ENTRY FORMALITIES FOR INDIAN TOURIST
Bhutan Visa: (An Indian don’t require visa to enter Bhutan. Bhutan has special diplomatic relationship with India therefore Indians with valid Passports or Voter ID (Election Card) doesn’t require visa to enter Bhutan. Passport validity should be more than 6 months. Visa will be issued on arrival from the entry points. Family traveling with kids who are below 17 years, without valid passport/voter ID can be allowed to enter Bhutan in Birth Certificates and valid school ID (both should be presented in case of school going kid). Indian wishing to enter Bhutan from third country should produced valid Indian Passport, voter card is not valid. 02 recent passport size photographs for each guest.
Documents not valid for traveling to Bhutan as Indian:
Persons having following documents are not valid for Indians visiting Bhutan, PIO card, OCI card, driving license, special documents issued by government of India.
Special Permit: If you plan to visit places beyond Thimphu and Paro, you will also need a route permit to go to places such as Punakha, Wangdue, Bumthang. We need the scanned copy of either your passport or Voter ID card to make this Route Permit in advance. Route permit is only made in Thimphu, during the working days between 9AM-1PM.
Exiting Bhutan by Flight or by Land:
Bhutan Entry Permit :You will not be allowed to leave the country without surrendering this paper permit in original issued while entering Bhutan.
By Air:
Druk Air & Bhutan Airlines, operates flights from Paro, the only International Airport in Bhutan, to Delhi, Kolkata, Bagdogra and Guwahati. Bagdogra & Guwahati is well connected to the major cities of India by various airlines like Jet air ways, Kingfisher Airlines, Spice jet, Go Air and Indian Airlines. One can take the connecting flight to Paro from any sector.
Entering Bhutan by Surface:
Bhutan Entry permit are issued from the immigration office at Phuentsholing (Monday-Friday) including Saturday, Sunday & Bhutan national holidays for tourist only.
1. You are required to visit the immigration office along with your guide / driver at the Bhutan entry gate to obtain your Bhutan entry permit (personal presence is a must for obtaining the permit).
By Rail:
NJP (New Jalpaiguri) is the nearest major railway station in the Indian State of West Bengal. The other smaller stations are Alipurduar, New Cooch Bihar and Hasimara though we recommend NJP as the convenient station for pick up/drop facilities and 05 hours’ drive to the nearest Bhutan border town of Phuentsholing.