Moving to Bhutan
Visas and residency, citizenship, tax, company and banking, cost of living and the places to live in Bhutan, in one place.
Southern AsiaThinking about moving to Bhutan?
Here's how long you can stay, the ways to live there for good, what you'd pay in tax and what everyday life costs, each figure from an official source.
In this guide, I'll show you:
- How long you can stay, by passport
- How long citizenship takes
- How tax works, with the rates
- What it costs, and the internet and safety
- The basics: capital, currency and languages
Pick your passport at the top of the page, and the stay rule shows for you.
TL;DRKey takeaways
Bhutan at a glance
How long can you stay in Bhutan?
It depends on the passport you hold.
Here's the rule for the most common ones:
US passport- Rule
- e-Visa
- Stay
- 90 days
UK passport- Rule
- e-Visa
- Stay
- 90 days
EU passport (German)- Rule
- e-Visa
- Stay
- 90 days
Canadian passport- Rule
- e-Visa
- Stay
- 90 days
Australian passport- Rule
- e-Visa
- Stay
- 90 days
Indian passport- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- –
For any other passport, pick yours at the top, or see every country on the visa-free countries map.
Citizenship in Bhutan
Naturalization takes about 20 years of residence.
Dual citizenship isn't allowed, so you'd give up your passport.
Work out your own timeline with the second passport calculator.
Tax in Bhutan
Bhutan taxes only income earned inside the country, not income from abroad.
See where it sits among every country on the territorial tax map.
The main rates:
- Lowest income tax band – 0%
- Top income tax rate – 25%
- Corporate tax – 26%
Where you're a tax resident usually comes down to days.
Count yours with the 183-day rule calculator.
Company and banking
Compare the banks and cards that work for people abroad in the bank account finder.
Move money for less with the money transfer comparison.
Many people who live abroad run a US LLC instead; check yours with the US LLC for non-residents checker.
Cost of living in Bhutan
Everyday prices in Bhutan are about 23% of US prices.
That's the World Bank's price level for 2025: its purchasing power conversion factor divided by the exchange rate.
That makes it one of the cheaper places to live on a foreign income.
Convert what things cost with the currency converter.
Is Bhutan safe?
The US State Department rates Bhutan Level 1 ("Exercise normal precautions", updated 2025-10-20), the same level it gives Austria, Portugal, Japan and Australia. Level 1 is normal travel. Some advisories are stricter for parts of a country, so read the full advisory before you go.
For a second view, the UK has no warning against travel.
See every country's level on the travel advisory map.
Internet in Bhutan
In M-Lab's open speed tests across Bhutan over the last 12 months, half came in above 10 Mbps download.
The fastest quarter of lines came in above 39 Mbps, closer to a good fiber connection (6,779 tests).
Test your own line when you arrive with my internet speed test.
Bhutan: the basics
| What | Bhutan |
|---|---|
| Capital | Thimphu |
| Currency | Bhutanese ngultrum (BTN) |
| Languages | Dzongkha |
| Population | about 754,394 |
From GeoNames' country data (CC BY 4.0).
More tools for Bhutan
- Passport index and compare passports
- Time zone overlap calculator for calls with home
- eSIM finder for data when you land
- Card fees abroad calculator before you spend
Bhutan FAQs
e-Visa, for 90 days.
Pick another passport at the top of the page to see its rule.
It depends on your passport.
Pick yours at the top of the page to see the days, and whether you need a visa first.
Not that I've found in official sources as of 2026-09-29.
The digital nomad visa finder lists every country that has one.
About 20 years of residence.
No.
You'd give up your other passport to naturalize.
Bhutan taxes only income earned inside the country, not income from abroad.
Check the details with a tax adviser before you move.
Everyday prices are about 23% of US prices, by the World Bank's price level for 2025.
Rent in the biggest cities can be higher than that suggests.
The US State Department rates it Level 1.
Levels 1 and 2 are everyday travel; read the full advisory for any regions it warns about.
Half of M-Lab's tests there came in above 10 Mbps download over the last 12 months.
The fastest quarter of lines passed 39 Mbps.
The Bhutanese ngultrum (BTN).
The main language is Dzongkha.
Navid Moazzez
AI business strategist & AI OS builder
Navid Moazzez helps creators and founders master AI and build their own AI Operating System (AI OS) to automate their business and life.
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