CPD Carnet: Guide to Temporary Vehicle Import and Export

If you plan to travel outside Europe in your own car, motorcycle or trailer, some countries will want a guarantee that the vehicle will leave with you. A CPD Carnet is that guarantee. Below we explain how it works, when you need it and how to get one.

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What is a CPD Carnet?

A CPD Carnet allows a vehicle to enter a country that requires one without paying import charges there. In return you agree to obey that country's laws and the conditions of temporary admission. It is not an exemption from duty: charges are suspended and the carnet is guaranteed by the organisation that issued it. A CPD is not an import document and cannot be used for a permanent move, for example if you are emigrating with your car (that is a different procedure — see relocation goods to Poland). Source: gov.uk — Apply for a CPD Carnet.

Which vehicles and countries?

A carnet covers road vehicles, motorcycles, trailers and registered motor sport vehicles carried on a trailer. A CPD is mainly needed in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Oceania and South America — check the requirements of each country with its motoring association or customs authority. It is not needed where the vehicle is used for commercial deliveries or for demonstrations and exhibitions – according to GOV.UK temporary admission can be claimed instead; for goods travelling for business purposes an ATA Carnet is the usual tool.

Who issues a carnet?

Carnets are managed by the Alliance Internationale de Tourisme (AIT) and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA); only organisations they appoint can issue and guarantee one, usually motoring clubs. For UK-registered vehicles gov.uk lists CARS UK. The issuer sets the fees and the security required, which depend among other things on the vehicle's value and the countries you will visit, so check current amounts with them.

How do you get a CPD Carnet?

1. Contact the issuing organisation in the country where the vehicle is registered and submit an application.
2. Agree fees and security: the issuer will tell you what to pay and what guarantee is required.
3. Receive the carnet: once the application is approved and paid, it is posted to you or available for collection.

Using the carnet: rules and risks

• A carnet is valid for up to one year from issue (per gov.uk); for longer journeys a second carnet or an extension may be possible in certain circumstances.
• It must be stamped at every border crossing. If customs are not satisfied that the vehicle is the same one originally exported, they will not certify it, and you will need a normal customs declaration and owe charges.
• You must not hire out, loan, abandon or dispose of the vehicle without approval from the issuer and the customs authority of the country visited.
• The carnet must be returned to the issuer before it expires so the security can be released.
• If the vehicle is not taken out in time or the carnet is misused, the country can claim the charges from the guarantor, which will recover them from the carnet holder.

Summary

A CPD Carnet makes temporary entry easier in countries that demand a customs guarantee, but it requires discipline: stamping at borders and returning it on time. If your situation involves permanently bringing a car in or moving goods, get in touch and we will advise on the right procedure (see also car customs clearance from the UK to Poland).

Frequently asked questions