Phuentsholing checkpoint, add Nu 4,500 for the vehicle each night.

So a couple on a 4-night trip pays ₹9,600 in SDF, and a car would add ₹18,000. This page covers only fees and paperwork. Each figure comes from Bhutan's Department of Tourism or the Embassy of India in Thimphu, as of 13 November 2026. For hotels, flights and food, see our full Bhutan trip cost guide.

Bhutan fees for Indians at a glance

The ngultrum (Nu) trades at par with the rupee, and shops and hotels accept rupees, so every amount below works out the same in ₹.

Many people search for a Bhutan pass price. In practice, the pass is the entry permit, and it costs nothing. The SDF is the real daily charge, and it is the same whether you arrive by road or by air.

The SDF per day: adults, children and border-town visits

Bhutan's Department of Tourism sets the SDF for Indian nationals at Nu 1,200 per person per night, payable in ngultrum or rupees. Most other nationalities pay USD 100 a night instead. To get the Indian rate, you show a valid Indian passport or voter ID card.

Watch the age line. A child who has turned 12 pays the full adult SDF, even though monuments still charge them half. The Embassy of India calls it ₹1,200 per day of stay. Bhutan's own rule, however, counts nights. Bhutan has not announced an end date for the Nu 1,200 rate.

How and where you pay

• When: you pay the SDF with your permit application, either online in advance or in person at the entry point.
• Leaving early: Bhutan refunds the SDF for nights you do not spend in the country. You request it online through the immigration portal, and the money comes back after you leave, minus bank charges.
• Staying longer: Indians extend in person at the Department of Immigration and pay the extra SDF in rupees.

Day trips to Phuentsholing and other border towns

From 2 June 2026 until August 2027, visitors who stay up to 24 hours in Phuentsholing, Samtse, Gelephu or Samdrup Jongkhar pay no SDF. The waiver holds only inside each town's designated zone. Cross the Rinchending checkpoint above Phuentsholing, or Gurung Basti in Samtse, and the normal SDF applies.

Entry permit: documents for adults and children

Indians do not need a visa for Bhutan. Instead, every traveller needs an entry permit, and the permit itself carries no fee. Bhutan's official pages name only two documents for it:

• an Indian passport with at least six months of validity, or
• an original voter ID card from the Election Commission of India.

Also carry recent passport-size photographs, because you need one if you apply on arrival. Aadhaar, PAN cards and driving licences do not appear on the list, so never rely on them alone.

For a family, passports for everyone make the counter simplest. Our guide to a first trip abroad with parents has more on paperwork for mixed-age groups.

Where permits are issued: Phuentsholing, Paro and online

You can apply before you travel on the Department of Immigration portal, immi.gov.bt. Upload a digital copy of your passport or voter ID and pay the SDF there. Hotels and tour operators can also apply on your behalf.

If you apply on arrival, these offices issue permits to Indians:

• By road: the Regional Immigration Offices at Phuentsholing (opposite Jaigaon in West Bengal), Gelephu, Samdrup Jongkhar and Samtse.
• By air: the immigration counter at Paro International Airport.

Both the Department of Tourism and the immigration portal advise applying in advance. On arrival, your wait depends on how long the queue is.

Two things the official pages do not publish are a processing time for Indian permits and counter hours. For visas, the Department of Tourism quotes up to five days, so applying a week ahead is a safe margin. For hours, call the Regional Immigration Office in Phuentsholing on +975-05-252383 before you plan a weekend or holiday crossing. The Embassy of India's page for Indian visitors lists the other offices' numbers.

Route permits and special areas beyond Thimphu and Paro

This is where older advice trips people up. Bhutan's Department of Tourism now says tourists need no route permit to move around the country. The condition is that a certified guide travels with them. Only business and official visitors still need one.

However, the Embassy of India's page still says the Indian entry permit covers only Thimphu and Paro. For travel beyond them, it still mentions a route permit from the Thimphu immigration office, on weekdays only. Since the two official sources disagree, ask the immigration officer when you collect your permit. Keep your guide's details ready too.

Separately, national parks need their own entry permit. According to the Department of Tourism, you can apply online and the permit comes through quickly.

The guide rule and what it costs

Bhutan requires tourists to have a certified guide with them at all times. The rule covers Indians who enter by road and travel beyond the border towns. It applies inside dzongs and monuments too, and it also covers visitors who drive their own cars. The Department of Tourism therefore advises booking a guide before you reach the border.

