| India-Nepal border | |
|---|---|
Map of Nepal, with India to the south | |
| Characteristics | |
| Entities | |
| Length | 1,751 kilometres (1,088 mi) |
| History | |
| Established | 1816 Treaty of Sugauli between Nepal and British Raj |
| Current shape | 15 August 1947 Independence of India from the British Raj |
| Treaties | 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship |
The India–Nepal border is an open international boundary running between the countries of India and Nepal. The 1,751 km (1,088.02 mi) long border includes the Himalayan territories as well as Indo-Gangetic Plain of the subcontinent. The current border was delimited after the Sugauli treaty of 1816 between Nepal and the British Raj. Following Indian independence, the prevailing border was recognised as the international border between the Kingdom of Nepal and the Dominion of India.

The border starts in the west at the western tripoint with China. The de facto tripoint is near the Tinkar Pass in the Byans region, consistent with the 1961 China–Nepal Boundary Treaty. Nepal disputes this and claims the tripoint lies further north-west at Limpiyadhura, a position formalised in its 2020 political map.
The border then proceeds to the south-west through the Himalayas, the Sivalik Hills and then the Gangetic plain, initially overland and then utilising the Mahakali River. Just east of Majhola it turns to the south-east and proceeds in that direction overland, occasionally utilising various rivers and hill crests. North-west of Islampur the border turns to the north-east and proceeds overland to the eastern Chinese tripoint.[citation needed]


The border region has historically existed at the edge of various Indian and Nepali kingdoms. It took its modern shape during the period of British India which began in the 17th century. While the Gorkhalis fought the Kirati people to annex their territory in the late 18th century (notably in 1768), the Gorkha Kingdom launched an expansion drive, bringing them into conflict with the British and resulting in the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–16). The Kingdom of Nepal was defeated and was forced to sign the Treaty of Sugauli by the British East India Company (EIC), while ceding large areas of land to Britain, effectively creating the modern India-Nepal boundary. Finding the Terai region difficult to manage, the British returned parts of it to Nepal in 1816.
Before the Gorkha conquest of Kumaon in 1791, the Byans region — including the villages of Chhangru and Tinkar east of the Kali River — formed part of Kumaon rather than of the Doti Kingdom.
Following the Treaty of Sugauli, the Nepali governor Bam Shah claimed the villages lying east of the Kali. The British conceded Chhangru and Tinkar but rejected his further claim to Kuti and Nabhi, which would have required treating the Kuthi Yankti — the larger, western headwater — as the main stream of the Kali. The zamindars of Byans petitioned against the separation, stating that six villages remaining on the British side were entirely dependent on the agricultural production of Chhangru and Tinkar.
The Byansi communities on either side of the boundary have maintained cross-border ties, including shared landholding and a common system of five mukhiyas spanning both countries.
India gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, and three years later it signed a friendship treaty with Nepal, by which both countries agreed to respect the territorial integrity of the other. Since then relations have largely been cordial, though a number of border disputes remain. There have also been occasional blockades on the border at times of tension, for example in 1987 and 2015.
Communities living in India and Nepal close to the Indo-Nepal border have usually shared old, customary ties of kinship and resource access with communities across the border, such as along the western part of the Indo-Nepal border, in the Mahakali valley.
There are two existing territorial disputes between India and Nepal, over the Kalapani territory, a 35-square-kilometre (14 sq mi) area at the India–Nepal–China trijunction in the Uttarakhand state of India, and the Susta territory, a 20-square-kilometre (7.7 sq mi)–140-square-kilometre (54 sq mi) area in Southern Nepal.
There are several major border crossings that the Indian Integrated Check Posts (ICP) use for processing cargo customs and immigration entry for citizens of third countries. These are, from west to east subcategorised by the states of India:

Since there are no fences along the border, there are several smaller official and unofficial border crossings. Smaller official border crossings, known as Chhoti Bhansar (Minor Customs) in the Nepali language, are as follows from west to east (by Indian state):
Uttarakhand

Uttar Pradesh
Bihar


West Bengal
8 railway lines between India and Nepal either exist or they are under construction or planning as follows (listed east to west):
The Nepal–India border is an open border, which is relatively peaceful. Nepali and Indian nationals do not need passports or visas to enter each other's countries, and tens of thousands of people cross the border every day for tourism and commerce.
The Indian side of the border is regulated by Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) along with local police. The Nepali side of the border is regulated by the Armed Police Force (APF) along with the local branch of Nepal Police. Often SSB (India) and APF (Nepal) perform joint patrols on the border. On a local level, Indian and Nepali district officials meet regularly to discuss security challenges and other issues on their respective border portions. Such meetings are usually attended by District Magistrates, local SSB representatives, customs chiefs from India including the Chief District Officer (CDO), local APF, Police and custom chiefs from Nepal.