Nepal - 2.3.7 Minor Border Crossing - Darchula/Mahakali

Overview 

The Darchula customs office is located at Khalanga of Darchula district in Sudurpashchim Province. It lies on the western border –between India and Nepal. There is a parallel road on the Nepal and India side, but the roads are not connected across the Mahakali River and hence, inaccessible for vehicles. A suspension bridge for pedestrians is the only means to cross this border between Nepal and India.  

 

Mahakali-Darchula is a minor border crossing, not rated among the main 23 border crossing points in terms of import share. Therefore, this crossing point is not recommended for cargo import & export. 

There is an Animal quarantine, but Food and Plant quarantine is not available in Darchula.  

Picture: Boarding crossing –Mahakali, Darchula (Sudurpashchim)

 

 

Border Crossing Location and Contact
Name of Border Crossing	Nepal: Darchula   India: Dharchula
Province or District	Sudurpaschim Province in Nepal   Uttarakhand, India
Nearest Town or City with Distance from Border Crossing	Mahakali Municipality in Nepal   Distance 0.2 km   Pithauragad in India   Distance 91 km
Latitude	29.80148
Longitude	80.46415
Managing Authority / Agency	Government of Nepal-Ministry of finance Department of CustomDarchula Customs Office
Contact Person	Mr. Shiva Chandra Prasad  Office No: 9858783030

 

 

Travel Times
Nearest International Airport	Name: Gautam Buddha International Airport, Bhairahawa  Distance in km:  705 KM  Truck Travel Time:  20-22 hrs  Car Travel time:  18-20 hrs
Nearest Port	Name: Purano bazar Darchula   Distance in 0.2 km  Truck Travel Time: 5 Minutes   Car Travel time: 2 Minutes
Nearest location with functioning wholesale markets, or with significant manufacturing or production capacity	Name: Purano bazar Darchula   Distance is 0.2 km  Truck Travel Time: 5 Minutes   Car Travel time: 2 Minutes
Other Information	Kolkota is the nearest seaport in India side to import and export third country goods 1,640 KM away from Darchula takes 35-40 Hours travel time.

 

Hours of Operation
Mondays	0615 hours to 1915 hours Summer  0615 hours to 1815 hours Winter
Tuesdays	0615 hours to 1915 hours Summer  0615 hours to 1815 hours Winter
Wednesdays	0615 hours to 1915 hours Summer  0615 hours to 1815 hours Winter
Thursdays	0615 hours to 1915 hours Summer  0615 hours to 1815 hours Winter
Fridays	0615 hours to 1915 hours Summer  0615 hours to 1815 hours Winter
Saturdays	0615 hours to 1915 hours Summer  0615 hours to 1815 hours Winter
Sundays	0615 hours to 1915 hours Summer  0615 hours to 1815 hours Winter
National Holidays	Generally, 3 days during Dashain (Nepal national festival) and up to another 7 days / year at Government’s discretion.  Note: Will open 24 / 7 for emergencies.
Seasonal Constraints	Flood in Mahakali River during July and August

 

Note: The hours of operations for summer and winter are decided upon mutual agreement between the customs and security officials of both countries. 

Daily Capacity 

The Mahakali Road is usually not congested with traffic and is also in good condition (operates 12 months in a year). However, the road is single lane. Approximately 500m near the Nepal-India border the road is not black-topped given that the suspension bridge is only for pedestrian purposes, porters are required to transport goods. The nearest Indian city is Pithauragadh (91km) and takes approximately 2 hours by vehicle.  

Customs Clearance 

Compulsory Document for custom clearance. 

• D & T Exemption Certificate  

• Invoice 

• AWB/BL/Other Transport Documents 

• Donation/Non-Commercial Certificates 

• Packing list 

• Letter of credit 

• Certificate of origin 

• Certificate of insurance 

• Bill of Lading / Airway Bill 

• Industry Registration Certificates 

• Permanent Account Number (with VAT Registration and Income Tax Registration if not exempt) 

For more information on customs in Darchula, Sudurpashchim,Nepal, please see the following link: 1.3 Customs Information.   

Other Relevant Information 

The delays at Border Posts can be extensive – from 2 days to a weeklong. This is not an appropriate crossing border point to import and export goods in huge volume.  

 

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List.