Of all the Bhutan fees for Indians, the guide charge is the one the government does not set. You book a guide through a tour operator, a hotel or the Department's approved list, so prices vary. Ask for the day rate in writing, and check what it covers, such as the guide's meals and stay on overnight stops.

The same list matters for hotels, because tourists may stay only in accommodation that the Department of Tourism approves. You can search approved hotels, operators and guides on services.bhutan.travel.

Bhutan car permit cost for Indians: own car or bike vs hiring locally

Indian-registered cars and motorbikes can enter Bhutan. Within Phuentsholing's designated zone, up to the Rinchending checkpoint, you pay no vehicle fee. Beyond it, the vehicle pays Nu 4,500 for each night, on top of everyone's SDF. For anyone driving in, that makes it the largest of the Bhutan fees for Indians. Bhutan's state broadcaster BBS reported the fee as per vehicle per night when it began in 2022. The Department of Tourism FAQ, by contrast, says per car, per day.

For your own vehicle, carry a valid driving licence (Indian licences work), the insurance papers, a pollution control certificate and your entry permit. The vehicle must meet the rules of Bhutan's road safety and transport authority and be in reasonable condition. If you do not own the car, bring an authorisation letter from the owner. Two-wheelers follow the same fee and rules.

Also, plan a seat for the guide. The guide must stay with you at all times, including on the road.

Hiring locally avoids the vehicle fee and the mountain driving. Bhutan does not allow self-drive rentals, so a hired car always comes with a driver. Neither option has a government price, so compare written quotes against ₹4,500 a night plus your fuel.

Monument entry fees

Most monuments in Bhutan are free, but the famous ones charge. The Department of Tourism's published list gives these fees in ngultrum, equal to rupees. Children under 18 pay half, and children aged 5 and under enter free.

Some museums charge Indians less than other visitors. For example, the Folk Heritage Museum in Thimphu lists Nu 100 for Indians against Nu 250 for international guests. You can pay in cash or through goBoB, the Bank of Bhutan's wallet app.

Timing matters at Tashichho Dzong. The list gives visiting hours of 5 pm to 6 pm on working days, and longer hours on public holidays. Taktsang, meanwhile, is a steep climb, so older travellers should read our tips for senior citizens before booking it.

Worked totals for 4 and 6 nights: a couple and a family

These totals add up only the fees on this page: SDF and monument tickets for a Thimphu, Punakha and Paro circuit. The 4-night plan visits Tashichho Dzong, the Memorial Chorten, Punakha Dzong and Taktsang, at ₹2,500 per adult. The 6-night plan adds Chhimi Lhakhang, Kyichu Lhakhang and the National Museum, at ₹3,800 per adult. For the family, assume two adults and two children, aged 9 and 4.

Swap the 9-year-old for a 13-year-old and the family SDF rises to ₹14,400 for 4 nights, because children aged 12 and over pay the adult rate. Monuments still charge that child half.

On top of these Bhutan fees for Indians, add the guide, hotels, transport and food. Our Bhutan trip cost guide covers those lines. Travel insurance is no longer compulsory for Bhutan. Still, the Department of Tourism strongly recommends it, so compare travel insurance plans before you go.

Common mistakes that hold Indians up at the border

1. Travelling on Aadhaar or a driving licence. Only a passport or an original voter ID appears on the official list, and a photocopy of the voter ID will not do.
2. A passport with less than six months left. The Embassy asks for at least six months of validity. If yours falls short, renew it or carry your voter ID instead.
3. Children without papers. Each child needs a passport or an original birth certificate and must travel with a legal guardian.
4. No guide booked. Beyond the border towns, a certified guide must accompany you, so arrange one before you reach Phuentsholing or Paro.
5. Driving past Rinchending without the vehicle paperwork. The vehicle fee and documents apply as soon as the car leaves the border zone.
6. Booking a hotel that is not on the approved list. Tourists may stay only in accommodation that the Department of Tourism approves.
7. Carrying too many ₹500 notes. Notes of ₹200 and ₹500 are fine only up to ₹25,000 in total; carry anything above that in ₹100 notes or smaller.
8. Trusting old advice. Some sites still say the SDF is waived for Indians or charged in dollars. It is Nu 1,200 a night, payable in rupees.

The fastest check before you leave is the Department of Tourism FAQ, which the Department updates when rules change. Do the daily fee and guide rule not suit your plans? Nepal, the other Himalayan neighbour, also needs no visa for Indians. See our Nepal budget guide or the full list of visa-free countries for Indians. For a custom quote, use the enquiry form on this page.

Cover photo: Original: Nina R from Africa Derivative work: UnpetitproleX / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons