A Carnet de Passage is an essential document for traveling with your car across international borders, especially when entering countries that require it. This document acts as a passport for your vehicle, ensuring that you don’t have to pay import duties in each country you visit, provided you take your car out of the country within a specified period. For example, with a German vehicle, we do not need a Carnet de Passage when traveling within Europe because of the European Union’s customs union, which allows for the free movement of goods and vehicles between member countries without the need for special documents or import duties. However, for our Africa travel, obtaining a Carnet de Passage was necessary to streamline our journey and avoid bureaucratic hassles, as many African countries require this document to temporarily import your vehicle without paying import taxes.
FINDING THE RIGHT PLACE TO APPLY
Once we knew we needed a Carnet de Passage, we started looking for places to get it. Living in Germany, we discovered that the ADAC (Allgemeine Deutsche Automobil-Club e. V.) issues this document. You can only apply for it online or at the main ADAC office in Munich, as other branches no longer issue it. To apply, a valuation report of your car is required, which determines the deposit you need to place.
APPLICATION PROCESS AND DETERMINING THE DEPOSIT
Fred handled the application online, which was smooth and efficient. The Carnet is valid for 12 months, and you can only apply for it 28 days before it becomes valid.
We planned our timing carefully, ensuring the Carnet would be ready when our car is shipped. The deposit amount for the Carnet depends on the car's value and the countries you plan to visit. This valuation is crucial because it influences the deposit required. A valuation report can be done by official bodies. We needed the valuation report additionally for insurance. So we could use it twice.
For more details, you can refer to the ADAC fee table here.
The carnet arrived fast and definitely before the required date, entered by Fred during the application process.
To further ensure a smooth process, the Carnet will be shipped by Caravan Shippers directly to African Overlanders in Cape Town. This preparation ensures that our journey can begin smoothly without bureaucratic delays and the import is correctly documented.
HOW THE CARNET SHOULD BE STAMPED TO EXPORT AND IMPORT
The Carnet de Passage must be stamped correctly at each border to ensure its validity and to avoid any fines or issues.
HERE IS A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE ON HOW IT SHOULD BE STAMPED
Entering a Country
When you enter a country, present your Carnet to the customs officer.
The customs officer will stamp the entry section of the Carnet, noting the date of entry and the details of the vehicle. (Blue sections)
Ensure that the officer completes all necessary fields accurately.
Exiting a Country
When you leave the country, present the Carnet again to the customs officer.
The customs officer will stamp the exit section, confirming the date of exit and ensuring that the vehicle is leaving the country. (Yellow sections)
Make sure the exit stamp matches the entry stamp to avoid any discrepancies.
Keep Records
Keep a close record of all stamps and dates. Any missing stamp can cause problems when leaving the next country or when reclaiming your deposit.
The solid colored sections remain in the Carnet (marked blue for entry and yellow for exit)
The striped sections will be kept for record at the border customs
the blue striped section will be kept after import at customs
the yellow striped section will be kept after export at customs
If you encounter any issues, address them immediately with the customs officials to avoid future complications.
In case the Carnet has been stamped incorrectly, use a new page for correcting the mistake
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Carnet de Passage was shipped to us quickly, and the process was reliable. Having the Carnet when the car was shipped makes the export less of a hassle, as the document can be stamped right away when the export is handled in the harbor.
SOURCES AND REFERENCES
This is our personal experience with obtaining a Carnet de Passage. There may be other methods or institutions that issue this document. We recommend researching and collecting information from official bodies to make an informed decision about your travel documents.
MAKING IT WORTH YOUR WHILE
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Tatjana