Currency in Bhutan: BTN Send & Spend FX Guide
Resources for Expats, Travelers and Entrepreneurs Navigating Life and Trade in Bhutan with the Bhutanese ngultrum.
What's in this Bhutan currency guide?
What currency is used in Bhutan?
The official currency of Bhutan (country code: BT) is the Bhutanese ngultrum, with symbol Nu. and currency code BTN.
What is a good Bhutanese ngultrum exchange rate?
The BestExchangeRates.com currency comparison table below helps you see the total cost of your currency transaction by showing the exchange rates offered by different providers. It also makes it easy to spot potential savings from market-leading FX services compared to bank rates.
To see a full list of rates, enter your transaction type, currencies and amount then click ‘GET RATES’:
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Frequently Asked Questions
What currency should I use in Bhutan?
The domestic currency in Bhutan is the Bhutanese ngultrum.
What is the Bhutanese ngultrum currency code and symbol?
The three letter currency code for the Bhutanese ngultrum is BTN — symbol is Nu..
What does the Bhutanese ngultrum look like?
Here is an example Bhutanese ngultrum banknote:
Which countries use the Bhutanese ngultrum?
It is the domestic currency in Bhutan.
Is the Bhutanese ngultrum a closed currency?
Yes the Bhutanese ngultrum is a closed currency. Which means that you may find it difficult to purchase the currency (BTN) before departure and will probably need to buy it upon arrival. If you do manage to buy some of the currency or have some left over from a previous trip, make sure you are aware if you are allowed to bring this closed currency into the country.
For more information and a full list of closed currencies please refer to our guide: What is a closed currency?
What are equivalent amounts of USD and BTN?
Here are some popular conversion amounts for USD to BTN (US dollar to Bhutanese ngultrum)*.
| USD | BTN |
|---|---|
| $ 11.05 | Nu. 1,000 |
| $ 55.23 | Nu. 5,000 |
| $ 220.90 | Nu. 20,000 |
| $ 1,105 | Nu. 100,000 |
More amounts
*Converted at the current USDBTN interbank exchange rate. Calculate actual payout amounts for Send Money and Travel Money exchange rates.
Travel money for Bhutan
As mentioned above, the Bhutanese ngultrum is a closed currency. Which means that you may find it difficult (or be permitted) to purchase the currency (BTN) before departure and will need to buy it upon arrival in Bhutan.
For these types of destinations, using a pre-paid travel card is a good solution. As no travel cards support loading closed currencies like the BTN you will incur currency conversion or foreign transaction fees if you use a travel money card in Bhutan.
However, using a pre-paid travel card is still a good idea as you can avoid ATM fees and also you can avoid using (and losing!) your main bank or debit/credit card.
USD/BTN Market Data
The below interactive chart displays the USD/BTN change and UP📈 DOWN📉 trends over the past 1 Year.
Send Money to Bhutan - Best Rates
To get a good (and fair) exchange rate when sending money to Bhutan you need to find and compare exchange rates for International Money Transfers (IMTs).
The available FX rates for sending money abroad can be very different to the mid-market (wholesale) rate which you see reported online and in the News.
You should especially compare your own bank's exchange rates to those available from Money Transfer specialists to see how much you can save - we make that calculation easy in the below table.
Get a better deal for foreign transfers to Bhutan
When sending money to Bhutan it’s important to compare your bank’s rates & fees with those we have negotiated with our partner money transfer providers. To get a better deal you should follow these 4 simple steps :
- Open an account with a BER reviewed FX provider (id docs may be required)
- You specify the local or Bhutanese ngultrum amount you want to transfer
- Make a local currency domestic transfer for the requested amount to the provider's bank account in your country
- Once your funds are received by the provider the converted BTN amount will be transfered to the recipient account you specify in Bhutan.
Use the above calculator to compare the exchange rates of FX specialist providers rates versus your bank's standard rates you can hopefully save around 5% and maybe more - end result is more Bhutanese ngultrum deposited into the recipient bank account and less margins and fees kept by the banks!
