Leaving car in India
 

I plan on leaving my vehicle somewhere in India (on its carnet) whilst we travel to NZ for Xmas 2006, then returning to export it. Does anyone know if there are likely to be problems with this - i.e. vehicle also written into your passport?

Several years ago I left my motorcycle in India while I flew to Nepal to get a new visa. I tried to find out about leaving it with Indian customs - the paperwork was horrendous and even when I sorted it out they wanted ridiculous storage charges. In the end I chanced it and left the bike with a friend- the entry in my passport wasn't noticed and I got away with it. However, if they had seen it - I dread to think. After that I left the bike in Nepal and Pakistan. Since Nepal doesn't subscribe to the Carnet system (although they still use them!) I wasn't too worried and they didn't put the details in the passport. As you have probably found out already, Indian bureaucracy is a nightmare so whatever you decide on it will not be worry/hassle free. Good luck.

The chances are that you will get through customs okay without anyone noticing. Customs is a different check to passports, and generally no one cares too much about people leaving.

Having said that, do you really want to risk it?

The whole carnet system is there so you do not part from the country without your vehicle. I suspect that if you got found out at the airport it would be a nightmare.

I left my bike at the Delhi customs house. Which is right next to the airport.

They have a procedure in place. Not too bad - a couple of visits, each of an hour. Plus a fee, which is all done properly through a bank. The storage charges were about 1USD a day.

Simon Kennedy

Actually, no - it's only there to ensure that they get their duty! They really don't care if you leave without it - BUT it must leave before the bike's visa expires, or they will claim your bond from the auto association.

So - in theory - you can leave as often as you want - but you must get it out before they find that there is no exit carnet, and they try to claim it.

You picking holes Grant?? :)

"It's only there to ensure that they get their duty!". I see what you mean. Yes, the ultimate purpose is the money, not the vehicle.

But Indian customs don't make this disctinction in practice in my experience.

"They really don't care if you leave without it". Yes, I see what you you mean. In theory they shouldn't care, as long as the vehicle is within its stipulated *visa* times.

India customs certainly *did* care about the vehicle and me being parted.

So I would advise mrtom differently on this.

Customs were quite clear that in order to leave without the vehicle, I had to leave the bike in a bonded warehouse at the customs office, with all the appropriate fees paid and paperwork signed.

I was glad to have gone through the right proceedures. And the costs are not too bad.

'Round the back of the sheds after school then?

Simon

Thanks for the advice. I will I think explore the bonded warehouse option whilst there, as if the costs are not too bad it may be the best option, as a relatively safe car park as well. Though my understanding of carnets (and Ive used one before) is that its designed to ensure the vehicle leaves the country (or customs get the duty), not necessarily me with the car. So if I return after three weeks, and then leave India (all within the one year validity of the carnet), thus discharging the carnet, I cant see how Id be breaking the rules - other than the seemingly local rule that they write the car in your passport. Am I wrong?

There was a question about this a couple of years ago by someone but I never read how they got on.
My experience leaving bikes in Dehli was good with the only limiting factor being a maximum stay of 6 months from date of entry for a vehicle on a carnet. I left them at a place recomended by the freindly guys at Dehli customs house rather than the custom building(that place resembles a scrap yard and was open to all the people hanging around. Charges came to about 60us$ for 5 months and the bikes were ok.
No problems leaving for, or returning from, europe by plane just as the customs man promised.
I would be suprised if it caused you any problems at all, but would then be only a matter of finding someone who has a better unerstanding of the law.
Andy
Edit.. How time flys.. This was in 2002 and things can change although Indian doesn't seem to change that fast on such matters.

[This message has been edited by andygray (edited 19 October 2005).]

"Though my understanding of carnets...is that its designed to ensure the vehicle leaves the country (or customs get the duty), not necessarily me with the car."

Yes. That was, I think, what Grant was getting at in his correction to my sloppy formulation above.

"So if I return after three weeks, and then leave India...I cant see how Id be breaking the rules...Am I wrong?"

No, you are right. You just have to do it via customs.

Andygray: I found the customs house just fine. There was an underground car park there that was secure (beyond the pilfering of the staff who work there). There were a dozen or so foreign vehicles parked alongside my bike, all in the same position regarding carnets.

I would add that having all the right paperwork means that if anything goes wrong (like staying over time in UK) you are safe. Safeish, anyhow.

The customes house is near the airport. The reception was I recall, full of Hindu iconography - India is supposed to have a multi-religious democracy I thought.

Simon

postscript
 

All set to do the customs route, but from Mumbai not Delhi, I went to see customs in Mumbai, they gave me the number of an agent, and he told me not to bother (with warehouse option, even though that is what youre supposed to do) - its not that much of an issue, and it would take 3 days to process the paperwork there apparently. When I pressed him on what if customs stop me etc., he told me to get a letter from a car repair shop saying the car was in repairs and would be exported shortly on my return (and hence couldnt be in the customs warehouse). I took his advice, got the letter (for nothing from a freindly repair shop) and am now out of the country - having not been stopped on way out.... (car in lock up in Mumbai) - I still have to get back in of course, but Ive got my excuse...!