In order to enter Bhutan, certain goods are subject to specific controls and, regardless of their value and quantity, they require the consent of Bhutan government, preferably, license must be obtained prior to passage through the customs, preventing the goods from being retained. On this page, you will see what kinds of items are prohibited from entering the Bhutan, and which items need special documentation before exporting to Bhutan.
Import restrictions
Senders should determine import restrictions from Bhutan authorities before posting:
- Bees
- Cards, playing
- Cigarette lighters
- Coffee seeds and trees
- Confectionery
- Drugs and medicines
- Films
- Fountain pens and parts thereof
- Firearms, including imitation firearms and toys resembling firearms
- Gemstones, precious or synthetic
- Insect specimens
- Insecticides and parasite killers
- Liqueurs
- Pencils, lead and propelling
- Perfume
- Plants and plant products
- Radio apparatus
- Rubber
- Saccharine
- Silkworms
- Spectacles and sunglasses
- Sugar cane
- Tobacco, raw or manufactured, including cigarettes and cigars
- Watches and watch-parts.
Bhutan requires an import permit for all commercial goods. Before posting any item, senders should confirm that the addressee has any necessary permit. Bhutan admits gifts to the value of $A20 without an import licence, but customs duty is payable. Books and magazines are duty-free.
Special documentation
Commercial goods must include an invoice in duplicate and a Certificate of Origin. The customs declaration must either state that these are included or give a reason why not.
Prohibitions
In addition to items prohibited by Dangerous and Prohibited Goods & Packaging Post Guide and ECI International Courier Regulations, Bhutan prohibits:
- Antiques
- Bank note resemblances included in the design of any article
- Beans
- Coinage resemblances, Indian currency
- Cotton, untreated
- Fountain pens and parts thereof
- Firearms, including imitation firearms and toys resembling firearms
- Flowers, fresh
- Goods insufficiently marked as to origin.
- Jewellery
- Lottery tickets and advertising
- Pearl necklaces and imitation pearls
- Plants
- Quinine, pink-coloured
- Shaving brushes, Japanese
- Silk and art objects made of silk
- Tobacco, raw
- Trademarks, Indian, false or imitation.