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Personal Guest Visa

BhutanShort stays and visits

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in Bhutan Read the five questions ↓

For the relevant traveller scope, is a visa, electronic authorisation, visa on arrival or no advance visa normally required?

A personal guest does not apply personally: a Bhutanese host applies for the visa or permit. The Department of Immigration's requirements of 1 July 2025 state that the Bhutanese must establish acquaintance with the guest through documentary evidence, be at least eighteen years of age at the time of application, and be in the Kingdom during the scheduled visit of the guest.

See recorded sources

What short-visit purposes does this route cover?

The route covers a visit by a personal guest of a Bhutanese host, who applies on the guest's behalf. The permit cannot be claimed as an entitlement and is approved by the Personal Guest Committee, which assesses whether the acquaintance was made in the guest's country or, if elsewhere, over a continuous period of at least six months, and whether the guest has been invited as a personal guest in the last three years (a condition that does not apply if the guest is a relative of the host). The official source does not state which activities a personal guest may undertake.

See recorded sources
  • Immigration Rules and Regulations 2023, Rule 80, line 605
    Immigration permit for personal guests shall not be claimed as an entitlement. The Bhutanese must satisfy the following conditions to be eligible to apply for a personal guest: (a) Establish acquaintance with the guest through documentary evidence; (b) Be at least eighteen years of age at the time of application; and (c) Be in the Kingdom during the scheduled visit of the guest.
  • Immigration Rules and Regulations 2023, Rule 83, line 640
    The Committee shall use the following criteria among others to assess a personal guest application: (a) The acquaintance with the guest must be made in the country of the guest; (b) If the acquaintance is made in a country other than the country of the guest, then the duration of acquaintance must be for a continuous duration of at least six months; (c) Acquaintance must be established with documentary evidence; (d) Evidence of acquaintance shall be valid for single use only; and (e) The guest must not have been invited as a personal guest for the last three years. This condition shall not apply if the guest is a relative of the host. Such a relationship must be established through documentary evidence.

What maximum stay, rolling-period rule, validity and entry rules apply?

An immigration permit for personal guests is limited to a maximum of two persons in a year, and the duration is the actual duration of the visit or a maximum of thirty days, whichever is less.

See recorded sources

What important funds, accommodation, invitation, insurance, onward-travel or passport evidence may be required?

The Bhutanese host must submit a copy of the guest's passport, valid for at least six months from the intended date of departure from Bhutan, with a Voter ID Card accepted as a travel document for nationals of India, a birth certificate if the guest is under 18, an Entry Permit Application Form for Indian nationals or a Visa Application Form for other nationals, and documentary evidence of the acquaintance.

See recorded sources
  • Requirements for Personal Guest of Bhutanese, cl.2(i)-(v), line 30
    A copy of the passport of the guest. The passport shall be valid for at least 06 months from the intended date of departure from the Kingdom. For national of India, Voter ID Card is accepted as travel documents. (ii) Birth certificate of the guest if the guest is below 18 years of age. (iii) Entry Permit Application Form (for Indian nationals only) (iv) Visa Application Form (for other nationals) (v) Documentary evidence establishing the acquaintance with the guest [documents evidencing visit of the hosts to the guest’s country/third country where they met].

Where/how is permission obtained when required, and under what important circumstances can a stay be extended or changed?

The Bhutanese host applies, and the permit is approved by the Personal Guest Committee constituted by the Department of Immigration. The Department's Requirements for Personal Guest of Bhutanese, dated 1 July 2025, state that the application is submitted online at immi.gov.bt; the Committee meets every Wednesday and applications must be submitted by 1:00 PM on the preceding Tuesday. The Department's General Information document instead excludes personal guests from the rule that all visa applications must be submitted electronically, so the two official documents differ. The official source does not state the date of the General Information document. A foreigner may change the purpose of visit only upon proper exit from Bhutan for at least fifteen days. The official sources do not state whether a personal guest stay can be extended.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The official source does not state the date of the General Information document.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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