The India-Nepal border crossing – all the information on how to cross the border by land from Gorakhpur to Sonauli and the other crossing points.

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The India-Nepal border crossing via Gorakhpur is one of the several crossing points across the border. And crossing the border by land is as flexible as entering your neighbour’s home! Especially for Indians! From India, this border can be easily reached from Gorakhpur (in Uttar Pradesh) in 3 hours (by bus). This travel guide solely focuses on getting from Gorakhpur to Sonauli to cross into Nepal.

Can You Travel to India Via Nepal?

India to Nepal – it really was my intended dream, especially to cross the border by land. The crossing calls for another celebration – getting my feet wet in crossing to an international land. A few months back, my failed attempts to get to Nepal only kept me going, to fulfill my vision of the White Monastery.

While I was in Dharchula on Panchachuli Base Camp Trek, I was granted permission to step out onto the Nepal side for an hour. Our backpacks and everything else had to be deposited with the border security guards, and the Kali River, which divides these two countries, was rather a serene companion. Within that time-bound one hour, the yellow muddy water caught my eyes, and the yak hair hanging at shops whispered the remedy of it all – I am soon coming back to Nepal!

From the variegated culture of the Terai region of Nepal to the more definite territories of the Himalayas, Nepal divulged both its skin-deep beauty and the beast. Annapurna Base Camp Trek set me out to the fickle game of fog, while the thunderstorm at Australian Camp tried to fly my tent off from the edge of the mountain. So much happened ever since I crossed the India-Nepal border by land!

How to Reach the Nepal Border from Gorakhpur

The open international border runs across 1770 km, and throughout the full-width border, some of the crossing points are used by ICP (Integrated Check Posts) for processing immigration entry and cargo customs. Even though there are seven major borders, and a few smaller official & unofficial borders from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal of India, the most common crossing points used by tourists are…

• Sonauli Border in Maharajganj district (Uttar Pradesh)
• Raxaul in the East Champaran district of Bihar – Birgunj (This is known as the ’Gateway of Nepal’)
• Jhulaghat in Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand, India – Mahakali in Baitadi district, Nepal
• Panitanki in Darjeeling, West Bengal – Kakarbhitta 

Also read – Patan – The Age-Old Buddhist Town in Nepal

Documents Needed to Cross the India-Nepal Border

Visa-Free For Indians

Let me break the news here. As many of you may not know, Nepal is visa-free and passport-free for Indian residents. The entire procedure is so simple that it won’t feel like entering a new country (decorum-wise, but Nepal felt different every day).

At least the border from Gorakhpur to Nepal is ’open’ to the extent that they did not even ask for any documentation. ’Are you an Indian?’, that’s the only piece of question they had at the border. ‘Yes!’

Generally, you need to carry the photocopies of your Aadhar Card or Voter ID, and that’s really it. If you have a passport, that can also be the offered ID, but a passport is not mandatory while crossing the border.

Visa For Foreigners

Citizens of most countries can get a visa on arrival. You can apply for a 15, 30, or 90-day visa for $25, $40, and $100 respectively. Visa fee provisions are available at all land borders and the international airport in Kathmandu. The customs take 10-20 minutes to complete, and crossing the border is hassle-free! Visit the official website to apply for a visa, and get all the information on Visa Extension, Visa On-Arrival, Visa Pre-Arrival, Entry Visa, and what else!

Also read – Things to Do in Pokhara Nepal as A Tourist

Things to Do As Soon As You Cross the Border

Two immediate steps from your end would make your life so much easier in Nepal before you board the bus to Kathmandu, Chitwan, or Pokhara from the border. As soon as you cross from India to Nepal, you need to get a Nepali sim and convert your currency to Nepali Rupees.

How to Get Nepali Sim

At the border, there are rows of shops for sim cards. Ncell provides pretty decent coverage all over Nepal. The sim card costs NPR 400 with 5 GB of free internet for 120 minutes. The sim card gets activated immediately. You need to provide passport-sized photos and a photocopy of your ID.

