Sunauli Border Crossing 2027: Visa Fees, Step-by-Step Guide and Honest Advice on Delays

By Khem “Babu” Khadaka, host at Greenkunja and founder of GoIndiaNepal, who has driven travellers between India and Nepal since 1996 · Greenkunja Guesthouse, Tilottama · Last updated: October 2026 (2027 season)

The Sunauli border crossing is the main road crossing from India into Nepal for tourists: you get an Indian exit stamp in Sunauli, walk across, and buy a Nepal visa on arrival at Belahiya, next to Bhairahawa.

The crossing is easy. The waiting is not always.

Most people reach Sunauli tired, after a long drive or a night train. Then small things go wrong. They walk past Indian immigration without an exit stamp, bring torn dollar notes for the visa, or buy a “through ticket” to Kathmandu from a tout. All of this is easy to avoid if you know the order of things before you arrive.

This guide covers where the border is, each step on the Indian and Nepali sides, Nepal visa fees and who gets a free visa, the rules for Indian citizens, opening hours, money and the new rules for ₹200 and ₹500 notes, SIM cards, the customs pass (bhansar) for an Indian car, how to get here from Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Kushinagar and Delhi, where to go next, scams, and a timed sample crossing day.

“We finish our India trip in Varanasi and want to go to Lumbini and then Pokhara by road. How does the Sunauli border actually work, and how long should we allow?”

A question travellers often ask our family

1. Where is the Sunauli border?

Sunauli (also spelled Sonauli) is a small border town in Maharajganj district, Uttar Pradesh, India. The Nepal side is called Belahiya. It sits at the southern edge of Siddharthanagar, the town most people still call Bhairahawa, in Rupandehi district.

The road from Gorakhpur runs straight to the gate. On the Nepal side it continues to Bhairahawa and Butwal, where the highways to Pokhara, Chitwan and Kathmandu begin. Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, is close by.

It is busy. A Kantipur report from October 2026 says 103,955 tourists from third countries entered through Belahiya in 2025, and 75,906 by late September 2026. Thousands of Indians and hundreds of vehicles cross every day as well.

• Indian side: Sunauli, Maharajganj district, Uttar Pradesh
• Nepal side: Belahiya, Siddharthanagar (Bhairahawa), Rupandehi district
• Type: an Integrated Check Post with immigration and customs (Wikipedia: Sonauli)
• Nearest airport: Gautam Buddha International Airport, about 4 km from the border

Insider tip: When people say “the Bhairahawa border”, they mean this crossing. Sunauli and Bhairahawa are in two countries, but the towns run into each other.

2. Sunauli border crossing at a glance

What	Details (as of October 2026)
Border	Sunauli (India) – Belahiya (Nepal), next to Bhairahawa
Nepal visa on arrival	Yes, for most nationalities: USD 30 / 50 / 125 for 15 / 30 / 90 days
Indian citizens	No visa, no immigration stamp; carry a passport or original voter ID
Stops for foreigners	Two: Indian immigration (exit), then Nepal immigration (entry)
Walk between them	Under 1 km
Hours	Open on foot around the clock; vehicles roughly 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Time needed	About an hour on a quiet day; several hours on busy days
Currency	Nepali rupee; 1 Indian rupee = 1.6 Nepali rupees, fixed
Indian car	Allowed with a bhansar pass, up to 30 days a calendar year
Next stop	Lumbini, about 30 km

Prices can change at any time. Fees, hours and rules at land borders can change with little warning. Check the official sources linked in this guide just before you travel.

Insider tip: Write down your passport number, your Indian visa number and your first hotel in Nepal. The arrival form asks for them.

3. How does the Sunauli border crossing work, step by step?

Foreigners stop at two offices. Indian and Nepali citizens usually go straight through, though police or security staff may check bags and ID.

