The nation’s immigration system handled nearly 1.8 million human movements and more than 631,000 vehicle movements in July 2026, highlighting the growing scale of cross-border mobility and the increasing demands on the country’s border management system. The figures represent more than a monthly border tally—they show the scale of the system Bhutan must operate as tourism, employment, trade and regional connectivity continue to expand.
A total of 1,786,058 entries and exits involving Bhutanese and foreign nationals were recorded during the month. This included 890,855 entries and 895,203 exits through the country’s immigration points.
The volume of movement was accompanied by substantial vehicle traffic, with 319,680 vehicles entering Bhutan and 311,935 leaving, taking total vehicle movements to 631,615 during the month.
The figures provide a snapshot of the scale of movement that Bhutan’s immigration authorities are required to facilitate while simultaneously enforcing immigration rules, processing permits and monitoring compliance.
The July data also show that the pressure on the immigration system extends beyond border processing. The Department issued more than 20,000 immigration permits, carried out more than 2,400 individual verifications and recorded 103 immigration offences during the month.
Foreign nationals accounted for the larger share of human movements. The Department recorded 490,851 entries and 488,939 exits by foreign nationals, bringing their total movements to 979,790. Bhutanese nationals accounted for 400,004 entries and 406,264 exits, or 806,268 movements.
The figures underline Bhutan’s extensive movement of people across its borders, driven by tourism, employment, business, trade, family travel and other forms of regional mobility.
Vehicle traffic was similarly dominated by foreign vehicles. Foreign-registered vehicles recorded 202,152 entries and 197,708 exits, while Bhutanese vehicles recorded 117,528 entries and 114,227 exits.
The scale of traffic places immigration offices at the centre of a complex border-management function, where facilitating legitimate travel must be balanced with compliance and national security requirements.
With more than 20,000 permits issued, it put a strain on the administration as well. The Department issued 20,145 immigration permits in July across five categories, with work-related permits accounting for the largest share.
A total of 8,768 work permits were issued, representing 39.15 percent of all permits. Entry permits accounted for another 7,181, or 32.12 percent, while 4,178 visa permits were issued, representing 18.66 percent. Student and investor permits accounted for only a small proportion, with 16 student permits and two investor permits issued during the month.
A proportionate 103 immigration offences were recorded during the period which called for continued enforcement and compliance activities, while pointing to the dual responsibility of the immigration system: keeping borders open and efficient for legitimate travellers while identifying and responding to violations.
A total of 2,408 individuals were verified across six immigration offices during July. Thimphu recorded the highest number of verifications at 786, followed by Samtse with 722, Samdrup Jongkhar with 371, Phuentsholing with 295 and Gelephu with 234.
Overstaying was the most common violation, accounting for 54 cases, followed by 36 cases involving misuse of immigration permits. The Department also recorded seven cases involving illegal immigrants, three cases of illegal transportation, two cases involving failure to possess required documents and one case involving a cancelled permit.
Despite the complexities, revenue collection fell in July. The Department collected USD 1.95 million, INR 20.49 million and Nu 8.51 million in immigration-related revenue during July. The July collection was lower than in some preceding months, particularly in Indian currency.
In April, the Department collected USD 4.19 million, INR 35.20 million and Nu 8.38 million. Collections rose sharply in May, reaching USD 2.21 million, INR 194.48 million and Nu 10.74 million. In June, revenue stood at USD 1.29 million, INR 98.30 million and Nu 10.58 million before declining to July levels.
“The challenge is to ensure that growing cross-border mobility does not translate into longer processing times, weaker compliance or gaps in border management,” said an immigration official in Phuentsholing. “For the Department, the increasing movement of people and vehicles makes efficient digital systems, accurate documentation and effective enforcement increasingly important.”
As a means to improve internal administration and workload, the Department is also turning to digital systems. The DoI reported developing an in-house Document Management System at zero cost. The system is intended to centralise official records, improve document retrieval and strengthen institutional records management. The initiative forms part of broader efforts to improve efficiency and digitise immigration administration.
Tashi Namgyal, Thimphu
