Bhutan Proposes Digital Arrival Card, Electronic Travel Authorization
bhutan’s Ministry of Home Affairs proposed a digital arrival card and an electronic travel authorization on April 22, 2026. The plan was presented during the Mid-Term Review of the 13th Five-Year Plan.
The proposal would add two more digital steps to entry processing in a country that already uses a paperless visa system, automated immigration clearance, and a prior e-Visa for most nationalities. For travelers, that means Bhutan is pushing more of the arrival process online before the journey begins.
Ministry of Home Affairs proposal
According to Kuensel, the ministry proposed developing the Bhutan Digital Arrival Card and an electronic travel authorization. Officials have not provided further details on the scope of the proposals. That leaves the practical mechanics of the new system unresolved, including how much of the arrival process would move ahead of travel and how it would fit with existing visa rules.
The timing is notable because Bhutan already requires most foreign nationals to obtain an e-Visa before arriving. The Department of Immigration says that, except in specific cases, all foreign nationals must secure that permission first. In other words, the new proposal would sit on top of a system that is already mostly digital, not replace a paper-heavy border model from scratch.
Bhutan’s digital entry stack
Bhutan introduced Automated Immigration Clearance Systems in Phuentsholing in 2025 and at Paro International Airport in 2026. Those systems rely on biometrics, passport scanning, and e-Gates, which shortens the physical handoff at the border for travelers moving through those points.
The authorities have also highlighted a new online immigration system for several non-tourism procedures. That system offers end-to-end digital processing, so the proposed arrival card and travel authorization appear to be part of a broader administrative shift rather than an isolated experiment.
Costs and traveler rules
Bhutan still requires payment of the Sustainable Development Fee, which is currently set at $100 per adult per day. Authorities extended the 50% reduction on that fee for visitors paying in U.S. dollars until August 31, 2027, so entry costs remain a live issue even as the paperwork becomes more digital.
Bhutan removed the travel insurance requirement for visa applications in April 2024 while continuing to recommend coverage. Faster visa and permit services later benefited 10,875 international tourists and 2,238 regional tourists, showing that the country’s digitization drive has already changed how some travelers move through the system.
The unresolved question is the scope and timing of the digital arrival card and electronic travel authorization. Travelers planning a trip to Bhutan still need to follow the current e-Visa and fee rules until the new proposal turns into an operating entry process.
