How to apply Bhutan Visa?

All tours must be booked through a recognized Bhutanese Tour Operator such as Sophun Tours, with entire land arrangements provided by one and the same operator.
•    For Cultural Tours, booking arrangements must be completed at least 4 weeks in advance, but for Cultural Tours during festivals, arrangements must be completed 6 weeks in advance. The spring and autumn festivals are our peak times for tourism and without early reservations it can be difficult to confirm flights and hotels bookings.
•    For Trekking groups, booking arrangements should be completed at least 8 weeks in advance as this activity requires detailed forward planning.

Passports

Your passport needs to have at least 6 months’ validity.  You will also need to make sure that you have a spare page for a visa for Bhutan, as well as space for the visas for any countries you are visiting en route.  If you need to get a new passport please do so well before your planned trip so that there is no delay in applying for your Bhutanese visa.

Visa

All foreign tourists are required to have visa for traveling to Bhutan (except Indian National). The visa formalities are processed through Tour Operator in conjunction with tour booking. Visa fee of US$ 20 each will be collected with tour payment. Visas are issued up to two weeks period; extensions can be obtained in Thimphu at a cost of US$15. Don’t forget to make inquiries about visa requirements for any countries you are passing through en route even if you are only in transit.

•    All information as mentioned on the visa application form must be forwarded to us for processing with the concerned authorities at least three weeks prior to date of travel, but note that for all FITS / GITs traveling during festivals, details should be sent at least 6 weeks prior to date of travel, as this is the peak time for tourism.
•    Whether entering Bhutan by land or by air, each client should bring two passport size photographs with name/ passport number printed clearly on the back. Visa applications are cleared in advance, and visa clearance numbers issued, and clients’ passports are stamped on arrival at the port of entry.
•    For travelers entering Bhutan by Druk Air, visa clearance is required for the issuing of Druk Air tickets. The visa clearance number is forwarded to the Druk Air station at which the flight originates. Travelers without a visa clearance number on record will not be permitted to board their flights.
•    For travelers entering the country by land from India, through the southern border town of Phuentsholing, the visa is stamped on arrival, as per visa clearance number. Travelers without a visa clearance number on record will not be permitted to enter the country.

Note: There are no embassies or missions abroad that can issue Bhutanese Tourist visas.

Visa formalities

Please give us your passport details and a scanned copy of the identity page of your passport. Then we will apply for your visa within a month before your trip. Your actual visa will be stamped in your passport upon arrival in Bhutan.  Visa fee of US$ 20 each is collected with tour payment. NOTE: The government will not begin the process of issuing visa, Druk Air and the hotels will not confirm our bookings until your payment has reflected in the government account.

The visa application procedure is very simple. Just email us the following information:

NAME / DATE OF BIRTH / ADDRESS/
OCCUPATION / NATIONALITY
PASSPORT NUMBER / DATE OF ISSUE / DATE OF EXPIRY
DATE / DURATION OF VISIT