Thimphu, Bhutan, 16 to 20 March 2027
The Centre for Bhutan & GNH Studies (CBS), on behalf of the Royal Government of Bhutan, announces the Global Summit of Happiness, to be held in Thimphu from 16 to 20 March 2027. The Summit closes on 20 March, the International Day of Happiness, which the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed in 2012 after adopting Bhutan’s 2011 resolution on happiness.
For the first time, a GNH conference will bring together Heads of Government from the 66 nations that co-sponsored that resolution, leaders of United Nations agencies and international institutions, and leading scholars of happiness and well-being. The Summit has two parts. In the High-Level Segment, Heads of Government will speak on their national experience of measuring and pursuing well-being. In the Academic and Scholarly Congress, researchers will bring current work into dialogue with policymakers. Possible themes, each seen through its bearing on well-being and happiness, include what artificial intelligence means for meaningful work; how digital life is shaping the minds of the young; what a warming climate and the loss of nature do to health and peace of mind; how ageing societies can sustain well-being across a longer life; whether well-being can rise without endless economic growth; how inequality, loneliness and the decline of trust erode happiness; what migration means for the well-being of those who leave and those left behind; and how unpaid care, mostly by women, sustains the well-being of others. These are no more than examples; papers on any other major question in the policy or measurement of well-being and happiness, drawing on any approach or measure in use anywhere in the world, are equally welcome. The Summit is expected to adopt a Bhutan Declaration on Happiness and Wellbeing to guide the coming decade.
Who takes part
The Summit has three kinds of participants. Official delegations of governments are invited by the Royal Government of Bhutan and do not register. Academic presenters write and present papers in the Academic and Scholarly Congress, which will be part of the Summit. General participants attend the sessions without writing or presenting papers; 300 places are open to general participants from abroad. With Bhutanese participants included, more than 1,100 people are expected in all.
Registration is open now and there is no registration fee. Academic presenters and general participants register in different ways. Follow the section below that applies to you.
Registering as an academic presenter (Academic and Scholarly Congress)
- Send an abstract as early as you can, and no later than Friday, 15 January 2027. Abstracts are accepted from now on. Email yours to globalsummitofhappiness@gmail.com with the subject line “Abstract: [your surname]”. The abstract should be in English, no longer than 300 words, addressed to a question in the policy or measurement of well-being and happiness, and based on recent work. The work need not be unpublished, but it should bring something new to the Congress: fresh data, a new analysis, or a new bearing on policy. Give the title, authors and affiliations, background, objective, method, main findings and conclusion. In the same email, attach a short CV and your visa papers (see Visa and entry).
- Wait for the decision, on or before Saturday, 30 January 2027. Each abstract will be read by a review panel of at least three members. If your abstract is accepted, you are registered as an academic presenter and will receive full local hospitality (see Hospitality below); no further registration is needed. If it is not accepted, you may still register as a general participant (see below) while places remain.
- Submit your full paper after the Summit, in APA style, by Monday, 31 May 2027.
Registering as a general participant
Register as early as you can, and no later than Sunday, 28 February 2027. Registration is open from now on. Email globalsummitofhappiness@gmail.com with the subject line “Registration: General participant”, giving your name, gender, designation, organisation, nationality, address and email, with a short CV. In the same email, attach your visa papers (see Visa and entry). Places are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and CBS will confirm your place by email.
For all participants
Hospitality: Academic presenters receive full local hospitality during the Summit: hotel accommodation, local transport and meals. They pay their own airfare and the one-time visa processing fee of Nu 5,000 (approximately USD 55). General participants receive refreshments and lunch on each conference day, and arrange and pay for their own airfare, accommodation and local transport.
Contact: globalsummitofhappiness@gmail.com
Visa and entry
- Visa processing. CBS will process Bhutanese visas for registered participants. Your visa papers are sent with your registration email: academic presenters with their abstract, general participants with their registration. The visa papers are the completed Visa Application Form (Form VISA2025 of the Department of Immigration, attached below), a scanned copy of your passport, valid for at least six months beyond your date of departure, and a digital passport photograph. Visa papers received after Sunday, 28 February 2027 cannot be processed. Under purpose of visit (item 15 of the form), write either “Academic presenter, Academic and Scholarly Congress, Global Summit of Happiness” or “General participant, Global Summit of Happiness”.
- Visa fee. A one-time visa fee of Nu 5,000 (approximately USD 55) applies to each visitor; it is non-refundable. Remit the fee to the bank account that CBS will notify to you.
- e-Visa. The Department of Immigration issues an e-Visa, which will be sent to you by email. Carry a printed copy and the same passport; the visa is stamped in your passport on arrival at Paro International Airport or the land border.
- The visa is valid for a maximum of [10] days, including the days of arrival and departure.
- Indian nationals do not need a visa but must process an entry permit at the point of entry. They receive an entry permit at the port of entry on presenting an Indian passport or Voter ID card.
- Travel within Bhutan. The visa allows travel in Thimphu and Paro only. Travel beyond these districts requires a route permit, which CBS will arrange only for the organised group excursion.
- Family members. The visa covers the registered participant only. Family members or companions must travel as tourists through a licensed Bhutanese tour operator.
- Sustainable Development Fee. Bhutan levies a Sustainable Development Fee on international visitors, currently USD 100 per person per night. Indian nationals pay Nu 1,200 per night. CBS will seek an exemption from the fee for registered participants for the nights of the Summit. Nights spent in Bhutan before or after the Summit are charged at the standard rate.
Attachment
Download the Visa Application Form (Form VISA2025), Department of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs, Royal Government of Bhutan.