--- title: "India to Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh road freight · SSL" description: "How a truckload crosses from India into Nepal, Bhutan or Bangladesh: border crossings, documents, customs, what slows a load and how to plan one." url: https://safeandsecure.in/guides/nepal-bhutan-bangladesh-road-freight-guide/ canonical: https://safeandsecure.in/guides/nepal-bhutan-bangladesh-road-freight-guide/ updated: 2026-11-11 lang: en-IN publisher: Safe & Secure Logistics Private Limited --- Guide · Cross-border # Road freight from India to Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh How a truckload crosses from India into Nepal, Bhutan or Bangladesh: border crossings, documents, customs, what slows a load and how to plan one. 3 min read Updated 3 Nov 2026 By the Safe & Secure desk A cross-border truckload runs from the Indian origin to a land border crossing, where the shipper's customs broker clears export and import customs. Raxaul-Birgunj is the main gateway to Nepal and Jaigaon-Phuentsholing to Bhutan. Bangladesh land ports have run with restrictions since 2025, so check before planning a Bangladesh load. **On this page · 6 sections** 1. How a cross-border truckload works 2. The main crossings 3. Documents to prepare 4. Transit times in general terms 5. What slows a consignment 6. How to plan a load Short answer Can Indian trucks drive into Nepal? Yes. Indian trucks enter Nepal under a temporary vehicle permit, with customs formalities at the border. Stay limits apply, so plan the return before the truck leaves. Road freight to India’s neighbours looks like a normal truckload until it reaches the border. From there, papers, permits and the crossing itself decide how fast the load moves. This guide covers the crossings, the documents, what usually causes delay and how to plan a load. It gives general terms, not fixed transit days, because the border wait varies with the season, the crossing and the paperwork. ## How a cross-border truckload works The truck loads at your site in India and runs to a land border crossing, usually an Integrated Check Post (ICP). The Indian leg moves like any domestic load, with an e-way bill. At the border, your customs broker clears export from India and import into the destination country. The truck then crosses under the host country’s temporary-entry rules and delivers to the consignee. The signed proof of delivery closes the trip. Safe & Secure Logistics runs full truckloads from India into Nepal and Bhutan, loading at Kolkata, the NCR and Pune. Our desk plans the truck, works through the documents with you and plans the crossing. Customs clearance is done by the shipper’s licensed broker. See our [cross-border service](https://safeandsecure.in/services/cross-border-nepal-bhutan-bangladesh/) for details. ## The main crossings | Country | Main crossing | Status for road freight | | --- | --- | --- | | Nepal | Raxaul (IN) and Birgunj (NP) ICP; also Jogbani-Biratnagar, Sonauli-Bhairahawa | Open. Indian trucks enter on a temporary vehicle permit. | | Bhutan | Jaigaon (IN) and Phuentsholing (BT) | Open, under the 2016 trade and transit agreement. | | Bangladesh | Petrapole (IN) and Benapole (BD) ICP | Open with restrictions since 2025. | Nepal also receives third-country cargo through Kolkata and Haldia ports under the India-Nepal Treaty of Transit. For Bangladesh, a DGFT notification of May 2025 limits which goods may enter India through specified land ports. Read the current notification before you plan. ## Documents to prepare - Export invoice and packing list that match the cargo exactly. - E-way bill for the Indian leg, as required under the CGST Rules. - Customs documents filed by your broker for export and import. - Vehicle permit for the destination country, where its rules require one. - Consignee details in the destination country, including the import documents they hold. Our desk shares a checklist when you book. More on the customs side is on our [customs clearance](https://safeandsecure.in/services/customs-clearance/) page. ## Transit times in general terms The road run to the border is a normal truckload transit for that distance. The crossing adds time on top. A clean set of papers and a broker ready on arrival keeps that short. A mismatch or a missing document can hold a truck at the border for days. Hill roads beyond the border, especially into Kathmandu and Thimphu, run slower than plains highways, and monsoon weather can close them. ## What slows a consignment - Invoice, packing list and cargo that do not match. - The broker not briefed before the truck arrives. - Queues at the border during peak trade seasons and holidays on either side. - Changes to the import rules of the destination country. - Weather and landslides on hill routes. - For Bangladesh, the goods not being allowed through that land port. ## How to plan a load 1. Confirm the consignee, the crossing and the import rules for your goods. 