The visa, which is required to enter the country, must be applied for at least 15 days before departure, through one of the 940 licensed tour operators in Bhutan or their representative abroad. Bhutanese tour operators are grouped together in an association: ABTO (email: abto@druknet.bt). For more information, see the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) website: [www.tourism.gov.bt](http://www.tourism.gov.bt/)

 

The Bhutan Tourism Department does not issue visas directly. The tour operator handles all the formalities, including the visa and air ticket through Druk Air (Bhutan's national airline and the only airline serving the country). A copy of the passport and the following information should be sent to the tour operator as an attachment by e-mail (in ".jpg" format) or by fax: name, permanent address, place and date of birth, nationality, occupation, date of visit, places visited and duration of stay, place(s) of entry and exit. The visa formalities will be completed by the Bhutan Tourism Department only after receipt of the complete file and the total amount corresponding to the chosen tourist package.