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 |
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Name of Border Crossing
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Nepal: Darchula |
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
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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.
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Hours of Operation |
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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
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Generally, 3 days during Dashain (Nepal national festival) and up to another 7 days / year at Government’s discretion. |
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.
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D & T Exemption Certificate
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Invoice
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AWB/BL/Other Transport Documents
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Donation/Non-Commercial Certificates
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Packing list
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Letter of credit
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Certificate of origin
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Certificate of insurance
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Bill of Lading / Airway Bill
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Industry Registration Certificates
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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.