India–Nepal Road Travel Documents

Carry original, accepted identity

Check the official list before departure and carry the original document you intend to use. Nepal Tourism Board says Aadhaar is not an acceptable travel document. A taxi booking, hotel confirmation or photograph of an identity card does not establish that a traveller meets entry requirements.

Children, older travellers and exceptions

Official pages describe age-related document provisions, but these should be checked for the particular traveller and entry mode. Contact the relevant authority before relying on an exception, especially if a child is travelling with someone other than a parent or if names differ between documents. Keep the answer with your trip paperwork.

Road arrival and air travel are not identical

The Embassy of India’s linked valid-documents page explicitly addresses travel by air and names a valid Indian passport or original Election Commission voter ID. Do not assume a document accepted in a specific land-border situation will be accepted by an airline. If your trip enters by road and returns by air, check both legs.

Separate passenger and vehicle paperwork

Traveller identity and a vehicle’s customs or permit arrangements are different matters. Ask who handles the proposed vehicle paperwork, whether a vehicle change is planned and whether permit-related charges appear in the quote. Do not assume hiring a taxi settles your personal entry requirements.

A useful pre-departure folder

Keep original identity documents accessible, with offline copies stored separately for reference. Record your accommodation address, operator contact, itinerary and emergency contact. Share only the information needed to establish requirements; there is no need to send identity scans with an initial fare enquiry.

Check again before you leave

Use the official sources below shortly before travel. This guide does not guarantee admission or replace a border authority’s decision. If the group has different nationalities, unusual document circumstances or an onward international flight, resolve those questions before making non-refundable arrangements.

What the official sources do—and do not—establish

Nepal Immigration's Rasuwagadhi land-border FAQ identifies a valid Indian passport or Election Commission voter card as nationality evidence for Indian citizens and distinguishes these from Aadhaar or a driving licence. This is a land-border authority reference, but it is not a substitute for checking the arrangements at your actual crossing. Do not treat a taxi operator's general assurance as the final document decision.

The Embassy of India's linked document page is explicitly about air travel. It is useful if you fly into or out of Nepal, but its scope should not be silently relabelled as a complete Sunauli road-entry rule. When a trip combines road entry and air exit, satisfy the requirements for both legs before making non-refundable plans.

Resolve exceptions before the departure day

For a child, an unaccompanied minor, a traveller whose names differ across documents or a mixed-nationality group, ask the relevant immigration authority and airline where applicable. Explain the exact journey and circumstances. Record the response date and keep the supporting documents accessible.

A scanned copy can help you recover information if an original is misplaced, but it does not automatically replace an original accepted travel document. Keep copies separately and avoid sending identity scans to multiple operators simply to compare taxi fares. Basic route, passenger count and nationality context are enough to begin a transport enquiry.