International: Nepal

At a glanceRequirements at a glance

A Distinct Cross-Border Vehicle Permit Is Required

Yes

Yes, where the mover operates its own vehicles across the border. A Nepalese commercial vehicle entering India, or an Indian commercial vehicle entering Nepal, needs a specific cross-border entry permit under the bilateral Nepal-India Treaty of Trade and Transit, genuinely separate from Nepal’s domestic DOTM route permit system covered on the Nepal page.

Permit Duration and Entry Type

Cross-border permits are available for durations of up to 3 or 6 months, and can be issued for single, double, or multiple entries, with fees and a bank guarantee required as part of the application.

A Maximum Stay Period Applies

Yes. A vehicle temporarily entering the other country is generally limited to a maximum stay (for example, a vehicle from India entering Nepal is limited to 30 days within a calendar year), a fixed limit that cannot be extended even with additional charges.

A Shorter-Term “Day Pass” Option Exists for Local Border-Area Visits

Yes. For visits limited to the nearest municipal area or market across the border, a vehicle can enter under a same-day “Day Pass” or “Challan,” registered at the border check post and surrendered on same-day return, without the longer-term permit process.

OverviewOverview & Scope

A mover operating its own vehicles across the Nepal-India border needs a specific cross-border vehicle entry permit under the bilateral Treaty of Trade and Transit. This is a separate authorization from Nepal’s domestic DOTM route permit system, and applies reciprocally to Nepalese vehicles entering India and Indian vehicles entering Nepal. Longer-duration permits (3 or 6 months, with single, double, or multiple entries) require fees and a bank guarantee, while a same-day “Day Pass” option exists for local border-area visits without the longer permit process. A fixed maximum stay period applies to vehicles operating under the temporary entry provisions, without extension.

Where a mover subcontracts the cross-border carriage, these permits attach to the carrier’s vehicles, and the carrier’s own licences and permits cover the transport it performs. The mover should use carriers that hold them.

RegistrationRegistration & Compliance Essentials

Movers that carry goods across the Nepal-India border by road in their own vehicles must:

1. Obtain the appropriate cross-border vehicle entry permit before operating a vehicle across the Nepal-India border, in addition to the domestic DOTM route permit, choosing the permit duration and entry type (3 or 6 months; single, double, or multiple entry) for the intended route and providing the required bank guarantee.
2. Observe the maximum stay period applicable to the vehicle’s temporary entry, given it cannot be extended.
3. Where a vehicle uses the same-day Day Pass/Challan option for a local border-area visit, register it at the border check post and surrender it on same-day return.

Movers that subcontract the cross-border carriage must:

4. Use carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they perform.

ChecklistCompliance checklist

Subcontracted transport

• Where transport is subcontracted, the mover uses carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they performWhere applicableVerified by AffirmationRequired

Vehicles and drivers (where the mover operates its own vehicles)

• Cross-border vehicle entry permit held for each vehicle operated across the Nepal-India border, in addition to the domestic DOTM route permitWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles across the border)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Maximum stay period observed for temporary vehicle entryWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles across the border)Verified by AffirmationRequired
• Day Pass/Challan registered at the border check post and surrendered on same-day return, where a vehicle enters under itWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles on same-day local border visits)Verified by AffirmationRequired