Step	Where	Foreign travellers	Indian citizens
1	Sunauli, before the gate	Indian immigration: exit stamp	Not needed
2	The gate	Security checks are possible	Same; carry ID
3	Walk across the line	Under 1 km in total	Same
4	Belahiya immigration	Form, photo, fee, visa and entry stamp	Not needed
5	Belahiya customs	Only if you drive in	Bhansar pass for an Indian car
6	Belahiya / Bhairahawa	Change money, find your car or bus	Same

Insider tip: In a taxi or tour car, ask the driver to stop at Indian immigration first. Drivers who mostly carry Indian passengers sometimes forget.

4. India side: how do you get your exit stamp?

If you are not Indian or Nepali, you must get an Indian exit stamp before you cross. The Indian immigration office is in Sunauli, on the Indian side of the gate. It is small and sits among trucks, rickshaws and crowds, so look for it on purpose.

You show your passport and Indian visa, and may fill in a short departure form. On a normal day it takes a few minutes.

• Bring: passport, Indian visa or e-Visa printout, and a pen
• Do not skip it: Nepal expects to see that you left India properly
• Coming back to India later? Check now that your visa allows land entry at Sunauli (see section 17)

Nepal’s immigration law does not allow foreigners to enter or stay without a valid passport and visa. In 2016 the Department of Immigration investigated a group who came in through Belahiya without visas, Onlinekhabar reported. The border is open, but the rules still apply.

Insider tip: Keep your passport somewhere easy to reach. You will show it several times in the next hour.

5. Nepal side: how does immigration at Belahiya work?

After the gate you walk into Nepal. The Nepal immigration office at Belahiya is a short walk from the line. You fill in the arrival and visa form, attach a photo, pay, and get your visa and entry stamp. When your papers are complete, the officer’s part can take about a minute.

• Passport: valid for at least six months (Embassy of Nepal)
• Photo: one passport-size photo; bring two
• Fee: clean US dollar notes (see section 6)
• Address in Nepal: your first hotel, for example Greenkunja in Tilottama

The queue is the unknown. In late 2024 the Kathmandu Post reported that only five officers handled visas at Belahiya. On one November day about 800 tourists waited seven to eight hours, and waits of four to five hours followed. On other days it is quick.

Insider tip: Arrive in the morning, before the tour buses. If a big group is in the queue, ask politely whether single travellers can use another counter.

6. How much is the Nepal visa on arrival in 2027?

Nepal’s tourist visa fees have not changed since July 2019. These are the visa-on-arrival fees on the Embassy of Nepal visa page in October 2026, which follows the rules of Nepal’s Department of Immigration. The same page names Belahiya, Sunauli, Rupandehi as a land entry point.

Visa (multiple entry)	Fee	Good to know
15 days	USD 30	Enough for Lumbini and one more place
30 days	USD 50	Most common for a full Nepal trip
90 days	USD 125	For long stays
Extension	USD 45 for 15 days, then USD 3 a day	In Kathmandu or Pokhara
Late fine	USD 5 a day	For overstaying

Prices can change at any time. Visa fees are set by the Government of Nepal and can change without notice. Check the Department of Immigration or a Nepal embassy website before you travel.

• Pay in dollars: bring clean notes; travellers report that damaged notes and notes printed before 2003 can be refused
• Exact amounts: one USD 50 note for a 30-day visa saves trouble with change
• Choose well: a 30-day visa is cheaper than 15 days plus an extension

Insider tip: Get your dollars in Delhi or Varanasi. Rates for dollars on the Indian side of the border are poor.

7. Who gets a free visa, and who cannot get one at the border?

Some travellers pay nothing. Others cannot get a visa at the border at all. This is the list on the Embassy of Nepal visa page in October 2026.

• Free for SAARC citizens (except Afghanistan): up to 30 days on the first visit in a visa year; this covers Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives and Pakistan
• Free for children under 10, except US citizens
• Free for Chinese citizens and Non-Resident Nepali (NRN) card holders
• No visa on arrival for citizens of Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland (Eswatini), Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan and Syria, or for refugee travel documents; apply at a Nepal embassy first

Insider tip: Kantipur says Sri Lankan, Thai, Myanmar, Vietnamese and South Korean visitors are among the biggest groups at Belahiya. SAARC travellers on a second visit in the same year pay the normal fee.

