Immigration Requirements for Passengers at Paro Airport

All foreigners must hold valid passport and it should be valid for minimum period of six months beyond the date of intended departure from the Kingdom of Bhutan.

The Visa clearance alone does not guarantee the right to entry or stay in the Kingdom of Bhutan unless the entry/landing permission is granted by the immigration officer in form of entry/landing seal in the passport.

The information/details furnished in the visa clearance must match with the passport details. If any information is found to be with held or incorrect, the visa, if granted, is liable to be cancelled at any time.

The foreigner availed with Official Gratis visa, Official vsia, BG visa and FG visa will be endorsed visa and entry seal with validity up to 14 days from the entry point. Except for official gratis visa and tourist visa, foreigners availed with remaining category of visa are required to pay USD 20 at the immigration counter on arrival.

 Extension of Visa

Extension of visa may be granted only on the ground of illness as an exceptional case for a period not exceeding 14 days at a time.

Extension of Official gratis/official/BG/FG visa can be obtained on payment of Nu. 510 if their duration of stay exceeds 14 days in their visa clearance, from Department of Immigration, Thimphu.

VISA Exemption

Nationals of India, Bangladesh and Maldives are exempted from visa requirement for the entry in to the Kingdom of Bhutan.

Indian Nationals holding Diplomatic or Official passport shall be endorsed with entry permit and entry seal in their passport. The validity of such permit will be up to 90 days only.

The ordinary passport will also be endorsed with the same but with validity depending on their duration of stay in Bhutan not exceeding 30 days.

Indian nationals who are not in possession of national passport shall carry either identity documents issued by the Indian embassy, state/Central government of India. Such document holders will be issued with entry permit in lieu of visa at the entry point depending on their duration of stay in Bhutan but not exceeding 30 days. Such permit should be surrendered to immigration counter at the exit point. Extension of stay if required will have to be obtained from Department of Immigration, Thimphu.

As for Bangladesh and Maldivian, their passport will be endorsed with entry permit and entry seal with validity maximum up to 14 days from the entry point.

Thai nationals holding Diplomatic/Official Passport will be issued with entry permit in lieu of Visa for 90 days from the date of entry, provided they shall not take up any employment, be it self or otherwise, in Bhutan. Such period of stay shall, upon the request of Thai consulate office in Thimphu, be extended until the end of their assignment.

All foreign nationals entering Bhutan on visitors or tourist permit are prohibited for employment in Bhutan.

All foreign nationals working or residing in Bhutan holding Non Bhutanese Identity card, Residence permit etc shall not claim these documents (irrespective of its validity) for proof to enter Bhutan without valid Passport or Visa. Such Identification cards issued to foreigners should be surrendered to immigration counters during exit and reclaimed on the arrival.

Immigration Requirement for Flight Crew

Foreign national Flight Crew Members 

1.  Valid passport issued by their respective countries;

2.  Foreigners working as crew / pilot in Bhutan must possess a valid multiple visa  and work permit issued by the Department of Immigration after an approval to this effect has been accorded by the Department of  Labour, Ministry of Labour & Human Resources, Thimphu; and

3.  Indian nationals working as crew/ pilot members are required to procure valid work permit subject as above.

National Flight crew member

National carrier flight crew/ pilot members are required to sign in at the Disembarking airport and sign out at the embarking airport. They should carry valid passports and must be on demand produced, failing to which penalty as per the immigration rule will be imposed.

National carrier flight carrying passenger without valid passport and visa will be responsible for deportation of the same to the port of embarking with immediate effect and also bear the penalty for carrying such passenger as per the immigration rule.

 All departing passengers are required to produce the valid passports and Documents to the immigration counters.   

 For furthur details contact:

Immigration officer
Paro Int. Airport
Phone # (975) 8 272124
Fax # (975) 8 271673