How to Make a Nether Portal in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Build a vertical frame of obsidian at least 4 blocks wide and 5 blocks tall (10 obsidian minimum, corners optional) and light the inside with flint and steel. A full frame with corners uses 14 obsidian.

A lit nether portal in a Minecraft village — Nether portal in a village. Gameplay screenshot by Reece Bennett via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.

What you need

10-14 obsidian
Flint and steel (1 iron + 1 flint)
Diamond/netherite pickaxe OR water bucket + lava for casting

Step by step

Get obsidian: pour water over lava source blocks, then mine it with a diamond or netherite pickaxe. You need 10 (economy frame) or 14 (full frame).
Build an upright frame with a 2-block-wide, 3-block-tall empty opening. Place 2 obsidian below the opening, 3 on each side and 2 above it. The outer dimensions are 4 by 5 blocks, even when the corners are omitted.
Corners are optional - leave them empty to save 4 obsidian.
Craft flint and steel with 1 iron ingot and 1 flint in any arrangement. Use it to place fire inside the obsidian frame and activate the portal. A fire charge also works. Portals cannot be activated in the End.
The interior fills with portal blocks. Stand inside for 80 game ticks (4 seconds) in Survival, or 1 tick in Creative, to teleport.
No diamond pickaxe? Cast the portal in place: make a mold, place lava source blocks where the frame goes, then pour water on each to turn them into obsidian one by one.

Java vs Bedrock

Frame limits are 4 by 5 blocks minimum and 23 by 23 maximum in both editions. Portal searches differ: Java searches within 16 blocks horizontally at the converted Nether coordinates or 128 in the Overworld; Bedrock searches within 128 blocks in either destination dimension.

Versions: Describes the current Java and Bedrock releases. See the edition note above for differences.

Frequently asked questions

How much obsidian do you need for a nether portal?

10 blocks minimum if you skip the four corners, or 14 for the complete 4x5 frame.

Why won't my nether portal light?

Use obsidian, with an empty rectangular opening at least 2 blocks wide and 3 blocks tall. The maximum opening is 21 by 21 blocks. Place fire inside the frame and make sure you are not in the End.

How do portals link between dimensions?

One block of horizontal travel in the Nether equals 8 in the Overworld. Divide Overworld X and Z by 8 to get corresponding Nether coordinates; multiply Nether X and Z by 8 for the reverse trip. Y is not scaled. For example, calculated from this ratio, Overworld X=800, Z=800 corresponds to Nether X=100, Z=100; existing portals and terrain can change the arrival point.