8. Do Indian citizens need a visa or passport for Nepal?

No visa is needed. Indian citizens do not go through immigration at Sunauli and can walk or drive across. But carry valid ID, because police, hotels, airlines and SIM shops in Nepal will ask for it.

The Embassy of India in Kathmandu accepts two documents for air travel between India and Nepal: a valid Indian passport, or an original Election Commission voter ID with photo. Downloaded or printed voter IDs are not accepted, and the Embassy says Aadhaar is not accepted.

Traveller	What to carry
Most adults	Indian passport or original voter ID
Under 15 or over 65	A 2019 Home Ministry rule also allowed photo ID such as a PAN card, driving licence, ration card or Aadhaar (reported by WION in January 2019)
Age 15 to 18	A school principal’s identity certificate in the set format (same rule)
Families	If one adult has valid papers, others may show photo ID and proof of the family link (same rule)

Insider tip: Carry the original and a photocopy even if no one checks you at the gate. You will need it at your hotel and to fly inside Nepal.

9. What are the Sunauli border opening hours?

No single official timetable is posted for travellers. This is what the sources say:

• On foot: open around the clock, says the travel blog Third Eye Traveller (updated January 2026)
• Vehicles: must reach the gate by about 9:45 p.m., or wait until about 6 a.m. (same source)
• Buses and jeeps: easy to find on both sides until about 6–7 p.m., says Wikivoyage
• Immigration: staff worked 14-hour days in 2024, but late-night service is not something to count on
• Closures: the border can close for some days around elections or security events; check the news

Prices can change at any time. Border hours are not published in one official place and do change. Treat these times as a guide.

Insider tip: Aim to reach Sunauli by late morning or early afternoon. You can survive a slow queue and still reach your hotel before dark.

10. Money: exchange, the rupee rate and Indian note rules

Nepal uses the Nepali rupee (NPR), fixed at 100 Indian rupees = 160 Nepali rupees since 1993, as Onlinekhabar explains. Converting prices in your head is easy.

In 2026 Nepal also relaxed its rules on large Indian notes. A Gazette notice in February, repeated by Nepal Rastra Bank in July, lets Indian and Nepali citizens carry or exchange new-series ₹200 and ₹500 notes (issued after 9 November 2016) up to ₹25,000 per person (ShareSansar).

Rule	Details (as of October 2026)
Exchange rate	1 INR = 1.6 NPR, fixed
₹200 and ₹500 notes	Indian and Nepali citizens, up to ₹25,000 per person, new series only
Small Indian notes	₹100 and smaller are widely taken near the border (Wikivoyage)
Foreign cash	Up to USD 5,000 or equal without declaring; declare more at customs
Changing money	Counters on the Nepal side; banks and ATMs in Bhairahawa and Butwal

Prices can change at any time. Currency rules are set by Nepal Rastra Bank and can change. Some shops may still refuse large Indian notes, so keep small ones too.

Insider tip: Change only enough for the first day at the border, then use a bank ATM in Bhairahawa or Butwal. Count your change: NPR and INR notes look different.

11. How do you get a Nepali SIM card?

Indian SIMs may keep a signal for a while after the border, but roaming in Nepal can be costly, so check your plan. A Nepali SIM is cheap. A Nepal Traveller guide from July 2026 says:

• Operators: Nepal Telecom (NTC, also called “Namaste”) and Ncell; both offer eSIMs
• Documents: original passport, a passport photo and your Nepal visa or entry stamp
• Prices: a SIM costs about NPR 100–150; Ncell tourist data is about NPR 500 for 10 GB for a week
• Where: an official NTC or Ncell store, not a street seller; registration is taken seriously

Prices can change at any time. Mobile packs and prices change often. Check the price on your receipt.

