Shipping & ocean freight to Nepal

Nepal is landlocked — it has no seaport. Every container of sea freight reaches Nepal the same way: by ocean to a gateway port in India or Bangladesh, then by rail or road to a Nepal dry port, where it is cleared by Nepal Customs. Here are the ports, the corridors, the transit times, and how to track it.

0Nepal seaports (landlocked)
7Gateway ports used
5Nepal dry ports (ICD)
Nepal’s sea access runs on the Nepal–India Treaty of Transit (the main route, via Indian ports) and a Nepal–Bangladesh transit arrangement (an eastern alternative). Goods for China move overland instead — by road via Rasuwagadhi (Kerung) and Tatopani (Khasa) — not by sea.

The corridors

Eastern India corridor — the primary route

Ocean vessel → Kolkata / Haldia / Vizag → Broad-gauge rail → Raxaul (border) → Birgunj ICD → Nepal market

Western India corridor — for Europe, Gulf & the Americas

Ocean vessel → Nhava Sheva / Mundra → Rail (CONCOR) / road → Birgunj corridor → Birgunj / Bhairahawa ICD → Nepal market

Bangladesh corridor — an eastern alternative

Ocean vessel → Mongla / Chattogram → Banglabandha–Phulbari transit → Kakarbhitta (border) → Eastern Nepal

Indicative transit times

Planning ranges only — not quotes. Totals run roughly 3–6 weeks door-to-dry-port once you add port dwell and customs clearance.

Ocean leg · origin → Indian gateway

FromTo gatewayTypical sea transit
Shanghai / Ningbo (China)Kolkata / Vizag~14–22 days*
SingaporeKolkata / Vizag~7–12 days
Port Klang (Malaysia)Kolkata~8–12 days
Jebel Ali (UAE)Nhava Sheva~5–8 days
Rotterdam / Hamburg (Europe)Nhava Sheva~20–28 days
Rotterdam (Europe)Kolkata~26–32 days
US East Coast (New York)Nhava Sheva~30–40 days

Inland leg · Indian gateway → Birgunj ICD

GatewayDistanceModeTypical transit
Kolkata / Haldia~720–770 kmBroad-gauge rail → Raxaul + road~3–6 days
Visakhapatnam~1,400 kmContainer block trains~4–7 days
Nhava Sheva / Mundra~1,850–2,000 kmRail (CONCOR) / road~6–9 days

*Most East-Asia routings transship at Singapore, Port Klang or Colombo. Sea times exclude port dwell and the inland leg; add customs clearance at the dry port.

Gateway ports

The sea ports Nepal’s cargo passes through — in India and Bangladesh:

KolkataIndia · INCCU — Nepal's traditional sea gateway on the east coast.HaldiaIndia · INHAL — Deeper-draft dock complex downstream of Kolkata.VisakhapatnamIndia · INVTZ — Deep-water east-coast port, Nepal's fast-growing alternative to Kolkata.Nhava ShevaIndia · INNSA — India's largest container port — the west-coast gateway for Europe, Gulf & Americas cargo.MundraIndia · INMUN — India's largest private port (Gujarat) — a west-coast option with strong rail links.MonglaBangladesh · BDMGL — Bangladesh's second seaport — an eastern-corridor alternative for Nepal.ChattogramBangladesh · BDCGP — Bangladesh's principal seaport — available to Nepal under transit arrangements.

Nepal dry ports (ICDs)

Where the sea-and-rail journey ends and Nepal Customs clears the goods:

Birgunj ICDNepal · NITDB — Nepal's flagship rail-linked dry port — where most sea cargo is cleared.Biratnagar ICDNepal · NITDB — Road-based dry port serving eastern Nepal.Bhairahawa ICDNepal · NITDB — Road-based dry port serving western & central Nepal.Kakarbhitta ICDNepal · NITDB — Far-eastern dry port — the node for the Bangladesh corridor.Chobhar Dry PortNepal · NITDB — Kathmandu Valley dry port — clearance near the capital's market.
Track a container to NepalLanded-cost calculatorImport duty & HS codes

A reference overview for Nepali importers and exporters. Routing, rates and transit times vary — always confirm with your freight forwarder, shipping line and the Department of Customs.