Exchange Your Currency at the India-Nepal Border

Again, you will find plenty of exchange shops at every India-to-Nepal border. The current exchange rate is 100 Indian Rupees = 160 Nepali Rupees. Know all the exchange rates here. You can exchange your currency in Kathmandu and Pokhara as well.

What Else to Know?

All the Indian notes except 500 and 2000 notes are accepted widely in the border area and the main cities. No worries if you have a few Indian currencies left in your wallet!

Also read – Practical Things to Know Before Visiting Nepal

Via Gorakhpur-Sonauli Border – How to Reach from Delhi

Six months back, I tried twice to cross the border from Jhulaghat and Dharchula in Uttarakhand, India. Once, I was straightaway denied entry (COVID!) Once, I was allowed to cross and roam around the border area for an hour and then return to the Indian side. I had to leave Nepal behind then and there. This time, it was my third attempt.

My journey began at the end of my three-month-long trip to Rajasthan. It took me three whole days of congested travelling in local trains and buses to reach Nepal from India. But it generally isn’t so. It took this much time only because I set off from Ajmer, Rajasthan, far west of India.

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As many of you may not know, Nepal is visa-free and passport-free for Indian residents. The entire procedure is so simple that it won’t feel like entering a new country.

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Let’s take Delhi as the point of departure. Trains from Delhi to Gorakhpur Junction can take 6 to 13 hours (In my case, it was 12 hours). My overnight journey from Delhi to Gorakhpur was on an unreserved ’ticket’, but I found an empty middle berth!

Gorakhpur is a generic city in Uttar Pradesh, except for Gorakhpur Junction has the largest railway platform in the world, as of 2022, surpassing the one in Karnataka. Gorakhpur is also the middleman of the Nepal corridor. From Gorakhpur, you need to take a bus to Sonauli, which is the India-Nepal border, and it takes a maximum of 3 hours.

The impression of Nepal would be completely different if you cross the border from Gorakhpur than Uttarakhand. For kilometers on end, Nepal would feel like an extension of Uttar Pradesh.

To sum up the journey from India to Nepal:

• Delhi to Gorakhpur (by train): 6-13 hours
• Gorakhpur to the Sonauli Border (by bus): 3 hours
• Cross from India to Nepal on foot
• Sonauli to Kathmandu/Pokhara/Chitwan

Permits for Vehicles for Travelling from India to Nepal

Indian-registered vehicles such as two-wheelers, lorries, cars, and jeeps, are allowed to be temporarily imported to Nepal on payment of Customs Duty, known as Bhansar. The Bhansar is issued at the border for a maximum of 30 days, at a per-day fee of 90-100 INR. Read all the official guidelines if you intend to travel across Nepal in your own vehicle. Both the Banbasa border (Uttarakhand) and the Raxaul border (Bihar) allow vehicle-crossing from India.

Also read – An Extensive Guide to Best Places to Visit in Nepal

Further Transport from India-Nepal Border

Local buses and dedicated tourist buses run every day from the border to Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan, and all the successive cities. Shared jeeps can be a bit more expensive, but local buses are the cheapest mode of transportation (not particularly comfortable). I remember on my way to Kathmandu from Pokhara, I was offered a bucket to sit on!

So I would suggest you go for a tourist bus which can be booked online, or right at the bus stand. It only costs an extra 300-350 NPR, but it’s less time-consuming and comparatively comfortable.

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Within that time-bound one hour, the yellow muddy water caught my eyes, and the yak hair hanging at shops whispered the remedy of it all – I am soon coming back to Nepal!

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In Case You Want to Stay at the Border

I stayed back at the border on my way back to India. At Sonauli, City View Guest House offers simple private rooms for Rs. 600 per night.

My return to India was on 15th August, the Indian Independence Day. Indian flags were fluttering with the course of the wind, and the rallies only tricked the buses into a detour. Amid the initial chaos of the border, I was in India, and it was pretty inevitable. It took me four days to travel to a rural Himachali village that was waiting for me in the mountains…

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With that in mind, I am signing off the quick guide on the India-Nepal border crossing by land via Gorakhpur. But before that, click here to get the live Google Maps pinned locations on the crossing route.

Would you like to cross from India to Nepal by land?

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