What is SDF?
Sustainable Development Fee or SDF is like a royalty that a visitor as tourist must pay in order to get a visa for Bhutan.
How SDF is used?
SDF is USD 100 per person per night and this fee does not cover the actual cost of travel. This means a travelers will pay US$100 per night as SDF/royalty and pay additional for the actual travel cost; such as government approved hotels, vehicle, guide fee and meals.
The SDF is directly transferred to the government revenue account. SDF is one of the major revenue sources for the government for public infrastructure development. Revenue sourced from the Tourism is allocated for public spending though the government budgetary allocations for construction of schools, roads, bridges, health infrastructure, investment on environment, waste management, investment on tourism development activities etc. Therefore, every tourist visiting Bhutan contributes to the wellbeing of citizens and infrastructure development of Bhutan.
When do I pay the SDF?
When applying for a visa to enter Bhutan, you will need to pay the SDF. Visas can be applied for at the Department of Tourism’s website.
Are the SDF incentives for long stays still valid?
No, the incentives introduced in June 2023 have been revoked and are no longer applicable. However, the 24-hour SDF waiver for border towns in Bhutan remains valid.