Bhutan from the US
Bhutan charges every visitor a nightly fee, and passports other than India's also pay for a visa. For a US traveler that means US$40 once and US$100 a night, both paid online before you fly. Here is how it works.
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The visa
The Department of Tourism lists a one-off visa fee of US$40, not refunded. You apply online with a digital copy of your passport and a recent photo, or a tour operator or hotel applies for you, and the application is reviewed within five working days.
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The nightly fee
The Sustainable Development Fee is US$100 per night for adults from every country except India. Children from 6 until their 12th birthday pay US$50 a night, and children under 6 pay nothing. It is paid with the visa, by card if you like.
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Where it goes
The national exchequer collects the fee and allocates it to projects. The Department of Tourism names free healthcare, education and training, and upskilling of the tourism and hospitality industry among them.
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The date to watch
US$100 is a 50 percent discount on Bhutan's standing fee of US$200, granted from September 1, 2023 for four years. The government says it may end the discount after August 31, 2027, so a 2027 trip should check the rate for its dates.
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A week
At US$100 a night, seven nights come to US$700 a person. Our Bhutan prices are set for Indian nationals; on Bhutan: The Western Valleys, the dollar fee and the visa add about ₹54,200 per person to a US passport, charged by Bhutan, not by us.
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On the ground
Bhutan requires visitors to be accompanied by a certified guide at all times, so your guide is booked alongside the visa. Travel insurance stopped being mandatory in April 2024, but the Department of Tourism still strongly recommends it.
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Next step
We file the visa and fee three to six weeks before you travel and book the guide at the same time. Tell us your dates and the passports in your party, and the quote shows every Bhutan fee on its own line.
Photo: Mohamed Abdul Rasheed