Carnet de passages
What is a Carnet de passages?
A Carnet de passages lets you temporarily take your UK registered vehicle into certain countries. This means that you do not need to pay the import duties in the country you drive through or temporarily stay in.
The Carnet is valid for maximum of a year, although it can be extended should you be travelling for longer.
On application, you provide a security deposit in the form of either a non-refundable insurance indemnity or a part-refundable deposit guarantee. A percentage of the deposit guarantee will be charged to cover administration and bank fees, and is therefore kept and not returned to you.
You must return the Carnet to the issuing association before it expires so that the security deposit is discharged and returned to you.
How do you obtain a Carnet de passages?
The RAC used to issue Carnet de passages, but no longer does so. You can obtain a Carnet from any of the issuing offices throughout Europe, e.g. from ADAC Germany, Touring Club Schweiz. Within the UK, you can obtain one from CARS UK.
What does the Carnet consist of?
The carnet is a booklet made up of 5, 10 or 25 pages. The number of pages relates to how many countries you wish to visit – you’ll use a separate page for each country.
Countries that require a Carnet de passages
A Carnet is mainly required in Africa, Asia, The Middle East, Oceania and South America.
How does it work at the border
You must show the carnet to customs in each country you visit, both when entering the county and when leaving.
- When entering the country – customs will stamp and keep the import voucher. They should stamp the import counterfoil at the top of the carnet and give that back to you. Not all border points know how the Carnet works, so you may have to guide them. If it needs stamping, make sure they stamp it correctly.
- When leaving the country – customs will stamp and keep the export voucher. They should stamp the export counterfoil and give that back to you.
- On return to the UK – to avoid difficulties in establishing proof of re-export from countries you visited, you can show the certificate of location to the frontier customs office in the UK, they’ll certify it.
If you found this information helpful, you may also find it useful to refer to our information on driving abroad.