How to Get Bhutan CitizenshipKey facts
- Residence for naturalisation
- 20 years
- Language
- Required, no test
- Dual citizenship
- Not accepted
- Civic test
- Required, no test specified
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
- Income condition
- No income condition in the law
- Dual citizenship in detail
- Not acceptedNew citizens must give up their previous citizenship.Citizens who naturalise abroad lose their citizenship automatically.
- Available routes
- Region
- Asia
- Law in force as of
- 1 January 2024
- Last checked
- Not yet checked by our team
The rule text in the sections below was coded for the law on 1 January 2024. A November 2026 search found no later change for this country, but this has not been verified.
Naturalisation (residence)
This route covers foreign residents who seek citizenship after living in Bhutan, subject to the conditions below. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
- Residence
- 20 years
Person has been resident in Bhutan for 20 years, and this period of residence has been registered in the census.
- Previous citizenship
- New citizens must give up their previous citizenship
Renunciation of citizenship of another country required.
- Language
- Required, no test or certificate specified
Proficiency in Dzongkha language (oral, written and passive).
- Civic knowledge
- Required, no test specified
Good knowledge of culture, customs, traditions and history of Bhutan.
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
Good character, no record of imprisonment for criminal offences in Bhutan or abroad, no record of having spoken or acted against the king, country and people of Bhutan.
- Income or economic resources
- No income condition in the law
Descent (citizen parent)
Descent from a citizen parent is the basis of this route in Bhutan. Bhutan grants citizenship by operation of law, requiring no decision from any authority.
Descent (born in country)
Person is born in Bhutan to two citizens.
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to two citizens.
Child of a new citizen
For children whose parent becomes a citizen of Bhutan, the rules below set out what applies. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Person is 15 years or older, one of the parents is a citizen, and the person has been resident in Bhutan for 15 years and this period of residence has been registered in the census. Other conditions: see the rules for ordinary naturalisation.
Public or military service
For people with public or military service for Bhutan, the rules below set out what applies. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Person is 21 years or older, is a government employee, and has been resident in Bhutan for 15 years and this period of residence has been registered in the census. Other conditions: see the rules for ordinary naturalisation.
Not available in Bhutan: Marriage or civil partnership, Birth in the country, Adoption, Other family members of citizens, Former citizens (reacquisition), Citizens of specific countries, Ethnic or cultural affinity, Residence during childhood, Very long residence, Refugees, Stateless persons, Special achievements, Investment. This follows the GLOBALCIT coding, with in-force changes applied.
Dual citizenship
Dual citizenship is coded as not accepted in Bhutan, for new citizens and for citizens who naturalise abroad.
- New citizens
- New citizens must give up their previous citizenship
- Citizens who naturalise abroad
- Citizens who naturalise abroad lose their citizenship automatically
Person acquires citizenship of another country.
Compare with neighbours
Bhutan requires 20 years, more years than the most common requirement of 5 years across Southern Asia.
Check where Bhutan sits in the full residence ranking
| Country | Residence | Language | Dual citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
 Afghanistan | 5 years | None | Accepted |
 Bangladesh | 5 years | None | Not accepted |
 India | 11 years | Required, no test | Not accepted |
 Iran | 5 years | None | Accepted |
 Nepal | No route | No route | Not accepted |
 Pakistan | 5 years | Required, no test | Not accepted |
Official sources
This page was located by search and has not yet been checked by our team.
Naturalisation provisions: Legal basis: Constitution Art. 6(3), Nationality law Art. 4.
Cite this page
TravelDecl. (n.d.). How to Get Bhutan Citizenship. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/bhutan/
<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/bhutan/">How to Get Bhutan Citizenship</a> (TravelDecl, retrieved 5 November 2026)
Sources and licence
Vink, van der Baaren, Bauböck, Džankić, Honohan, Manby (2025). GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset v3.1. Global Citizenship Observatory, https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73190. CC BY 4.0. Modified by TravelDecl.
Modified by TravelDecl: updated with changes after 1 January 2024.
GLOBALCIT codes the law as written. Fees, processing times, quotas and how officials apply the rules in practice are not in this dataset: check them with the official authority.
FAQ
How many years to become a Bhutanese citizen?
A foreign resident needs 20 years of residence to meet the condition for naturalisation in Bhutan. Other conditions also apply.
Does Bhutan allow dual citizenship?
No. Bhutan does not accept dual citizenship as a general rule, as coded in the data.
Do I need a language test for Bhutanese citizenship?
Knowledge of the language is required, yet no formal test is defined.
Is there a civic knowledge test for Bhutanese citizenship?
Demonstrating civic knowledge is necessary for Bhutanese citizenship, yet no test format is specified.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get Bhutanese citizenship?
Renouncing your current citizenship is a condition of Bhutanese citizenship.
Can I get Bhutan citizenship by marriage?
No separate marriage route is coded for Bhutan. Other routes on this page may still apply to a spouse.
Can I get Bhutan citizenship by descent?
Yes, Bhutan has a descent route. Procedure: automatic.
Can I get Bhutan citizenship by investment?
No. The data codes no citizenship-by-investment route for Bhutan.
Related pages
Also see: Bhutan passport, visa-free access and entry rules. Latest law changes.
Corrections to this page are handled by Sarah Kim, Fact-Checker.