Vehicle Permit

When you think of taking your Indian vehicle into Bhutan, forget the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. That convention is not applicable here.
So that makes taking your vehicle across easier. Bhutan allows Indian vehicle in their territory after completing a set of formalities. Though your vehicle is allowed, Bhutan authorities advise you to take a local driver for your car and discourages self driving. You are allowed to ply your vehicle in Phuentsoling without permit during the daytime.
The road authority in Bhutan is the Road Safety and Transport Authority (RSTA). http://www.rsta.gov.bt/
Their Phuentsoling office is located on point B in the map below.

View Larger Map
You need to get your vehicle permits issued by the RSTA before you venture out of Phuentsoling. There are a lot of check-post of along the route so you can’t escape.
Documents required

• Original Registration certificate – two photocopies required
• Original Insurance Paper - two photocopies required
• Pollution Under Control Certificate
• Your Driving license, if you do not wish to hire a local driver.
• You do not need your immigration paper. So you can apply for immigration and come to RSTA to get this permit.

Procedure to get vehicle permit:

• Reach the RSTA office. (from the entry gate, go straight, take a left at T point, go along the road, cross the river taking  left turn, the RSTA office will be on your right.) First pic below is the RSTA office.
• Go to second floor and locate the gallery in the third pic below
• Write an application on a plain paper requesting them to allow you to take your vehicle into Bhutan.
  Mention your registration as well as Chasis and Engine number. Do mention the number of days for which you need the permit.
  The application should be addressed to the RLO

•  Attach all your documents to the application

• 
  

•  Its time to get your application passed. So the final signatory authority is the RLO but you need to get ir checked by other officials. Since the officer just sits on a table, you will have to ask people where to get it signed.
• Show him all the original papers.
• Next get his sign.
• Get it signed by the RLO who sits at the end of the corridor.
• Next its time to pay the fee.
• Queue up at the accounts officer’s gate.
• Show him your papers and he will tell you the fee. In 2009, it was 145Nu.
• Pay, get the paper issued. The paper in 2009 looked like the one in the 3rd image below.
• Next go to the hall before the gallery. Get the papers stamped by the person sitting on the table. (2nd Image below)
• You are done.

Some other info:

• It is at RSTA where you get bus.
• DO NOT TRY TO BRIBE THE OFFICIALS. You might end up in trouble.
• Get everything done before lunch time as lunch is of one hour.
  
  
  
  
  

  Important Traffic rules

• Uphill traffic get the preference.
  Means, if a car is going down the hill and the driver spots a vehicle coming up the hill towards him, he should stop the car spotting a broad place on the road. The uphill vehicle does not break its motion.
• Right indicator means - ‘do not overtake’
  If the vehicle ahead of you flashes its right indicator, it means you should not overtake that vehicle. It might have stopped for some uphill traffic or for some other reason to avoid any traffic issue, he tell you to stop and not overtake. If you see a vehicle coming towards you with its right indicator flashing, means he has stopped for you and you should go towards it without worrying about traffic.
• Left indicator means you may get ahead.
  If the vehicle ahead of you flashes its left indicator, means its asking the vehicle behind it to come ahead.
• Do not use high beam at night.
• Always keep left especially at turns.
• Use horn to the minimum.
• When you reach behind a CAR at night, switch off your headlights and turn on your parking and fog lamps to avoid any reflection of your light in that car’s rear view mirror.