Insider tip: Message your hotel or driver on WhatsApp before you reach the gate, while your Indian SIM still works, and download offline maps of Bhairahawa and Lumbini.

12. Can you drive your own Indian car into Nepal?

Yes. About 1,300 vehicles cross at Belahiya every day, the Kathmandu Post reported in 2025. You need a customs pass, called a bhansar pass, from Nepal Customs at Belahiya.

The Embassy of India in Kathmandu says an Indian vehicle may stay a total of 30 days in a calendar year. A day visit to the nearest Nepali town needs a free day pass. Going further, or staying overnight, needs a pass for the exact number of days, with a daily charge.

Item	Details (as of October 2026)
Where	Nepal Customs (Bhansar) office, Belahiya
Maximum stay	30 days in total per calendar year
Daily charge, car	Sources differ: NPR 100–500 by vehicle type (Embassy of India, 2019 notice); NPR 600 for cars and jeeps (Kathmandu Post, 2025); NPR 500–1,000 (NRI Information, 2026)
Documents	Original RC, Indian licence, valid PUC, insurance, bank NOC if financed, owner’s letter if not your car
Insurance	Indian motor insurance does not cover Nepal; buy Nepali third-party cover at the border
Rules	Keep the pass in the car; hand it back when you leave; overstaying can lead to seizure

Prices can change at any time. Customs charges follow Nepal’s customs tariff and change by notice. Pay in cash and keep the receipt.

An online permit is coming but not live. In October 2026 the Kathmandu Post reported that both countries had agreed to digitise vehicle permits, and Nepal expected about seven months of preparation.

Insider tip: Nepal’s hill roads are steep, narrow and slow. If you only want Lumbini, Chitwan and Pokhara, it is often easier to leave your car in India and hire a car with a local driver in Nepal.

13. How do you get to Sunauli from Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Kushinagar and Delhi?

Almost every road route to Sunauli passes Gorakhpur. The road from Gorakhpur to the border, about 80 km, is being widened to four lanes, and in August 2026 the work was in its final phase (Meroauto, August 2026).

From	Distance (approx.)	By car (approx.)	Other ways
Gorakhpur	80–90 km	2–3 hrs	Shared jeep or bus, 2–3 hrs; or train to Nautanwa, then 5–7 km by taxi
Kushinagar	130–150 km	3.5–4.5 hrs	Bus to Gorakhpur, then on
Varanasi	About 280 km	4–5 hrs on route planners; most of a day in real traffic	Train to Gorakhpur or Nautanwa, about 9 hrs
Delhi	About 700 km	9–10 hrs at best; Meroauto says 13–14 hrs today	Fly to Gorakhpur (about 1 hr 30 min) or take a night train

• Gorakhpur: the easiest start, with a railway junction and an airport; Nautanwa is the last station before the border
• Varanasi: a long but common day; many people stop a night in Kushinagar on the way, as on our family’s Varanasi to Kathmandu by road tour
• Kushinagar: about 51–53 km east of Gorakhpur; pilgrims often go from the place of the Buddha’s death to his birthplace in one day (India and Nepal pilgrimage guide)
• Delhi: two days by road for most people, with a night on the way; or fly to Gorakhpur

Starting with the Taj Mahal and Rajasthan? Our Private India Tours with Driver: Golden Triangle & Rajasthan can end at the Nepal border, so one driver takes you from Delhi all the way to Sunauli.

Insider tip: Never buy a bus ticket “all the way to Kathmandu” in India. Buy it in Nepal after your visa, when you can see the bus.

