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In case you are interested in a non-European trip that includes the temporary importation of your private vehicle, you will need to purchase the Carnet de Passages en Douane, also known by the acronym CPD. In the Middle East it is also called simply “a trip ticket”
The CPD is a customs document that allows you to TEMPORARILY import the private and commercial vehicle, duty free. Thanks to it, you will not have to deposit the amount of the corresponding customs duties to the host country.
It is important to know that in case you do not have your CDP, you will have to pay a customs security deposit in the foreign country, and it will take weeks (or even months) for this deposit to be returned!
The Carnet is mandatory in many countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. Generally, the Carnet de Passages is valid for 12 months but each country has its own rules that it is important to know before leaving.
Photo ©, Nicolas Mirguet
PRACTICAL INFO
PRICES AND HOW TO REQUEST THE CDP
Carnet De Passages is an official product distributed and administered by the Alliance Internationale de Tourisme (AIT) and Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and can only be issued by AIT/FIA automobile clubs and authorized distributors in the UK.
It costs 240£ (10 pages), and 260£ (25 pages).
To obtain the Carnet de Passages, the following documents are required:
- Bank surety or insurance surety policy on the value of the vehicle to guarantee customs duties
- Vehicle registration certificate
- Engine number (to be identified on the vehicle)
- Passport (not expired) of the vehicle holder
- Model of acceptance of the conditions of issue signed
WHERE IT IS MANDATORY
Here is the list of countries where the Carnet de Passages en Douane is mandatory:
- AFRICA: Botswana, Burundi, Egypt, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritania, Namibia, South African Republic, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe.
- ASIA: Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Jordan, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Yemen.
- OCEANIA: Australia, New Zealand.
- AMERICA: Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Jamaica, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela.
HOW THE CARNET DE PASSAGES IS COMPOSED
The CDP consists of a series of pages (10 or 25) in A4 format. Each one consists of a detachable entry and exit receipt, and a matrix which, on the other hand, cannot be separated. On each receipt there are the details of the vehicle, the complete details of the holder of the carnet, the name of the association that issues it and the expiry date of the document.
At each entry and exit from the country, the customs officer will detach and keep the receipt, placing a stamp on the exit receipt.