URL: https://esimgo.in/international-sim/bhutan/ Buy: https://esimgo.in/esim-bhutan/ Source: eSIM Go (esimgo.in) Author: Nadezhda Semenova, entrepreneur, co-founder of the Trippy travel service, https://esimgo.in/author/ Updated: 12 Oct 2026 # Bhutan SIM card for Indian travellers: roaming, local SIM or eSIM Indian travellers get data in Bhutan from an operator pack, a Bhutan SIM card bought after arrival, or a [travel eSIM](/travel-esim/) installed before the trip. Our Bhutan eSIM is data-only and starts at ≈ ₹526 (12 Oct rate) for 1 GB over 7 days, charged US$5.49 by card. Jio sells no data pack for Bhutan. ## Bhutan eSIM or tourist SIM: what Indian travellers need You need mobile data in Bhutan, not a Bhutan SIM card with a local number. An eSIM supplies the data once your phone sees a Bhutanese network. Keep your Indian SIM in the phone too: bank OTPs still arrive on that number. India's Ministry of Tourism lists 22,919 departures of Indian nationals to Bhutan in 2025. In our catalogue on 12 Oct 2026, every Bhutan plan runs on B-Mobile (Bhutan Telecom) and carries data only: it includes no calls and no SMS. A Bhutan tourist SIM comes from a local operator such as B-Mobile or TashiCell, and a physical Bhutan SIM card needs a free slot in your phone. This page quotes no Bhutan SIM card price because we have not verified current ones. ## Jio has no data pack for Bhutan: what Airtel, Vi and BSNL offer (checked 12 Oct 2026) Bhutan is in none of Jio's data-pack zones, as listed on 12 Oct 2026. Jio lists it only for the Global Pack, a ₹1,101 or ₹1,102 balance for 28 days spent at standard roaming rates. Airtel and Vi list Bhutan in their prepaid zones, and BSNL lists no data allowance. The Maldives has the same Jio gap, as the [Maldives guide](/international-sim/maldives/) shows. The packs Jio does sell, and the countries they cover, are on our [Jio roaming page](/roaming/jio/). We sell travel eSIMs, so we have an interest here. The table still shows when your operator pack is the better choice. | Pack | Price | Data | Days | ≈ ₹ per GB | Source | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Airtel prepaid IR | ₹998 | 4 GB | 5 | about ₹250 | [Airtel T&C](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf) | | Airtel prepaid IR | ₹1,298 | 6 GB | 10 | about ₹216 | [Airtel T&C](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf) | | Vi prepaid Budget, Set 2 | ₹755 | 500 MB | 5 | about ₹1,510 | [Vi prepaid T&C](https://www.myvi.in/content/dam/vodafoneideadigital/ir/Vi_VF_Prepaid_TnC.pdf) | | Vi prepaid Ultra, non-UL | ₹3,495 | 2 GB | 7 | about ₹1,748 | [Vi prepaid T&C](https://www.myvi.in/content/dam/vodafoneideadigital/ir/Vi_VF_Prepaid_TnC.pdf) | Source: operator documents linked in each row, checked on 12 Oct 2026. Airtel's T&C are dated 24 Sep 2026, and the ≈ ₹ per GB column is our derivation (price ÷ GB). Airtel's FAQ page still shows older prices. Airtel sells one set of packs for every covered country and advertises 189 countries; Bhutan is on its list. Postpaid packs are priced differently. Vi prints "FREE" data on its Ultra packs only in its 40-country "UL" zone. Bhutan sits in the prepaid non-UL zone, so ₹3,495 buys 2 GB and 200 minutes. Vi's ₹755 Budget pack gives 500 MB in Bhutan and no voice. Vi states: "IR packs are not applicable for customers in J&K, Assam and North East". Vi's country page is an image inside its terms PDF, so we read the names by hand. BSNL shows a Bhutan special tariff but lists no data allowance, so we quote none. For comparison, 3 GB for 30 days on our Bhutan eSIM costs ≈ ₹1,196 (12 Oct rate), about ₹398 (US$4.16) per GB, charged US$12.49, and your bank may add [its own forex markup](/how-to-pay/forex-markup/). The Airtel pack is the better choice when you need calls on your Indian number: ₹998 includes 150 minutes, our plan none. For more than 3 GB within 10 days, compare Airtel's ₹1,298 prepaid pack (6 GB) with our 5 GB plan at ≈ ₹2,202 (12 Oct rate). ## By road via Phuentsholing or by air to Paro An eSIM connects once