Please see the student Field Preparation Guide for more detailed information about the field station.
Passports and Visas
Students must have a passport to enter all of the countries where our programs take place. Students must make certain that their passports are valid until six months after the program ends. If necessary, please renew it as soon as possible.
Visas to enter and travel in Bhutan will be arranged through SFS. We will ask for passport information to forward to the agent in Bhutan. Tourist visitors to Bhutan are required to pay a daily tariff fee, but this is waived for SFS students. You do not have to pay this daily tariff during the program.
Upon arrival at the airport in Paro, students will be required to pay a visa fee of US$20, in cash. If students plan to remain in Bhutan after the program, they will be required to pay the daily tariff, as will anyone who plans to travel with them during that period. Tourism arrangements can be made through a Bhutanese travel agent with whom we work should you wish. These arrangements should be made as early as possible, at least two months in advance. U.S. citizens will not need a visa for Thailand.
Communications
Mail
Students cannot receive post mail while in Bhutan. The Institute will not return or forward mail that may arrive for you after your departure.
Telephone
In Bhutan, just about everyone has a cell phone. The phone itself is inexpensive, but international calls are costly (approximately $0.35/min). If students have an unlocked cell phone, they may purchase a SIM card in Bhutan (approximately $15). Calls to Bhutan are free for the recipient.
Internet
Internet service in Bhutan is still quite slow and expensive. There is at least one Internet café in Jakar, but it has only a few computers, and the charge is on the order of $2 per hour. Students will not be able to connect their laptops directly to the Institute’s Internet network or printers, but there is limited Internet access at the Institute.
Students may purchase a broadband USB card in Bhutan and load it up with bytes at their own expense. SFS will not require the Internet for course work.
