Rules for overlanding in Bhutan
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 1 September 2026.
Which licence you need
- All vehicles — An International Driving Permit under the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna convention is what the ministry lists. Check what applies to the licence you hold.
An International Driving Permit states the categories it covers: check yours covers what you will actually drive. A car licence does not cover a motorcycle, and a heavy camper or a truck can need a higher category.
At the wheel
- Insurance — Temporary vehicle cover is bought at the border.
- Roads — Getting around inside the country is hard: road conditions are poor and the routes run high in the mountains.
- How people move — The ministry describes internal journeys as being made only by taxi or rental car.
What catches travellers out
- Visa through an operator — A visa is compulsory and is issued on authorisation from Thimphu. The ministry asks you to contact the Department of Tourism and book your stay through a tour operator it recognises. The daily levy is 100 USD per adult and 50 USD for children aged 6 to 12, plus 40 USD for issuing the visa.
- Tobacco — Buying and selling tobacco is banned in Bhutan. You may import up to 200 cigarettes on payment of a 200% tax, and you must be ready to show police the customs receipt, otherwise you can be accused of smuggling and face up to three years in prison. Smoking in public places such as hotels, restaurants and bars is prohibited.
- Drugs — Using or trafficking drugs, soft or hard, is prosecuted with particular severity by the local authorities.
- Indian banknotes — Bhutanese authorities do not accept Indian banknotes larger than 500 rupees.
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 1 September 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Bhutan before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.
Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 1 September 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.