Khorgos and Dostyk: China–Kazakhstan Border Crossings for Cargo

The Khorgos border crossing is the main overland gateway between China and Kazakhstan for cargo moving to Almaty, Tashkent, Bishkek and further into Central Asia. The second major hub is Dostyk, paired with Alashankou in China. Both handle road and rail traffic, but they work differently, and the crossing you choose affects transit time, the transhipment scheme and the risk of waiting at the border.

The names are easy to confuse. "Khorgos" can mean a Chinese city, the Kazakh road checkpoint Nur Zholy, the Altynkol–Khorgos rail pair, a special economic zone and a cross-border trade centre. This guide explains what is what, how cargo actually crosses the border and which documents should be ready before the truck joins the queue.

Khorgos border crossing: five places with one name

When a supplier says "the cargo is at Khorgos", it can mean any of these:

• Khorgos, China – a city and land port in Xinjiang. Chinese warehouses, export brokers and transhipment yards are here.
• Nur Zholy checkpoint – the Kazakh side of the road crossing. This is where trucks pass border and customs control on entry into the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
• Altynkol–Khorgos rail crossing – Altynkol station on the Kazakh side, where containers move from the Chinese 1,435 mm standard gauge to the 1,520 mm gauge used in Kazakhstan.
• Khorgos – Eastern Gate SEZ – a special economic zone with a dry port and logistics sites for moving containers between rail and road.
• ICBC Khorgos – the International Centre for Boundary Cooperation, a trade zone right on the border line. It has its own regime and is not the route a commercial truck normally takes to Almaty or Tashkent.

So when a supplier writes "at Khorgos", ask for detail: is the truck at a Chinese warehouse, in the queue for Nur Zholy, or is the container already at Altynkol station?

Khorgos and Dostyk compared

Both hubs serve cargo from China to Kazakhstan and transit further on, but they differ in location and type of traffic. Use the summary as a planning guide; working hours and load levels change.

There are other checkpoints on the China–Kazakhstan border, such as Bakhty and Maikapchagay in East Kazakhstan. They are used less often for Central Asian cargo.

How a truck crosses the border

For a truck, the crossing is a sequence of steps; a problem at any one of them stops the whole vehicle.

1. Export clearance in China. The supplier or its broker files the Chinese export declaration, and the cargo is sealed.
2. Chinese border control and exit from China.
3. Entry into Kazakhstan. Border control, phytosanitary or veterinary checks where required, verification of the transit declaration or TIR carnet, and weight and dimension checks.
4. Onward movement. Either release for free circulation at the customs office of destination in Kazakhstan, or transit under customs control to a neighbouring country.

In a through movement, one truck runs from the factory to the consignee's warehouse. In other cases the cargo is reloaded near the border from a Chinese truck to a Kazakh one, or the tractor unit is changed. Every reload adds time and a risk of damage, so record it with photos, a piece count and new seals.

Rail: gauge change and transhipment

China uses the 1,435 mm gauge; Kazakhstan and the rest of the region use 1,520 mm. At Altynkol and Dostyk stations, containers are lifted by crane onto wagons of the wider gauge. During peaks, thousands of containers have built up at the stations because of a shortage of container flat wagons.

Capacity is growing. According to the Kazakh newspaper Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, a new export yard has been built at Altynkol, and when the project is complete the line should handle 33 pairs of trains per day instead of 18. Kazakhstan's national railway company KTZ reported that more than 16 million tonnes of freight passed through the Altynkol–Khorgos crossing in 2025.

Rail suits containers and heavy, non-urgent consignments; the last leg from the station or dry port to the warehouse is still done by truck.

Queues and waiting times at the Khorgos border crossing

No exact crossing time can be promised. It depends on the season, how full the holding areas are, the work of customs posts and Chinese public holidays. During Chinese holidays checkpoints may run on a special schedule, so shipments before the Lunar New Year and in early October need extra time in the plan.

Traffic through Nur Zholy is growing fast. Kazakh media report that the number of vehicles crossing in both directions rose about 5.5 times, from roughly 99,000 in 2022 to more than 542,000 in 2025. A new road terminal with parking for around 15,000 vehicles is under construction. Kazakhstan is also introducing an electronic border queue (piloted at Dostyk in 2022 via Qoldau.kz); check the current booking procedure with your carrier.

Documents to have ready before the border

Most delays at Khorgos and Dostyk are caused not by the queue but by paperwork. The basic set for a road shipment is:

• commercial invoice and packing list with the exact number of packages, gross and net weight;
• CMR consignment note and a TIR carnet or transit declaration;
• Chinese export declaration;
• advance cargo information for EAEU customs;
• EAEU certificates or declarations of conformity, phytosanitary or veterinary documents, depending on the product group;
• road permits for the vehicle and the driver's documents.

Typical mistakes: weight on the invoice does not match the packing list, the goods description is too vague ("spare parts", "equipment"), or the HS code has not been agreed with the consignee's customs broker. For more on the consignment note and TIR, see our guide to the CMR consignment note and TIR carnet.

Khorgos or Dostyk: how to choose

• Southern Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan – usually the Khorgos border crossing, which is closer to Almaty and the highway to Tashkent.
• Central and northern Kazakhstan, transit to Russia – more often Dostyk.
• Containers by rail – both crossings work; the timetable and wagon availability decide.
• Urgent truck – whichever crossing has the shorter queue on the loading date.
• ADR dangerous goods – confirm in advance which checkpoint accepts the specific class and on what conditions.

For the route beyond the border, see freight from China to Kazakhstan and freight from China to Uzbekistan. For delivery inside the country after clearance, see our Kazakhstan freight page, and for container solutions our rail freight service.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Nur Zholy and ICBC Khorgos?

Nur Zholy is the road checkpoint where commercial trucks are cleared under EAEU rules. ICBC Khorgos is a trade zone on the border line with its own regime. A normal delivery of goods to Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan is planned through Nur Zholy.

Where is cargo transhipped at Khorgos?

By rail, at Altynkol station or at the dry port of the SEZ, where the gauge changes. By road, reloading can happen at warehouses in Chinese Khorgos if the carrier does not run a through truck. Agree the scheme in advance.

How long does a truck wait at the border?

From a few hours in quiet periods to several days at peaks and before Chinese holidays.

Can dangerous goods go through Khorgos or Dostyk?

Yes, but the hazard class must be stated at the quotation stage. The carrier checks whether the cargo is accepted at the chosen crossing, whether an ADR-certified vehicle and driver are available and whether the documents are correct.

BNK Logistics (BNK Lojistik) plans shipments from China through Khorgos or Dostyk (Alashankou) to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran: dedicated trucks, groupage, consolidation of several suppliers, and a tracking link with documents, photos and videos for every vehicle. To choose the right crossing and route for your cargo, send your shipment details through our quote form or call us on +90 542 485 53 70 or message us on WhatsApp at +90 545 485 53 70.

Updated: October 16, 2026