I have been receiving many queries regarding my recent bike trip to Bhutan, on how the trip was, what are things to keep in mind and so on. So I decided to put together a series of articles on the how’s, where’s, when’s, what’s, etc. of travelling in Bhutan. Hope it helps!
This post is about getting a permit for your vehicle, if you are riding/driving from India. If you are looking for info on getting entry permit for individuals, please refer my previous post Bhutan permit for Indians.
Where?
Phuntsholing is the border town, located on the Indo-Bhutan border opposite Jaigaon, West Bengal.
Permit office is located, just near the border. You can get your vehicle permit only after you receive your tourist permit.
There is no provision to get a vehicle permit from the tourist permit office. So once you receive your tourist permit, You need to visit the RTO ( Regional transport office) with your permit, the office is located in the local ‘Bus Stand’.
Prerequisites
- All up to date valid documents of your vehicle, including PUC certificate
- If it’s a rented vehicle, you should carry rental agreement.
- Keep a copy of all the documents.
You will need the fill up of a form, and the form is available in the building itself. There you have options for getting Xerox copy as well. They will also help you with any doubts and arrange your docs, as per needs.
Traffic manners
The moment you cross the border you will see the difference in the driving manners, people in Bhutan follow traffic rules; hence everything is in order, as a responsible tourist, make sure you respect their law and follow traffic disciplines. Also, try not to honk unnecessarily like in India.
If you are riding a motorbike, don’t think you can overtake a car while in the city, you need to follow lane rules and stay behind other vehicles, no matter what.
I hope this helped. Feel free to comment with suggestions or queries.
PS:
- This post is meant for Indians.
- This trip was made in DEC 2016, and rules might have changed when you are reading this.
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