FAQ Categories: Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) INFORMATION

The Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) is a daily levy paid by visitors to support Bhutan’s development. Since the kingdom first opened its doors in 1974, guests have played a critical role in our country’s growth.

The SDF is collected by the national exchequer and funds are allocated to various projects that create long-term, sustainable opportunities for the Bhutanese people, through free healthcare, education and training, upskilling the tourism and hospitality industry, improved infrastructure, environmental preservation and conservation, cultural preservation programmes and initiatives that support local businesses and economies. The SDF is also a vital means of maintaining the exceptional forest cover and carbon-neutrality for which our small nation is world-renowned and globally critical. The SDF also helps us to ensure that we can continue to offer guests tranquillity and an intimate experience.

For all visitors except those from India, the SDF is USD 200 per person, per night. For guests from India (who have an Indian passport or Indian voter ID card), the SDF is 1,200 ngultrum, or the equivalent amount in Indian rupees, per person, per night.

 Children who have not yet turned six are exempt from paying any SDF. Children aged between 6 and who have not yet turned 12 at the time of travel receive a 50% concessionary discount on their SDF. Children aged 12 and above pay the full SDF rate. The same long-stay SDF incentives can be applied to US dollar SDF-paying children.

There are various duration-based SDF incentives in place for US Dollar -SDF paying guests to encourage long-stay visitors to Bhutan.

Day visitors to the Bhutanese towns bordering India are also exempt from paying the SDF until they reach a point designated by the Bhutanese government.

Depending on their planned itinerary, visitors can choose any of the following options with effect from June 01, 2023:

– 4 + 4:  Pay the SDF of USD 200 per night, per person, for four nights, and receive up to four additional nights without the daily levy.                                   
– 7 + 7: Pay the SDF of USD 200 per night, per person, for seven nights, and receive up to seven additional nights without the daily levy.

– 12 + 18: Pay the SDF USD 200 per night per person, for twelve nights, and receive up to eighteen nights without the daily levy.

These incentives are only available for USD 200 per day SDF paying guests.

Visitors are also being given another opportunity to meaningfully contribute to Bhutan’s progress. Each visitor to Bhutan will be offered the chance to plant a tree towards Bhutan’s goal of one million new trees, helping to maintain the kingdom’s carbon-negative status and exceptional forest cover. Tree saplings will be provided to guests who wish to plant them during their stay in Bhutan, before being maintained by Bhutan’s De-suung national service project.

*After the SDF incentive ends, the standard SDF will apply once again.

**These temporary offers may be retracted or extended at any time.

All guests who pay USD 200 per day SDF rate are entitled to select one of the SDF incentives.

No. Bhutan’s SDF is fixed at USD 200 per person, per day, and this incentive should never be communicated as an SDF of USD 100 per person, per day.

No. This incentive is not combinable with the SDF waiver for border towns.  So, if guests wish to visit the border towns before or after receiving the SDF incentive, the guests will need to apply for another visa to do so.

The different SDF incentives cannot be combined; however, they can be repeated. For instance, for a long-stay guest cannot select a 4+4 and a 7+7 option in the same trip. However, they can select the 4+4 option twice for stays of 16 nights.

No. This incentive is not combinable with the SDF waiver for border towns.

The SDF of USD 200 per day will apply for each day of extension in Bhutan. The guests can also choose one of our SDF incentive options if they wish to stay longer than a few nights. The extensions must be made in person at the Department of Immigration and must be paid in US Dollars.  

For Indian Nationals, extensions can be made in person at the Department of Immigration and must be paid in INR.

Yes, individuals in group visa applications can choose different SDF incentive applications.

An online tool to help calculate the total SDF payable per person is available to view on the Department of Immigration’s website at: https://visit.doi.gov.bt/

What would be the best option for guests who wish to stay in Bhutan for between 4 – 8 nights?
 

The best option to select would be the 4 + 4 option which entitles them to stay for 8 nights. 
 
What would be the best option for guests who wish to stay in Bhutan for between 9 – 10 nights?
 

The best option would be the 4 + 4 option, and then add on additional nights at USD 200. So it would cost USD 1,000 for 9 nights, and USD 1,200 for 10 nights. 
 
What would be the best option for guests who wish to stay in Bhutan for between 11 – 14 nights?
 The best option would be the 7 + 7 option. 

What would be the best option for guests who wish to stay in Bhutan for between 15 – 16 nights?

The best option for 15 nights would be 7 + 7 (USD 1400) plus another night at USD 200 = USD 1600

The best option for 16 nights would be to take the 4 + 4 incentive and repeat it (USD 1600).

For all options, guests also have the choice to select one of the three incentive options and add an extra few days by paying the full SDF after the chosen SDF incentive option expires / finishes.

Tourists visiting Samtse, Phuentsholing, Gelephu, and Samdrupjongkhar towns for 24 hours need not pay Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) beginning April 14, 2023. The waiver will be enforced for a year. The SDF  waiver will only apply for tourists who do not travel beyond the designated zones of border towns. However, SDF will apply for visitors who travel beyond the designated zone of border towns.

Tourists will be charged SDF if they go beyond Gurung Basti in Samtse, and beyond Rinchending Checkpost in Phuentsholing. The designated zone in Gelephu is at Aipoli Bridge and Pinchinna checkpost in Samdrupjongkhar.

The guests should cancel their visa application and apply again. Please allow at least five working days to process the visa application. The SDF that they have already paid can be used when applying again.

Yes, guests who have already obtained visa and booked trips to Bhutan can take advantage of the new SDF incentives. They will need to cancel their existing visa application and re-apply. Please note that DoI will forfeit their original visa fee (USD 40) and guest will be required to pay the USD 40 visa fee again when they process their new visa application. The SDF that they have already paid can be used when applying again.

No, all guests are required to pay the SDF of US$ 200 per person, per day (with discounts applied for children). Only guests from India are eligible to pay the rate of Nu. 1,200 (or equivalent in Indian Rupees) per day.

Yes, the SDF will be refunded by the Department of Immigration for any cancelled or shortened trips; any bank charges will be deducted from the total refunded. Requests for SDF refunds should be submitted online using the visa portal. The refund will be processed after visitors leave Bhutan.

Any complimentary nights issued as part of the SDF incentive will not be refunded. However, if a guest pays the SDF for four nights (for example), and leaves after staying for three nights, they will be refunded the SDF for one night. If the guest pays the SDF for four nights and originally plans to stay for eight nights, but leaves after five nights, they will not be entitled to any refund.

Please email hosts@tourism.gov.bt