Before you start

Unlocked handset
Passport and valid visa
Work permit or residence permit, for a regular (non-tourist) subscription

Step-by-step

1
Buy a SIM at the airport or an operator office
Bhutan Telecom and TashiCell both sell at Paro airport and from offices in Thimphu. Coverage is good in the valleys and thins quickly in the mountains.
In personWho: YouModest — starter packs and data bundles are inexpensive by regional standards
2
Register the SIM against your passport
Registration is mandatory for every SIM including tourist SIMs. Foreign nationals register with a passport number; a copy of the passport and visa is normally taken.
In personWho: You
3
Move to a regular subscription once you hold a permit
Visitors are generally limited to tourist SIMs. Once your work or residence permit is issued you can hold a standard subscription, which is what your bank will expect to see.
In personWho: You
4
Set up mobile payments
Bhutan's payment system is strongly mobile- and QR-based. Once your number and bank account are linked, day-to-day payment is easier than card acceptance would suggest.
Mobile appWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport
Valid visa
Work or residence permit, for a regular subscription
Passport photographs, sometimes requested

Things most newcomers don’t know

The SIM is the first domino, not a convenience.

Banks require a registered Bhutanese mobile number to open an account, and since May 2026 the account is a work-permit condition for engagements over 30 days. Getting a number on day one unblocks the chain; leaving it until you 'settle in' stalls everything behind it.

Source: Bank account requirements combined with SIM registration rules

Tourist SIMs and regular subscriptions are different products.

Arriving before your permit is finalised usually means a tourist SIM. That's fine for connectivity but may not satisfy a bank expecting a standard registered subscription, so expect to redo this step once your permit lands.

Source: Operator practice and BICMA SIM registration code

Coverage follows the valleys.

Thimphu and Paro are well served; signal degrades sharply on mountain roads and in remote districts. Download offline maps before travelling beyond the main corridor.

Source: community-reported