14. Where to go after you cross

From the border to	By road (approx.)	Why go
Gautam Buddha International Airport (4 km)	10–15 min	Flights to Kathmandu, about 30 min
Lumbini (about 30 km)	45 min–1 hr	Birthplace of the Buddha, a UNESCO site
Greenkunja, Tilottama	40–50 min	A quiet family guesthouse between Bhairahawa and Butwal
Butwal	About 1 hr	Start of the hill roads
Chitwan (Sauraha)	4–6 hrs	Jungle and rhinos
Pokhara	6–8 hrs	Lakes and Annapurna views
Kathmandu	8–12 hrs	Or fly from Bhairahawa

Lumbini comes first for most people. The Maya Devi Temple is less than an hour away. Our guide to staying near Lumbini covers entry fees, the best time of day and how many days you need.

A night near the border makes sense after a long day from India. Sleep in Lumbini village, in Bhairahawa, or in the calmer Butwal–Tilottama area, where our family guesthouse Greenkunja is.

Chitwan, Pokhara and Kathmandu come next. Chitwan is the shortest drive, Pokhara a slow and beautiful hill road. Buddha Air lists eight daily Bhairahawa–Kathmandu flights of about 30 minutes (Buddha Air). See GoIndiaNepal’s best places to visit in Nepal and its Pokhara travel guide.

Insider tip: If you cross after midday, do not drive on to Pokhara or Kathmandu the same day. Sleep near Lumbini and leave fresh.

15. Scams and safety at the border

Sunauli is not dangerous, but it is crowded and full of people selling things. Most problems are small and easy to avoid.

• Fake “through” bus tickets: sold on the Indian side; Wikivoyage advises buying onward tickets only after you cross
• “The road is flooded”: a story some rickshaw drivers tell to sell a ride; the walk is under 1 km
• Bad dollar notes: old or damaged notes “changed” for you can be refused at the visa counter
• Visa helpers: you do not need an agent; you fill in the form and pay at the official counter
• Exchange rates: poor on the Indian side; change only what you need
• Night crossings: fewer buses, more touts; travel writers advise against them

Kantipur’s October 2026 report also describes traffic chaos near the gate: parked vehicles, taxis in the service lane and long truck queues. Walk at the edge and watch for reversing vehicles.

Insider tip: If anyone says you must buy something before you can cross, smile and walk on. At the border you pay only for your Nepal visa and, if you drive, your car pass.

16. A timed sample crossing day

A realistic plan for a foreign couple leaving Gorakhpur by car on a normal day and sleeping near Lumbini. Add time if the queue is long.

Time	What happens
7:00	Leave Gorakhpur after breakfast
9:30	Reach Sunauli; stop at Indian immigration
9:30–10:00	Indian exit stamp
10:00–10:15	Walk through the gate into Belahiya
10:15–11:30	Nepal immigration: form, photo, fee, stamp (can take much longer)
11:30–12:00	Change a little money; meet your Nepal car
12:00–13:00	Lunch in Bhairahawa; buy a SIM card
13:00–13:45	Drive to Lumbini
14:00–17:30	Maya Devi Temple, Sacred Garden and a few monasteries
17:30–18:30	Drive to your stay, for example Greenkunja in Tilottama

Insider tip: Changing drivers at the border? Agree a meeting point in Belahiya and a phone number that works on both sides. A tip is welcome after a long border day; see GoIndiaNepal’s guide to tipping drivers.

17. Going back to India: what changes?

Going into India is the same crossing in reverse, with one big difference: India does not give visas at the border. Foreigners need a valid Indian visa before they reach Sunauli.

• Nepal exit stamp first at Belahiya; the Kathmandu Post says it takes about half an hour
• Indian entry stamp second at Sunauli
• e-Visa holders: India added nine land ports for e-Visa entry in August 2026, and Sunauli was not one of them (Outlook Traveller); travellers have long reported that e-Visas are not accepted here
• Car pass: hand back your bhansar pass at Nepal Customs
• Indian notes: the ₹25,000 limit applies on the way out too

Prices can change at any time. Indian visa rules change. Check the official Indian visa website or an Indian embassy before you plan a return by road.

