Bhutan Digital Nomad Residence (Gelephu Mindfulness City)

Bhutan's Digital Nomad Residence lets remote professionals base themselves in Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), the special administrative region in southern Bhutan. The program launched on Jan. 22, 2026. It is run for the GMC Authority by DigitalBhutan by NomadClub, a private company that describes itself as the sole authorized operator.

The GMC Authority and the Royal Government of Bhutan have not published the program's rules themselves. Every program figure on this page comes from the operator's website and has not been confirmed by an official source, so applicants should check each one with the operator before paying.

• Program fee (operator): $2,800 a year, non-refundable
• Deposit (operator): at least $10,000 in TER at DK Bank, refundable on exit
• Stay (operator): 12 months, renewable up to 24 months in total
• Income threshold: none stated by the operator

The program suits remote workers who want a year or two in Bhutan, and it would spare them the nightly tourist fee if the operator's stated waiver holds.

According to the operator, the program is open to professionals, entrepreneurs and self-employed people in sectors aligned with GMC priorities. Applications are reviewed individually. The operator states no nationality limit, no income threshold and no minimum stay.

The operator does not say whether partners or children can be included. GMC Immigration offers separate visa, work and residence permit services, but nothing published ties dependents to this program.

The rules on local employment have not been published. Anyone planning to take a job or serve clients in Bhutan should ask GMC Immigration about a work permit before relying on the residence.

The operator publishes three core requirements:

• An eligibility review of the applicant's profession or business.
• Payment of the yearly program fee to the GMC Authority.
• A DK Bank account holding a deposit of at least $10,000 in TER, a gold-backed token issued by the GMC Authority.

No official document checklist has been published, for example on police certificates or health insurance. Applicants should ask the operator which documents GMC Immigration requires before they start.

The operator lists two program costs:

• Program fee: $2,800 a year, non-refundable, paid to the GMC Authority. It is charged every year of the residence, not once.
• TER deposit: at least $10,000, held through DK Bank and refundable on exit.

Ordinary tourists pay Bhutan's Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of $100 per adult per night, a time-limited rate that runs until Aug. 31, 2027. The operator states that the SDF is waived for program participants. The Department of Tourism has not published that waiver, so participants should confirm it before traveling outside GMC.

Housing, flights, insurance and bank charges come on top and are not set by the program.

Applications are made online through DigitalBhutan by NomadClub. The operator lists four stages:

1. Eligibility review.
2. Application and payment of the program fee.
3. Opening a DK Bank account and placing the TER deposit.
4. Issue of the residence papers.

No official processing time has been published. The operator gives its own estimate for initial approval, but GMC has not confirmed it.

The operator describes a 12-month residence that can be renewed once, for up to 24 months in total. It publishes no separate renewal fee beyond the yearly program fee.

According to the operator, holders may travel and live anywhere in Bhutan, not only in Gelephu.

Nothing published links the program to permanent residence or citizenship.

No official statement says how program participants are taxed. Bhutan's Income Tax Act 2025, in force since Jan. 1, 2026, treats a person as resident who is present for 183 days or more in any 12-month period that starts or ends in the income year.

A full 12-month residence passes that threshold. Participants should ask a tax adviser how Bhutan treats foreign income and check how their home country taxes income earned abroad.