Bhutan entry requirements for British passport holders (2026): visa and passport validity
Passport validity (FCDO rule): At least 6 months after the day you leave
Visa (FCDO): Read the official visa text below
Official source: GOV.UK – Bhutan travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 10 December 2025 · checked on 17 October 2026
Whether you need a visa and how long your British passport must be valid to enter Bhutan, as published by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), quoted word for word, with a checker for your dates.
Other passports: Canadian passport · Australian passport · Italian citizens: documenti per italiani
Do I need a visa for Bhutan with a British passport?
We quote the FCDO text word for word and do not summarise it: its first sentence has conditions or a wording we do not turn into a one-line answer.
You must have a visa to enter and leave Bhutan.
Applying for a visa
You must apply for your visa in advance. The authorities will pre-approve the visa and issue it when you arrive in Bhutan.
You can arrange a visa through a Bhutanese tour operator, through a Bhutanese hotel or directly through the Department of Immigration’s website. You will need to pay a non-refundable, one-off visa application fee of 40 US dollars.
If you’re travelling for business or other non-tourism reasons, you must arrange your visa through your sponsoring organisation in Bhutan.
Make sure you get your passport stamped.
Make sure the border control officer stamps your visa in your passport.
More from the FCDO visa section (extensions, border checks and other cases)
Permits
You must have permits to travel to some states in Bhutan. Your tour guide will help to get these.
If you want to extend your stay in Bhutan, go to the Department of Immigration in Thimphu to make a request.
Entry and exit points
You can enter or exit Bhutan by air through the international airport in Paro, or by the land entry point in Phuentsholing.
Official source: GOV.UK – Bhutan travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO), section “Visa requirements” · page last updated 10 December 2025 · checked on 17 October 2026
Passport validity: official text “Passport validity requirements”
Your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you plan to leave Bhutan.
Official source: GOV.UK – Bhutan travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 10 December 2025 · checked on 17 October 2026
Check your passport for Bhutan
Schengen rules count your whole trip in the Schengen area: if you visit several Schengen countries, enter the day you first enter the area and the day you leave the last Schengen country.
The check runs in your browser: your dates are not sent anywhere. It applies the FCDO sentence literally (for example “6 months” is counted as the same day of the month 6 months later).
For British passport holders only. These are the rules published by the UK government (FCDO) for British citizens. If you hold another passport, check your own government's advice. The airline and the border officials of the destination decide whether you can travel or enter: this site is information, not legal advice.
Recent FCDO updates to the entry requirements
- 10 December 2025: “New information about dual nationals returning to the UK (‘Entry requirements’ page).”
- 1 May 2024: “Information on visa application fees, entry and exit points, the sustainable development fee and taking money into or out of Bhutan (‘Entry requirements’ page).”
- 29 September 2022: “Addition of information that on 23rd September 2022 all COVID-19 restrictions on entry to Bhutan were relaxed, and travellers no longer need to provide a PCR test or undergo quarantine. ('Coronavirus' and 'Entry requirements' page).”
- 6 July 2022: “Updated information on quarantine requirements for Bhutan ('Entry requirements' page)”
- 18 May 2022: “Updated information on entry rules now that Bhutan is open to non-Bhutanese nationals arriving by air ('Entry requirements' page)”
Read the full FCDO travel advice for Bhutan (safety, visas, health) before you travel.
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Same FCDO rule (6 months after departure)
Passport validity rules for all destinations · Liquids rules by airport · EES and ETIAS status