Bhutan

Visa Bhutan

Asie · Asie du Sud

In Bhutan, visas and permits fall under the Department of Immigration, attached to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The department invites applicants to file the tourist visa or permit application online on its dedicated system. For non-tourist categories, it states the competent services: the Immigration Service Division, the regional offices and Paro International Airport for entry permits, the Visa Division in Thimphu for visa applications.

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.

Machine-assisted draft, reviewed by a person on 23 September 2026. Only the authority cited is authoritative.

Published on 23 September 2026 · Reviewed by vg_admin on 23 September 2026 · Sources consulted on 17 September 2026

At a glance

Authority: Department of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs (Bhutan)
Submission channel: Online system for tourist visas and permits; filing with the department's divisions and offices for the other categories, as read
Electronic visa: Yes — the department refers to an online tourist visa/permit system
Portal language: English

Do you need a visa?

Your nationality

Choose a nationality to see the recorded entry rule. No answer is shown until reviewed data exists.

Documented visa types

Tourist visa / permit: The department states: "Please apply for tourists visa/permit online at https://www.immi.gov.bt". Duration not stated on the pages consulted. Official page (new tab)
Entry Permit: According to the "Non-Tourists categories" page, it is filed with the Immigration Service Division for personal guests, students and exchange teachers; the other categories fall to the regional immigration office and Paro airport. Official page (new tab)
Non-Tourists categories (visa): The page states that all visa applications must be filed with the Visa Division, Department of Immigration, in Thimphu. Official page (new tab)

Where and how to apply

For tourism, the Department of Immigration refers to its online system: "Please apply for tourists visa/permit online at https://www.immi.gov.bt". The department's site presents this service under the heading "Tourist online visa/permit system".

For non-tourist categories, the department's page states that the entry permit for personal guests, students and teachers on exchange programs is filed with the Immigration Service Division, that the other categories are handled by the relevant regional immigration office and by Paro International Airport, and that all visa applications are filed with the department's Visa Division, in Thimphu.

Steps in the procedure

For a tourist stay, file the visa or permit application online on the system indicated by the department.
For another category, contact the competent service designated by the department: Immigration Service Division, regional immigration office, Paro International Airport or Visa Division in Thimphu.
Attach the documents requested, in particular the copy of the passport and a recent photograph.
Respond to requests for additional documents: the department states that it may request them during assessment.
Await the decision: the "Non-Tourists categories" page states an announced processing time of three working days.

Documents mentioned by the authority

Copy of the passport ("Copy of Passport").
Passport valid for at least six months from the intended date of departure from Bhutan.
Recent passport size photo ("Recent passport size photo").
Additional documents that the department may request during assessment ("The Department may ask for additional documents during assessment, if required").

The exact list depends on the visa type and on the situation; only the official page is authoritative.

Stated fees and processing times

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17, the announced time for processing a visa is three working days ("Turn Around Time for processing visa is 3 working days").

No amount or currency appears on the pages read: Not stated on the portal consulted.

After the decision

Not stated on the portal consulted: the pages read describe neither the issuing of the visa or permit, nor its extension, nor the avenues of appeal. The authority decides whether to grant or refuse.

Published procedures

No reviewed and published procedure for Bhutan to date. We prefer an empty page to an invented requirement.

Explore procedures

Frequently asked questions

Is a visa required for Bhutan?

It depends on nationality and on the purpose of travel; the rule reviewed by VisaGuideline is shown with the nationality selector on this page. Always check with the authority.

Where is the application filed?

For tourism, the department refers to its online system. For the other categories, it designates the Immigration Service Division, the regional offices, Paro International Airport and the Visa Division in Thimphu.

Is there an electronic visa?

The department refers to an online tourist visa and permit system, presented as the "Tourist online visa/permit system".

What processing time does the department announce?

The "Non-Tourists categories" page states a processing time of three working days. No amount is published on the pages read.

Official sources

Department of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs (new tab) Authority

Consulted sources

Official pages read to write this guide, with the date they were read. A page may have changed since: check it before taking any step.

Department of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
Tourists – Department of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
Non-Tourists categories (new tab) read on 17 September 2026

What this guide does not know yet

Points the official source does not specify and which this guide therefore left blank. Ask the competent authority about them before filing an application.

The online system https://www.immi.gov.bt is cited by the department but was not opened: its categories and its screens remain to be verified.
No amount or currency is published on the pages read; the question of the cost of the visa or permit remains open.
The "Tourists" page cites a specific identity document for children under 18 depending on nationality; that mention is not reproduced here and falls under the rules by nationality reviewed separately.
The validity and stay durations are not stated on any of the pages read.

Prepare my case

This method is the same for every destination. It does not list any document as an official requirement: only the authority’s source is authoritative.

Describe your situation

Nationality, residence, purpose and dates. The checker tells covered routes apart from situations that are still unknown.
Check at the source

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Track what is left to do

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