PRESS RELEASE: Official Launch of the FDI Rules & Regulations 2025

Thimphu, Bhutan – 8th August, 2025

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce & Employment would like to announce the official release of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Rules & Regulations 2025, a landmark step in the country’s continued commitment to building a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable economy through responsible and strategic foreign investment.

To align with the rapidly evolving global investment landscape and with the vision of positioning Bhutan as a competitive and attractive destination for FDI, the revised Rules and Regulations consolidate the provisions of the earlier FDI Policy 2019 and FDI Regulations 2019 into a single, comprehensive legal framework. This will make it simpler, more accessible and easier to navigate for our investors. 

The updated regulations reflect the Royal Government’s strategic shift toward liberalizing and modernizing the investment regime. The FDI Rules & Regulations 2025 enhances procedural clarity, expands access to priority sectors, and introduces forward-looking reforms, including:
- Opening up of various sectors up to 100% foreign equity participation
- Improved access to foreign exchange; a significant step forward in ensuring financial predictability and investor confidence.
- Streamlined regulatory procedures, to make the FDI process simpler, faster and more transparent.
- Removal of the lock-in period for foreign investors, thereby giving foreign investors greater flexibility and assurance in planning their investment life cycle.

These changes are aimed at fostering an enabling, transparent, and investor-friendly environment that aligns with Bhutan’s national development priorities and supports the realization of the country’s vision of a “High-Income GNH Economy by 2034.” 

Speaking at the launch, His Excellency, Lyonpo Namgyal Dorji remarked:

"The FDI Rules & Regulations 2025 represent a significant milestone in Bhutan’s investment journey. This revision is not merely a regulatory update—it is a bold reform anchored in transparency, predictability, and efficiency. We are confident that it will inspire investor confidence and catalyze high-quality, sustainable investments in Bhutan."

The revision process was undertaken through broad consultations with key stakeholders, including private sector representatives and government agencies. This inclusive approach ensures that the regulations are grounded in practical realities and global standards.
 

The revised Rules & Regulations 2025 will be available online for easy access, downloadable from 
https://industry.gov.bt/legislations / https://investbhutan.gov.bt/resources

To support a smooth transition and ensure clarity on the new framework, the Department of Industry will conduct advocacy workshops in the months of August and September 2025. Registration for Advocacy Workshop can be done either   through: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/128jH6JQZ5QtUtOgDL-Xo_B-XRp3KetNWaNxHxwOfdz8/edit 

or by directly contacting the Department of Industry at investbhutan@moice.gov.bt or through telephonic calls at 330435/337623/227624. 

Department of Industry
MoICE