Bhutan reopened to all travellers on 23 September 2022 and introduced new entry requirements, including a daily USD$200 Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) for tourists. Visitors to the secluded Himalayan kingdom are no longer required to show proof of vaccination, quarantine on arrival or wear face masks.
Visitors aged 12 years and over may still be subject to random RT-PCR testing on arrival. Travellers who test positive for COVID-19 during their stay in Bhutan will be required to quarantine at their own expense, however the SDF will be waived.
Bhutan has also dropped the requirement for visitors to travel on accredited package tours, which was part of the country’s ‘high-value, low-volume’ tourism policy that also included a USD$65 daily fee for accommodation, food, transport and sustainable development.
Any visitor travelling to Bhutan after 23 September 2022 can now book all aspects of their journey independently and travel internally without a tour operator.
Officials said the new fee charged per person per night would offset tourists’ carbon impact.
The Tourism Council of Bhutan website said that after reopening, “visitors to Bhutan will make an active contribution to Bhutan’s economic, social and cultural development.”
“The Sustainable Development Fee enables investment in transformative programs that preserve our traditions, protect our heritage and environment, upgrade infrastructure, create opportunities for our young people and build resilience.”
For more info, head to bhutan.travel
