Crossing into Bhutan.
A short guide to the visa, the Sustainable Development Fee, and the rules for accommodation and onward travel from Phuentsholing. We’ve kept it brief on purpose — the Department of Tourism is the source of truth, and we link to it at the end.
This page is written for travellers entering at Phuentsholing. The rules and fees are the same at every land border — Samtse, Gelephu, and Samdrup Jongkhar each have their own Regional Immigration Office — but specific facilities described here, including the Pedestrian Terminal, are unique to Phuentsholing.
What you’ll need to know.
Tap any item to expand. For the step-by-step procedure once you reach the border, see the flowchart further down.
Bhutan applies different rules depending on your nationality. Indian travellers get the most streamlined process; international travellers need a visa in advance; Bangladeshi and Maldivian travellers sit somewhere in between.
If you’re unsure which group you fall into, the application portal at bhutan.travel will tell you when you begin.
The SDF is Bhutan’s tourism levy. It funds free healthcare, education, and the upkeep of the cultural and natural heritage that draws people here in the first place. It is not a tour-package cost — it’s separate from your hotel, transport, and meals.
- SDF (Group B)USD 100 per person, per night
- SDF (children 6–12)50% concession
- SDF (children under 6)Exempt
- Visa feeUSD 40, one-time, non-refundable
- Passport validityAt least 6 months from date of entry
- Apply atbhutan.travel — the official DoT portal
Both the SDF and the visa fee are paid online with the application. You cannot purchase a flight ticket to Bhutan until the visa has been cleared.
The Department of Tourism waives the SDF for tourists who visit only the border towns — Samtse, Phuentsholing, Gelephu, and Samdrup Jongkhar — for up to 24 hours. This is useful to know if you’re passing through on the way to Thimphu or arriving late from Bagdogra and want to break the journey here.
The waiver applies to time spent in the border town only. If you continue inland past the checkpoint at Rinchending, the SDF resumes from the day you cross.
You’ll still complete an entry record at the immigration office and, for visa nationalities, still need a valid visa — the waiver is on the fee, not the formalities.
Tourists are required to stay in accommodation certified by the Department of Tourism for the duration of their trip. The DoT rating system runs from 1-star and 2-star (formerly Blue Poppy 1 and 2) up through 5-star, and certified homestays are also included.
If a hotel is not on the DoT directory, it isn’t permitted to host you as a tourist — even if it’s otherwise open for business. The full list of certified properties by district is on bhutan.travel.
You can travel independently within Thimphu and Paro. Anywhere beyond those two districts — Punakha, Haa, Bumthang, the east — a certified Bhutanese guide is required. The current guide-to-tourist ratio cap is 1:22.
Booking through a licensed tour operator is no longer mandatory, but it remains the easiest route for visas, permits, transport, and arrangements that span multiple districts. The Department of Tourism maintains the list of licensed operators.
From Phuentsholing the road to Thimphu is roughly five to six hours by car, climbing from about 300m to 2,300m. The drive is well worth doing in daylight.
How the crossing actually works.
Two procedures, side by side — one for Indian, Bangladeshi, and Maldivian nationals, one for everyone else. Each path can be done online before you arrive, at the border itself, or some mix of both.
Indian nationals.
International travellers.
The offices you may need.
Three places do the work of getting you legally into Bhutan: the Pedestrian Terminal for entry records, the Regional Immigration Office for permits, and the online portals for everything done in advance. Our front desk can point you to any of them.
Phuentsholing Pedestrian Terminal.
The modern border facility, inaugurated in 2022. Everyone entering Bhutan by road is documented here — Bhutanese, Indian, and international tourists alike. Has a dedicated tourist counter with information and currency exchange.
Regional Immigration Office.
Where Indian nationals collect the entry permit if they didn’t apply online. Biometric recording is done here. Carry two passport photos and original ID with one photocopy. International travellers arriving with an approved e-Visa generally don’t need to come here.
Department of Tourism portal.
The official site for the e-Visa (international travellers), online entry permits (Indian nationals), and the SDF payment. Also lists every DoT-certified hotel and licensed tour operator. The authoritative source for everything on this page.
Department of Immigration.
Handles the permit side — including extensions and route permits for travel beyond Thimphu and Paro. The Thimphu Immigration Office is where Indian travellers add route permits once they’re already inside Bhutan.
For the current rules, fees, and to apply for your visa or permit, go to the Department of Tourism.
We’ve summarised what we believe to be accurate as of May 2026, but tourism policy in Bhutan does change. The official Department of Tourism site is updated whenever a rule shifts — please treat it as authoritative over anything written here.