Customs

Travellers will be required to complete the passenger deceleration form upon arrival. Travellers are allowed to bring in the following items:

1. Personal belongings.
2. Alcohol (wine or spirit) – up to 1 litre.
3. Up to 200 pieces of cigarettes with payment of 200% custom tax (if from Third Countries) and 100% if from India..
4. Video and/or photography equipment for personal use.
5. Instrument and apparatus for personal use.

The tour package booked will include the following services:

1. Accommodation in the standard hotels approved by the Tourism Counsel of Bhutan (TCB).
2. All meals.
3. Land transportation and sightseeing.
4. Professional English speaking tour guide (Or others depending on the guest).
5. Entrance fees to all monuments.
6. Government royalty and taxes.

Sale of Tobacco in Bhutan has been banned since 2005 and in 2011 the country began enforcing the Tobacco Control Act, passed overwhelmingly in June by the Parliament, which allows agents of the Bhutan Narcotic Control Agency to inspect homes and businesses of those suspected of possessing or selling smuggled tobacco. However visitors who still want to smoke privately are allowed to import 200 cigarette “sticks” a month, Therefore you need to declare in the airport paying 100% custom duty & 100% tax and need to avail customs paperwork to prove the cigarettes were acquired legally.

Anyone caught smoking who can’t produce the proper receipts faces up to three years in prison. For selling bootleg tobacco, the penalty is five years. And Bhutan’s government has publicly proclaimed that it wants to make the country completely tobacco-free.

Photography:

Bhutan’s landscape, architecture, people and mountains are the most photogenic sights in the world – it is, after all, called “Earth’s Last Shangri-La” for a reason. Photography is not allowed in some places of religious significance, mostly inside temples and scared places where cameras are prohibited.

Shopping:
Many travellers take home with them good quality local products like wood carvings, Thangka paintings, textile woven cloth and incense sticks.

Electricity and Voltage:
Electricity runs 220/ 240 volts. You may bring along international adaptor.

Media:
Bhutan’s oldest newspaper is ‘Kuensel’, which was established in the early 70s. 5 newspapers are in circulation in Bhutan. Online newspapers are also available –
www.kuenselonline.com
www.bhutantimes.com
www.bhutanoserver.com

The main radio station is the Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS), which has programs in four different languages – English, Dzongkha, Nepali, Sherchop.

Communications:
Communication facilities are available in almost all parts of the country. There are fixed line phones and mobile services in all twenty dzongkhags (districts). Internet service is also there in almost all parts of the country.

Standard mail services like DHL and Federal Express are available in major cities like Thimphu and Paro.

Time difference:
Bhutan Standard Time (BST) is 6 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Bhutan is 30 minutes ahead from India standard Time. Time zone is same throughout the country.

Laundry:
Laundry facilities / services are available in most hotels. It is advisable to check the hotel’s pricing schedule and returning policy prior to using the services if available.

Money Exchange:
The Bhutan’s currency is called ‘NGULTRUM’, ‘Nu’ in short.

Ngultrum is officially pegged to the Indian Rupee. The Bhutan Government has banned the use of Indian Rupee 500 and 1000 notes.

Visa is the more widely accepted credit card, while other credit cards may be accepted only at deluxe / luxury hotels.

Commercial banks have ATM facilities but only for local bank accounts.

Money Exchange facilities are available for travellers’ cheques and main currencies, including US Dollar, Euro, Japanese Yen, Pound Sterling, Swiss Franc, Hong Kong Dollar, Canadian dollar, Australia Dollar, Singapore Dollar, Danish Kroner, Norwgian Kroner, Swedish Kroner. Exchange rates vary and travellers should check prior to transaction.