GMC Digital Nomad Visa: Cost, Eligibility & How to Apply

Updated 30 September 2026 · ~7 min read · By Visit Gelephu

In early 2026, the Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority (GMCA) launched a Digital Nomad Visa in partnership with NomadClub, branded DigitalBhutan. It's unlike most digital nomad visas elsewhere in the world: instead of a bank statement or income letter, the financial requirement runs through a blockchain-based gold token. Here's what it actually costs, who qualifies, and how the process works.

What the visa actually costs

There are two separate costs, and it's easy to conflate them:

• $2,800 program fee — non-refundable, paid to GMCA as part of the application. This is the cost of the visa itself.
• $10,000 minimum deposit — held as TER tokens, a gold-backed digital token (each token represents a fractional, redeemable claim on physical gold, issued on the Solana network) in an account with DK Bank. Unlike the program fee, this deposit is refundable when you exit the programme.

So the real "at risk" cost of the visa is the $2,800 fee — the $10,000 is a returnable deposit, not a spend, though it does mean tying up that capital in a gold-backed token for the duration of your stay.

Who qualifies

The programme is aimed at remote workers, entrepreneurs, and self-employed professionals working in fields aligned with GMC's strategic direction — broadly, technology, wellness, sustainability, and knowledge-based work. Two things make it more accessible than many countries' equivalents:

• No minimum income threshold. Most digital nomad visas require proof of a set monthly income; this one doesn't.
• No mandatory minimum stay. You aren't locked into staying a set number of days to keep the visa valid.

What it gets you — and its real limit

The visa grants 12 months of residency, renewable (GMC materials and press coverage cite extensions to 24 months, with some reports of up to 36 — worth confirming directly before you plan around it). It's genuinely useful for basing yourself in GMC: Bhutan's standard Sustainable Development Fee (SDF), normally charged per day to tourists, is waived for time spent inside Gelephu Mindfulness City.

The limit people miss: that waiver doesn't extend to the rest of Bhutan. If you leave GMC to travel elsewhere in the country — Thimphu, Paro, Punakha — the standard SDF of $100 per day applies under Bhutan's immigration rules, same as any tourist. Budget for that separately if sightseeing beyond GMC is part of your plan.

How to apply, step by step

1. Apply online. Applications go through NomadClub at digitalgmc.com, not a traditional embassy or visa office. You'll submit your passport details and supporting documents along with the $2,800 fee.
2. Get a NomadID. Once submitted, you receive a NomadID to track your application status.
3. GMCA review. The Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority reviews the application and makes the final decision — NomadClub handles intake, but approval isn't automatic.
4. Open a DK Bank account. If approved, you're invited to open an account with DK Bank, the institution that holds the TER token deposit.
5. Purchase and deposit TER tokens. You buy and deposit the $10,000 equivalent in TER tokens to complete activation. This amount is returned when you leave the programme.

Should you use this instead of a standard Bhutan visa?

If you're visiting for a short trip — sightseeing, a scouting visit to GMC, a few weeks max — the standard Bhutan tourist visa (arranged through a licensed tour operator, with the usual SDF) is simpler and cheaper. The Digital Nomad Visa makes sense specifically if you intend to base yourself in GMC for months at a time and want to avoid daily SDF charges while doing so. It is not a shortcut around Bhutan's immigration system generally — it's a residency product scoped to GMC.

This guide is general information, not immigration or financial advice. Visa programmes and their terms change; always verify current fees, requirements, and token/deposit mechanics with GMCA and NomadClub directly before applying or transferring funds.

Keep learning

Considering GMC as an investor rather than a resident? Read How to Invest in Gelephu Mindfulness City. New to the project overall? Start with GMC Master Plan Explained.