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The 30-second card
CurrencyBhutanese Ngultrum · BTN; Indian Rupee · ₹ · INRSource: Unicode CLDR · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
SIM and eSIM
Buy a SIM at Paro airport: Bhutan Telecom or Tashi Cell, unlimited 14-day 4G for 2000Nu (April 2025).Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗Apps locals use
Binance Pay: pay in cryptocurrency where cards are not accepted.DrukRide: book bus seats online, though signing up often fails.
Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗Cards or cash
Mostly cashMostly cards
Step 2 of 5: Cash is the main way to pay; cards are accepted only in some places.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗Money in Bhutan
Bhutanese Ngultrum · BTN
ATMs are unreliable, so carry a backup way to pay.
Flying to Bagdogra in India and crossing overland avoids the steep fares foreigners pay to Paro.
Keep small notes for the many donation spots in temples.
Spend your ngultrum before leaving: India won't take it, though Indian rupees work in Bhutan.
Collect Bhutanese Ngultrum in CointryOur sister app for coin and banknote collectors · cointry.appOpen02Free
Safety today
Germany, the US and the UK publish their travel advice openly. Here is what those that cover Bhutan say, side by side, checked daily.
German Foreign Office says
No travel warning
Calm ●
Caution
Serious
Don’t go
Source: Auswärtiges Amt
Updated 13 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Updated 13 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
U.S. Department of State says
Exercise normal precautions
Calm ●
Caution
Serious
Don’t go
Level 1 of 4
Source: travel.state.gov
Updated 3 Sept 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Updated 3 Sept 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
UK Foreign Office says
No advice against travel
Source: GOV.UK
Updated 10 Dec 2025 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Updated 10 Dec 2025 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Countrywise is a summary. The official page is authoritative.
03Free
Health
Get tetanus, typhoid and hepatitis A shots. Malaria in some regions. Altitude sickness risk above 8,000 ft.
Vaccinations
Get tetanus, typhoid and hepatitis A shots before the trip.
Malaria
In some regionsAltitude
Altitude sickness is a risk above 8,000 feet; see a doctor before a high trip.
Talk to a travel clinic 4–8 weeks before you go.
Source: U.S. Department of State
Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Summarised from the CDC’s Travelers’ Health pages. Using them does not mean the CDC endorses Countrywise.
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Deep facts
| GDP | ≈ $3.6 billionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Per person | ≈ $4,493Source: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Top exports | iron alloys, aircraft, dolomite, semi-finished iron, cement (2023)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Population | 796,682Source: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 31.2 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Life expectancy | 73.7 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2024 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Religions | Lamaistic Buddhist 75.3%, Indian- and Nepali-influenced Hinduism 22.1%, other 2.6% (2005 est.)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · 2005 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Area | 38,394 km²Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Climate | varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in HimalayasSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Terrain | mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savannaSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Type of government | constitutional monarchySource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Calling code | +975Source: libphonenumber · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
About the data
Written from the sources we link, and checked against them before each release. Countrywise summarises public sources. We are not an official source. For safety and entry rules, always follow the official page we link to.
From your foreign ministry when it publishes its advice openly (Germany, the US, the UK). Otherwise we show those three side by side. Checked daily, with the date next to every entry.
GOV.UK · 24 Oct 2026 ↗IANA Time Zone Database · 23 Oct 2026 ↗libphonenumber · 23 Oct 2026 ↗The World Factbook (archive) · 23 Oct 2026 ↗U.S. Department of State · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Unicode CLDR · 23 Oct 2026 ↗Wikidata · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikivoyage · 24 Oct 2026 ↗World Bank · 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Flag artwork from flag-icons (MIT licence).
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