Bhutan may introduce a digital arrival card: what travellers need to know

More Asian destinations have been moving towards paperless arrivals, such as Vietnam’s new digital arrival card. Bhutan may be next in line. The country is reportedly considering a digital arrival card alongside an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), in what looks like a broader push to modernise border formalities without losing its tightly managed approach to tourism.

For now, though, this is still very much in the “watch this space” category. The plans were mentioned during a recent government review, but no launch date, rollout timeline or step-by-step details have been announced yet.

What officials are looking at is essentially a smoother, more digital arrival process. Bhutan has already been edging in that direction with paperless visa processing, faster permit approvals and automated immigration clearance, so a digital arrival card would not come out of nowhere. The proposed ETA is a little murkier, since most foreign travellers already need to secure a visa in advance. This could end up being a new layer, a simplified replacement, or simply a tidier version of the system already in place.

Until anything officially changes, travellers should assume the existing rules still stand. That means most visitors will still need a visa and pay Bhutan’s Sustainable Development Fee, which is currently set at USD 100 per adult per day. There is also some relief on that front: the 50 percent discount for visitors paying in US dollars has been extended until August 31, 2027. Bhutan also dropped its mandatory travel insurance requirement for visa applications back in 2024, though it is still very much a good idea to have cover.

Bhutan is not rewriting the travel rulebook just yet. But it is clearly looking at ways to make arrival feel a little less clunky. So if you're planning to head to Bhutan anytime soon, this is one to keep an eye on. 

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