DAYS
China–Iran transit time: 21–23 days Wuqia to Tehran, and what moves it
There is no single number for China to Iran. The transit times we publish are measured from the Wuqia border crossing, and they change with the destination and with the type of truck you book.
- From the Wuqia crossing, a direct truck currently runs 21–23 days to Tehran and 18–21 days to Mashhad
- With transshipment it is currently 26–30 days to Tehran and 24–28 days to Mashhad
- The domestic leg, consolidation hub to Wuqia, is typically within 7 days — an estimate, counted separately
- A direct truck transloads once, at Bukhara; a transshipment truck transloads at Osh and again at Bukhara
- Khorgos line: transit time on request. The count ends at the bonded warehouse, not at your address
Where the count starts
The day counts below start when the trailer clears the Wuqia crossing into Kyrgyzstan. That is the point where the schedule becomes ours to run rather than a domestic trucking question, and it is the only start point that lets the same figure mean the same thing for a shipper in Yiwu and a shipper in Guangzhou.
| Destination | Direct truck (current) | Transshipment truck (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Mashhad | 18–21 days | 24–28 days |
| Tehran | 21–23 days | 26–30 days |
These are the ranges the Wuqia line is currently running. They move with border conditions and they are not a guaranteed transit.
The domestic leg is a separate number
Getting the cargo from the consolidation hub at Yiwu, Shenzhen, Guangzhou or Shanghai up to Wuqia is typically within 7 days. That is an operator estimate and it is confirmed for each booking, because it depends on the hub, the cut-off you make and the loading queue. We publish it as its own leg and we do not add it into the table above to manufacture a bigger headline number.
Direct or transshipment is the biggest lever
A direct truck runs Wuqia to Bukhara, transloads once there, and continues into Iran. A transshipment truck transloads at Osh, again at Bukhara, and sometimes once more at the Iranian border. Every transload is a day of handling, a queue for the next trailer and one more chance for something to be damaged or delayed. That is why direct costs more and lands sooner. A TIR carnet keeps the number of unsealings and transloads down; it does not take them to zero, and it changes neither the transit time nor the rate.
Where the count ends
It ends when the cargo is inside the customs bonded warehouse at the destination — Tehran West Customs (Gomrok Gharb), Aprin Dry Port or Mashhad Customs — and the warehouse entry receipt (Ghabz-e Anbar) is issued. Import duty, clearance in the ASYCUDA system and delivery out of the warehouse are the work of the licensed broker of the consignee, and they sit on top of the day count. This is a hub-to-customs service under CPT or DAP terms, not door-to-door and not DDP.
What moves the number
Queues at the crossings, tight capacity in peak season, physical inspection, incomplete or inconsistent documents, handling time at the transload points, and winter road conditions in the mountains. None of these are unusual on this corridor; they are the reason a range is published instead of a single day.
Why the very short numbers do not hold
Listings that advertise a China-to-Tehran run in ten or twelve days are not describing this corridor. With a border crossing at Wuqia, three transit countries, at least one transload and full customs steps on entry into Iran, the ranges in the table are the ones we plan on and the ones we will discuss when a shipment slips.
The Khorgos line
The second corridor leaves China at Khorgos and runs Xinjiang — Kazakhstan — Uzbekistan — Turkmenistan — Iran. We do not publish a day count for it; transit time is quoted on request. It never carries the 0.4% transit tax that Kyrgyzstan levies on the cargo-invoice value on the Wuqia line. Turgart and Alashankou are not operated.
No published rates. To get a quote, send three things: the origin hub; the destination customs (Tehran West Customs / Aprin / Mashhad); and the cargo data — HS code, gross weight in kg, volume in CBM.
FAQ
How long does a truck take from the Wuqia crossing to Tehran?
Counted from the Wuqia border crossing: a direct truck currently takes 21 to 23 calendar days to the Tehran West Customs bonded warehouse and a transshipment truck 26 to 30 days; to Mashhad it is 18 to 21 days direct and 24 to 28 days with transshipment. A direct truck transloads once, at Bukhara; a transshipment truck transloads at Osh and again at Bukhara. The domestic leg from the Yiwu or Shenzhen warehouse to Wuqia is typically within 7 days and is counted separately. Transit time on the Khorgos line is quoted on request. These are current operating ranges, not a guaranteed transit.
Is the leg inside China included in that number?
No. The domestic leg from the consolidation hub at Yiwu, Shenzhen, Guangzhou or Shanghai to Wuqia is typically within 7 days. That is an operator estimate, confirmed per booking, and it is counted separately from the figures above. We do not publish the two legs added together.
Does a direct truck mean the cargo is never moved between trailers?
No. A direct truck transloads once, at Bukhara. A transshipment truck transloads at Osh and again at Bukhara, and sometimes once more at the Iranian border. Fewer transloads means a shorter, more predictable transit and less handling, which is the real difference between the two.
How long is the Khorgos line?
Transit time on the Khorgos line is quoted on request; no day count is published for it. The Khorgos routing runs through Kazakhstan instead of Kyrgyzstan and never carries the 0.4% Kyrgyz transit tax.
Does the count include clearance and delivery in Iran?
No. The count ends when the cargo is in the customs bonded warehouse and the warehouse entry receipt is issued. Duty payment, clearance and onward delivery are handled by the licensed broker of the consignee.
Related: Transit time from Wuqia, leg by leg · Wuqia or Khorgos: the 0.4% is only on Wuqia · How to request a China–Iran trucking quote · Departure log, load by load