The actor, who turned 43 on November 13, had headed to the Indian embassy in Dubai for a travel permit but had to abandon his plan when he was told the documents would not be available for a week.
"I am very disorganised. So at the last minute here in Dubai, I decided I wanted to go to India for my birthday. But I went to the embassy.
"They were excited to see me, but they said 'no' and that it would take seven days. So this year, I decided to go to Scotland and spend time with my family," Butler said in a statement.
The actor will be next seen playing the role of an ex-soccer player in "Playing for Keeps", a light romantic comedy. The film also stars Jessica Biel, who plays his estranged wife.
The film is set to hit theatres on December 7.
