The Hairatan–Termez route: rail bridge, Uzbek transit, documents and timelines

What the Hairatan–Termez crossing is

Termez is the southernmost city of Uzbekistan; Hairatan is the Afghan border town on the other bank of the Amu Darya. The Friendship Bridge between them, about 816 m long, opened on 12 May 1982 and carries both a road and a railway. A short rail link of about 10 km joins the Hairatan terminal to Termez. In 2010 an Asian Development Bank-financed line, built for about USD 129 million, extended the railway 75 km to Mazar-i-Sharif. Sogdiana Trans, a subsidiary of Uzbekistan Railways, has operated it since then; the agreement was extended in January 2025. In 2024 the line carried 4,200 containers of China–Afghanistan trade, and in May 2026 a new cargo terminal opened on it, with a 1.65 km branch near Naibabad station proposed to cut wagon waiting times.

Uzbekistan transit: how cargo reaches Termez

Uzbekistan is not a member of the Eurasian Economic Union; it is an observer. So rail cargo from China crosses Kazakhstan under EAEU customs transit and then enters Uzbekistan at Saryagash under Uzbek transit procedures, without being cleared for the Uzbek market. Trucks can also come from Kashgar over the Irkeshtam pass to Osh in Kyrgyzstan, then through the Fergana Valley into Uzbekistan. In 2022 a rail-road service Kashgar–Osh–Andijan–Hairatan took about 9 days. China, the five Central Asian states and Afghanistan are all parties to the TIR Convention, but TIR operations into Afghanistan are not confirmed as available today, so road cargo is often handed over or reloaded at the border.

Documents for the Hairatan route

Timeline: from loading in China to release at Hairatan

1. Compliance check and bookingWe screen the parties and goods, then book rail or truck space.
2. Loading in ChinaCargo is loaded at a rail hub such as Chongqing or Xi'an, or picked up by truck, and declared for export.
3. Gauge change at the borderAt Khorgos or Alashankou containers move to broad-gauge wagons, usually within 1–3 days.
4. Transit through KazakhstanThe train runs under EAEU transit towards Saryagash.
5. Transit through UzbekistanUzbek customs supervises the cargo to Termez.
6. Crossing the Friendship BridgeThe train or truck crosses to Hairatan and the cargo is declared to Afghan customs.
7. Clearance or bonded moveGoods are cleared at Hairatan or move under bond to Mazar-i-Sharif or Kabul customs.
8. Inland deliveryRail to Naibabad and trucks onward deliver to the consignee.

Rail from Chongqing to Hairatan is reported at about 12–15 days. Our published China to Afghanistan service runs at typically 30–45 days door to door, which includes pickup, export, transit, Afghan customs and inland trucking. What adds time: the September–January peak, queues at gauge-change yards, Irkeshtam closures on weekends and holidays, snow on the Salang highway, valuation checks and inspections.

Afghan customs at Hairatan

Hairatan is one of the main Afghan customs offices running ASYCUDA World. A licensed Afghan broker files the declaration; some goods are cleared at the border, others move under bond to inland customs at Mazar-i-Sharif or Kabul. Expect document checks, valuation against reference values and physical inspection, plus ANSA checks for goods under mandatory standards. You pay customs duty under the national tariff, a fixed tax reported at about 2% (licensed importers) or 3% (unlicensed) of the value including duties, and fees. Hairatan mainly handles imports such as oil, liquefied gas, wheat and cement; Afghan figures for the year to March 2026 put exports plus transit at under 2% of rail traffic.

Compliance on the northern route

Using Uzbekistan avoids Iranian ports and the closed Pakistan crossings, but the Afghanistan rules do not change. UN Resolution 1988 freezes the assets of listed Taliban-associated persons and entities and bans arms supplies to them, so we screen consignees, end users, banks and agents against the UN, OFAC, EU and UK lists. Transit countries apply their own controls too: in April 2026 the EU listed entities in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in a sanctions package aimed at Russia. Dual-use goods such as drones, communications equipment and night-vision devices go to our compliance team, and payment must come through approved banking channels, never hawala.

Frequently asked questions

General information checked on the date shown. Rules and rates change: our team confirms the details for your shipment.