What you need to enter Bhutan with a Portuguese passport
Portuguese citizens need an electronic visa for Bhutan, applied for online before the trip.
- e-Visa fee
- 40 USD
- Minimum passport validity
- 6 months after departure
Why is this passport validity required? →
Last verified: 25 September 2026
Verified practical details
The visa is applied for before your trip, and the procedure is Mandatory online visa plus Sustainable Development Fee (SDF). Here are the verified details:
Authorisation system
Mandatory online visa plus Sustainable Development Fee (SDF)
A visa is required to enter and leave Bhutan, and it is not issued on arrival without prior application: you apply in advance on the Department of Immigration website, through a hotel or through a Bhutanese operator, the authorities approve it and it is stamped in your passport on arrival. Travelling with an accredited tour operator is no longer compulsory, although the Department of Tourism recommends it. On top of the visa fee, every visitor pays the Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) per night. Some districts need additional permits, which your guide arranges, and the stay can be extended at the Department of Immigration in Thimphu.
Apply on the official site →Visa, e-Visa, or electronic authorisation? What's the difference →
Fee
40 USD
The visa fee is 40 US dollars, paid once and non-refundable. Separately, all visitors pay the Sustainable Development Fee (SDF): about 100 dollars per night for adults and 50 for children aged 6 to 12; under-6s are exempt. On a one-week trip the SDF far exceeds the visa fee.
Required documents
- Passport valid for at least six months after the planned departure, with at least one blank page.
- A visa applied for and approved before travel; it is not issued on arrival.
- Payment of the visa fee (USD 40) and the Sustainable Development Fee per night.
- Permits for certain districts, arranged by your guide.
- Carrying copies of the passport, visa and bookings separately from the originals is advisable.
Transit rules
You can only enter or leave by air through Paro International Airport, or by land through the Phuentsholing crossing on the Indian border. During the monsoon, landslides close roads, and the country is in an earthquake zone.
More Bhutan rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the Bhutan page:
Official portal: https://immi.gov.bt/. Destination data verified on 25 September 2026. Sources: exteriores.gob.es (travel advice of Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Bhutan, updated 8 April 2026: six-month passport, mandatory online visa, no visa on arrival, USD 40 fee, SDF of USD 100 and 50, tour operator not compulsory, yellow fever, monsoon and earthquakes, petty theft in Thimphu and Paro); gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/bhutan (UK Government: prior approval and issue on arrival, non-refundable USD 40, district permits, extension in Thimphu, Paro and Phuentsholing, SDF, tobacco, antiques, BTN 30,000 and USD 10,000); immi.gov.bt (Bhutan Department of Immigration); sanidad.gob.es ("Listado de países") and who.int (WHO): yellow fever; data.unesco.org (World Heritage List). All checked on 25 September 2026.
Travel insurance for Bhutan
It isn't listed as mandatory for this entry, but without insurance, medical care during the trip can get expensive.
See IATI's international site →IATI sells its policies according to the country you live in. Where do you live?
If your country isn't listed, try IATI's international site.
This is an affiliate link: if you buy through it, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Things to see and do in Bhutan
Tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips, most with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Seeing the featured activities here needs advertising cookies. In the meantime, you can open them directly:
Browse activities on GetYourGuide →This is an affiliate link: if you buy through it, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
This pair in context
In the other direction, citizens of Bhutan need a visa to enter Portugal. See the Bhutan → Portugal page.
All 16 passports from Southern Europe that VisaRadar tracks need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival to enter Bhutan. Same result as Portugal: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece and Italy.
With a passport from Portugal, in the rest of Southern Asia you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka; you need a visa for Afghanistan.
A passport from Portugal ranks 18 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 159 of 198 destinations without applying for a visa in advance.
Counts from the same requirements matrix behind this page's verdict, using the UN M49 subregions.
Frequently asked questions
Do Portuguese citizens need a visa for Bhutan?
Yes, but it's processed online before you travel (e-visa), no consulate visit required.
What minimum passport validity is required?
Passport valid for at least six months after the planned departure, with at least one blank page.
What currency is used in Bhutan?
Bhutanese Ngultrum (BTN).
What do Portuguese passport holders need for the countries near Bhutan?
With a passport from Portugal, in the rest of Southern Asia you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka; you need a visa for Afghanistan.
Related pages
See Bhutan requirements for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.