your phone sees a Bhutanese network, whether you drive in through Phuentsholing or fly into Paro. Until then it stays idle. Set it up at home on Wi-Fi before you reach the border or the airport, then switch on data roaming for the eSIM line once you are in Bhutan. If Bhutan is one stop on a longer route, the [international SIM guides](/international-sim/) cover the other countries. ## Install before you leave, connect in Bhutan Install the eSIM in India; it connects when you land abroad, or when you cross into Bhutan by road. Do the QR code install on home Wi-Fi. In our catalogue on 12 Oct 2026, data plan validity on every Bhutan plan counts from the first connection to a Bhutanese network, so installing early uses no days. Check your model on the [eSIM phone list](/esim-compatible-phones/) first. Choose by days, then GB. A week takes 1 GB over 7 days at ≈ ₹526 (12 Oct rate), two weeks 2 GB over 15 days at ≈ ₹909 (12 Oct rate), and a month 3 GB over 30 days at ≈ ₹1,196 (12 Oct rate) or 5 GB over 30 days at ≈ ₹2,202 (12 Oct rate). The ₹ figures are estimates at the day's rate, and every plan size is listed on the [Bhutan eSIM page](/esim-bhutan/). Hotspot use draws on the same data allowance; our plan details do not state a hotspot rule. Buy the Bhutan plan, not the Asia plan. Our Asia regional plan does not include Bhutan (our catalogue check, 12 Oct 2026), so it would not connect there. See the [Asia hub](/esim-asia/) for its countries. Your card is charged in US dollars. Your bank converts the amount at its own rate and may add a foreign-transaction (forex markup) fee. [How card payments work](/how-to-pay/). Full refund within 30 days of purchase, as long as the eSIM has not connected to any network. If the eSIM doesn't work and it isn't your phone's fault, we refund the payment whether or not it was installed. Keep your Indian SIM active as a second line with its data off. No page can promise that every OTP will reach you; the [guide to keeping your Indian SIM for OTPs](/help/keep-indian-sim-for-otp/) explains the dual-SIM settings. ## Sources Checked on 12 Oct 2026 (IST). 1. [Jio international roaming plan list (Global Pack prices)](https://www.jio.com/selfcare/plans/mobility/prepaid-plans-list/?category=International%20Roaming&categoryId=SW50ZXJuYXRpb25hbCBSb2FtaW5n) 2. [Jio Global Pack country list](https://jep-asset.akamaized.net/jio/plan/Direct_Country_and_Partner_Name_22072020.pdf) 3. [Airtel prepaid IR terms, dated 24 Sep 2026](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf) 4. [Vi prepaid IR terms](https://www.myvi.in/content/dam/vodafoneideadigital/ir/Vi_VF_Prepaid_TnC.pdf) 5. [BSNL international roaming tariffs, special-tariff list](https://ir.bsnl.co.in/pre-paid/Sri%20Lanka) 6. [Ministry of Tourism, India: departures to Bhutan, 2025](https://data.tourism.gov.in/chart-data-outboundcountry/2025?country=BHUTAN) 7. Our catalogue (Bhutan and Asia plans), read on 12 Oct 2026 ## FAQ ### Do Indian SIM cards work in Bhutan? A Jio, Airtel or Vi SIM works once international roaming is on, but for mobile data plan on a roaming pack. Jio sells no data pack for Bhutan. Without a pack, Airtel bars prepaid data and Vi keeps mobile data off. ### eSIM or roaming pack for Bhutan? Jio sells no data pack for Bhutan, and Airtel's ₹998 prepaid pack gives 4 GB over 5 days (12 Oct 2026). For an eSIM, pick by trip length: 1 GB over 7 days, 2 GB over 15 days, or 3 GB or 5 GB over 30 days. Buy the Bhutan plan, not the Asia plan, which does not include Bhutan. ### Does the eSIM validity start when I install it in India? No. The days count from the first connection to a Bhutanese network, so you can install at home on Wi-Fi. ### Can I get OTPs and use WhatsApp with a Bhutan eSIM? WhatsApp runs on the eSIM's data. OTPs arrive by SMS on your Indian number, which a data-only eSIM cannot receive, so keep your Indian SIM active. ### Does my phone support eSIM? Check your model on our eSIM phone list before you buy, or look for an "Add eSIM" option in your phone's SIM settings.