2. Appoint a licensed customs broker at the crossing, or ask our desk to arrange one. 3. Pick the vehicle for the cargo and the hill roads. Our [truck finder](https://safeandsecure.in/tools/which-truck/) helps. 4. Prepare the documents before the truck loads, not at the border. 5. Plan the return of the truck within the permit’s stay limit. Safe & Secure Logistics has moved freight since 1951, with 76,000+ truck hires a year through 110+ branches and offices and 2,000+ destinations. To plan a cross-border load, [send a request for quote](https://safeandsecure.in/ship/rfq/) for regular volume, or [get a quote](https://safeandsecure.in/ship/quote/) for a single truck. *Figures for Safe & Secure Logistics are for FY2025-26 from our booking register. How each one is counted is on the [Facts and sources](https://safeandsecure.in/facts/) page.* Tools - [Which truck do I need?](https://safeandsecure.in/tools/which-truck/) Services - [Cross-border: Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh](https://safeandsecure.in/services/cross-border-nepal-bhutan-bangladesh/) - [Customs clearance](https://safeandsecure.in/services/customs-clearance/) Terms [Logistics glossary →](https://safeandsecure.in/glossary/) Sources ## Where these rules come from 1. [Embassy of India, Kathmandu: commerce wing (India-Nepal trade and transit)](https://www.indembkathmandu.gov.in/) 2. [PIB: India-Bhutan Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit, 2016](https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=169333®=3&lang=2) 3. [DGFT: Notification 07/2025-26 on imports from Bangladesh through land ports](https://www.dgft.gov.in/) 4. [Land Ports Authority of India: Integrated Check Posts](https://lpai.gov.in/) 5. [CBIC: CGST Rules, Rule 138 (e-way bill)](https://cbic-gst.gov.in/) Rules change. Check the linked source before acting; this guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. ## Frequently asked questions **Can Indian trucks drive into Nepal?** Yes. Indian trucks enter Nepal under a temporary vehicle permit, with customs formalities at the border. Stay limits apply, so plan the return before the truck leaves. **Which border crossing is used for Bhutan?** Jaigaon-Phuentsholing is the main road gateway from India into Bhutan. Trade between the two countries runs under the 2016 Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit. **Which crossings serve Nepal?** Raxaul-Birgunj is the main Integrated Check Post. Jogbani-Biratnagar and Sonauli-Bhairahawa are also used, depending on where the consignee sits. **Can I send a truck to Bangladesh by road?** Petrapole-Benapole is the main crossing, but land-port restrictions since 2025 have cut truck movements. Check the current rules and ask our desk before you plan a Bangladesh load. **Who handles customs at the border?** The shipper's licensed customs broker at the border clears export and import customs. Safe & Secure Logistics does not clear customs itself; our desk can arrange a licensed broker for you. **What documents does a Nepal or Bhutan load need?** Typically the export invoice, packing list, e-way bill for the Indian leg and the customs documents your broker files. Our desk shares a checklist when you book. Ready to move it? Share the lane and load; our desk confirms the price, usually within minutes. [Get a quote](https://safeandsecure.in/ship/quote/) [All guides](https://safeandsecure.in/guides/) --- Source: https://safeandsecure.in/guides/nepal-bhutan-bangladesh-road-freight-guide/ (the HTML page is the record; this markdown twin was generated from it on 2026-11-11). Publisher: Safe & Secure Logistics Private Limited, https://safeandsecure.in/. Figures and their periods: https://safeandsecure.in/facts/