When you book a Bhutan tour with Breathe Bhutan, you are paying not just for hotels and a guide, but also for government-mandated fees, flights and services that must be settled in specific currencies. Because of this, Bhutanese tour operators do not use a single bank account. They operate a multi-currency system that allows them to legally and efficiently run your trip.
Licensed Bhutanese tour companies maintain three types of bank accounts. A Bhutanese Ngultrum (BTN) account is used for local expenses inside Bhutan such as staff salaries, transport, fuel and local suppliers. A US Dollar (USD) account is used to pay international flights, luxury hotels and services that operate in USD. An Indian Rupee (INR) account is used to pay the Sustainable Development Fee (SDF), regional flights, and the many Bhutanese hotels and service providers that operate in INR.
For guests paying from India, the INR account is the correct and required account to use.
Why Google Pay and UPI Do Not Work for Tour Payments
Google Pay, PhonePe and UPI can be used in Bhutan only for BTN QR payments. Those payments go into a Bhutanese Ngultrum account. While this works for small retail purchases, it cannot be used for tour payments.
Tour payments must be received in INR or USD. The SDF, airline tickets and many hotels are settled in INR, and Bhutanese banks are required to receive these funds through regulated banking channels. UPI and Google Pay cannot send money into foreign INR or USD accounts outside India, which is why tour operators cannot accept them for tour payments.
Why Correspondent Banks Are Used
Bhutanese banks do not have branches in India, and Indian banks cannot directly send INR into Bhutan without using an intermediary. To solve this, Bhutanese banks maintain INR accounts inside major Indian banks called correspondent banks. These banks receive INR inside India, notify the Bhutanese bank, and the Bhutanese bank then credits the money to the tour operator’s INR account in Bhutan.
This system ensures the transaction is fully compliant with RBI regulations, foreign exchange rules and Bhutanese banking law. It also ensures that SDF, visas and tourism payments are properly tracked and accepted by the Royal Government of Bhutan.
ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank are two of the many correspondent banks used by Bhutanese banks. They are widely used because they are reliable, fast and easily accessible across India.
Official INR Payment Details for Breathe Bhutan
Below are the official banking channels for sending INR from India to Breathe Bhutan through Bhutan National Bank.
Option 1: Transfer via ICICI Bank
Correspondent Bank:
ICICI Bank Limited
ICICI Towers, Bandra Kurla Complex
Mumbai 400051, India
SWIFT Code ICICINBBXXX
IFSC Code ICIC0000208 (Siliguri Branch)
Beneficiary Bank Account:
Account Number: 000405026227
Beneficiary Bank:
Bhutan National Bank Limited
P O Box 439, GPO Building, Chang Lam
Thimphu, Bhutan
SWIFT Code BNBTBTBT
Ultimate Beneficiary:
Breathe Bhutan Adventures and Holidays
Account Number 640728851
Maintained with Bhutan National Bank, Thimphu
Option 2: Transfer via HDFC Bank
Correspondent Bank:
HDFC Bank Limited
12th Floor, Raheja Centre
Free Press Journal Marg, Nariman Point
Mumbai 400021, India
SWIFT Code HDFCINBB
IFSC Code HDFC0000060
Beneficiary Bank Account:
Account Number: 01510390000013
Beneficiary Bank in Bhutan:
Bhutan National Bank Limited
P O Box 439, GPO Building, Chang Lam
Thimphu, Bhutan
SWIFT Code BNBTBTBT
Ultimate Beneficiary:
Breathe Bhutan Adventures and Holidays
Account Number 640728851
Maintained with Bhutan National Bank, Thimphu
What to Tell Your Indian Bank, If Required.
When making the transfer, tell your bank that this is an INR international remittance to Bhutan via correspondent bank for travel and tourism services. They will route the payment correctly using the SWIFT and correspondent banking network.
Why This System Is Safe and Official
This is the same system used by Bhutan’s airlines, hotels and the Royal Government of Bhutan to receive money from India. It ensures full legal compliance, fast settlement, no currency confusion and a clean audit trail for SDF and visa payments.
By using these banking channels, you are paying exactly the way Bhutan’s tourism industry is designed to work.
