India Bhutan
India 
BhutanLast reviewed July 2026
Crossing the border
India and Bhutan share a land border you can cross by car. Keep your passport, national driving licence and International Driving Permit together, and check opening hours and any toll or vignette requirements before you travel.
Driving rules in Bhutan
- Drive on the left on narrow mountain roads.
- Strict speed limits on switchbacks.
- 0.0% alcohol tolerance.
- Carry passport, IDP and permits.
Once you're driving in Bhutan
Destination-specific detail sourced from national road authorities, motoring clubs and rental policies — the things that catch cross-border drivers out.
Driving on a foreign licence
A foreign or international driving licence is accepted for up to three months; visitors staying longer must obtain a Bhutanese Foreign Driving Licence, which requires written and practical tests. In practice self-drive rentals are not offered to tourists, so most drive on these documents only in a private/company vehicle.
Tolls & road charges
Bhutan has no expressway toll or vignette system; road use is free, though tourists pay the government Sustainable Development Fee separately as part of entry, not at any road booth.
Parking in the cities
In Thimphu use the marked municipal parking bays near landmarks such as Clock Tower Square, Tashichho Dzong and Buddha Dordenma, where attendants collect a small hourly fee; unauthorised parking is fined by the Thimphu Thromde.
Fines & camera enforcement
Police strictly enforce seatbelt, speed and drink-driving laws with on-the-spot fines; urban limit is 50 km/h, rural 80 km/h. Drink-driving and reckless driving on cliff roads draw heavier penalties and possible licence action.
If you have an accident
Dial 113 for police and 112 for ambulance; do not move the vehicles after a serious crash and wait for police, as a police report is required and fault can carry compensation liability.
Driving in the capital
Thimphu is famously the only capital with no traffic lights - a white-gloved policeman directs traffic by hand at the main Norzin Lam junction, and roads are narrow with steep gradients.
Sources: travel.state.gov · tyremap.com · drukasia.com · thimphu.gov.bt