Insider tip: With an Indian e-Visa, the safer plan is usually to fly from Kathmandu to an Indian airport, unless you have confirmed that land entry at Sunauli is allowed.

18. How Greenkunja and GoIndiaNepal fit in, and when we are not the right choice

Greenkunja is our family guesthouse in Kunjalapur, Tilottama, between Butwal and Bhairahawa, about 40–50 minutes from the border. One double room is open now. On Booking.com it is listed at about USD 29 a night, with breakfast listed (continental, English or from the menu). See the room and photos. It is about 30–35 km from the Maya Devi Temple, a good base for Lumbini.

Prices can change at any time. The room rate changes with dates and season. Check the live price on Booking.com or ask us on WhatsApp.

We can help you arrange a car and driver for the Nepal part of your trip. For a full India and Nepal journey, our family company GoIndiaNepal has run private tours with a car and driver since 1996.

We are a good fit if you want a quiet room among rice fields after the border, plan two or more nights near Lumbini, or want help arranging a car for Lumbini, Chitwan or Pokhara.

You may be better off elsewhere if you cross late and need a bed near the gate (try Bhairahawa), want to walk to the temple at sunrise (stay in Lumbini village), are a big group (we have one room), or are taking a budget bus straight through to Kathmandu.

Insider tip: Send us your crossing date on WhatsApp. If the visa queue is long, message us from the line so we know to expect you later.

How to cross at Sunauli with us

1. Cross on your own and stay with us. Use this guide, then book Greenkunja on WhatsApp or Booking.com. We can help you arrange a car for Lumbini and beyond.

2. Make the border part of a private India-to-Nepal tour. With GoIndiaNepal, one English-speaking driver can take you from India across the border and on through Nepal:

Tour	Route	Price
Varanasi to Kathmandu by Road, 7 days	Varanasi, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Lumbini, Chitwan, Kathmandu	See the tour page or ask for a quote
Buddhist Circuit Tour, 9 days	Varanasi, Sarnath, Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, Kushinagar, Lumbini	See the tour page or ask for a quote
Nepal tours	Lumbini, Chitwan, Pokhara, Kathmandu, shaped around you	Price on request

Prices can change at any time. Tour prices depend on dates, vehicle and hotels. Your final price is the one in your written quote.

Planning both countries? Read how to plan a combined India and Nepal trip.

Plan Your India-to-Nepal Crossing in Just 3 Steps

1. Send us your dates and route: where you start in India and where you are going in Nepal.
2. We suggest a plan: when to cross, where to sleep and whether you need a car, with a fixed price.
3. Cross and relax. Bring your passport, photos and dollars; your room is ready when you arrive.

Your Sunauli Border Checklist

• Is your passport valid for six more months?
• Do you know if you get a visa on arrival, a free visa, or need one in advance?
• Do you have clean US dollar notes and two photos?
• Will you stop at Indian immigration for your exit stamp?
• If you are Indian, do you have your passport or original voter ID?
• Will you reach the border before mid-afternoon?
• Are your ₹200 and ₹500 notes under ₹25,000 per person?
• Have you saved your hotel’s address and WhatsApp number?
• Driving an Indian car: do you have the RC, licence, PUC and insurance?
• Returning to India by road: does your Indian visa allow land entry at Sunauli?

Summary: A Simple Way to Think About It

Two stops for foreigners, none for Indians. Exit stamp in Sunauli, visa at Belahiya, clean dollars and a photo in your pocket. Arrive in daylight, buy onward tickets only in Nepal, and do not plan a long drive afterwards. Sleep near Lumbini and start Nepal fresh the next morning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Go

Sunauli is not pretty, and nobody remembers it as the best day of their holiday. But it is the door to Nepal for many travellers, and it opens easily if you bring the right papers, the right money and enough time.

Cross in daylight, be patient in the queue, and do not let anyone rush you. An hour later you can be in Lumbini, and by evening you can sit quietly among the rice fields of the Terai.

Be ready. Be patient. Then enjoy Nepal.

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