Carnet
 

Just a quick note about Carnets

In Canada it is also possible to get a Canadian Carnet at

ATA Carnet Canada
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce

you can call Brooke Lees in Vancouver at 604 681 2111
they have a website but I havent found it yet

For me they are Cheaper than the CAA Carnets
THey look a bit different, but are accepted everywhere. Good for one year (renewable)
I used them in 1995-1996 which included Africa mid-east and Pakistan India.

I believe this is some kind of business type carnet but all you need to do is say that you are doing a photographic trip or some BS like that and you are in. I registered my canon eos camera and lens on the same carnet just to make it look more credible.

The bonus with this carnet is that it can be ready in LESS THAN 4 DAYS. whereas the CAA carnet takes a month.
Grant I will be doing another RTW in January and will try to get in touch with you on this.
Cheers

Okay, last word on this subject. I have now had e-mails and a phone conversation with ATA Carnet in the USA, and also with Brooke Lees at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

Just to clarify, ATA Carnet is a 'commercial/ business' carnet for business goods taken to other countries, as distinct from the 'Carnet de Passage en Douanes', which covers PERSONALLY owned vehicles and is issued by the automobile associations.

However, the ATA Carnet does cover vehicles, and the Canadian website says: "The ATA Carnet service is available to ...travelling professionals such as film crews, architects, artists, engineers, entertainers, photographers, sports teams, etc."

Each country has their own issuing agency and their own policies as to financial security. In the US it's this ATA Carnet company, http://www.atacarnet.com
in Canada the Chamber of Commerce, http://www.chamber.ca/newpages/carnet.html,
in the UK it's the London Chamber: http://www.londonchamber.co.uk/

The main problem is the limited list of countries which do accept the ATA Carnet (less than 60) vs. 202 for the Carnet de Passage. Pakistan is definitely NOT covered by the ATA Carnet. Nor are any South American countries (they hope to add more in the next year), and very few African or Asian countries.

*** Here's the real kicker***

INDIA "Accepts ATA Carnets only for Government-sanctioned fairs and exhibitions. Carnet holders may only enter through the ports of Calcutta, Chennai (formerly Madras), Cochin, Delhi, and Mumbai (formerly Bombay)."

So, notwithstanding anybody's earlier experience with this document in India, I'd say it's a very high risk to get this and assume you can go to India with it.

Also worth noting is that many of the countries listed as accepting the ATA Carnet, DO NOT require a carnet for temporary importation of a PERSONALLY owned vehicle. So if you are only travelling in Europe, North America, Australia/NZ or South America (except Ecuador by air), as we have already stated in this forum and in the Paperwork page of this site, getting a carnet would be a complete waste of money. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tri...er/index.shtml

Bottom line is the 'ATA Carnet' MIGHT be an alternative to the 'Carnet de Passage en Douanes', but with a lot of caveats and risks. Check with your own Auto Association vs. Chamber of Commerce for the details on costs and processing time, but to save a few days getting the document when it's officially accepted in far fewer countries than the 'Carnet de Passage en Douanes', (and with restrictions in those which do accept it), seems to me to be a bad tradeoff.

And one more thing: explaining to customs officers why you're travelling on a 'tourist' visa but your vehicle is on a 'business' carnet would also be a source of headaches in some countries (even the USA).

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Good luck and safe travels!

Susan Johnson
Share the Dream at www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

[This message has been edited by Susan (edited 07 December 2001).]

I received the following response letter from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce re the ATA Carnet (my letter is at the bottom.
_________________________________________

From: Lise Sauvé [mailto:lsauve@chamber.ca]
Sent: 12-Dec-01 10:11 AM
Subject: Does your carnet cover vehicles?

Hello Susan,

My apologies for the delay in acknowledging your e-mail, but I have been doing a little bit of investigative work to ensure I provided you with accurate information.

To summarize my findings, vehicles are only allowed on an ATA Carnet for racing (and the like) purposes and/or if part of professional equipment, i.e. mobile unit used by TV crews and the like. Vehicles for personal use should be registered via the Canadian Automotive Association (CAA). They issue the equivalent of the AIT, that is 'a Carnet de Passages en Douane'. You will get all the information you need on these on the Internet at www.caa.ca/CAAInternet/travelservices/frmain.htm

As far as your professional equipment is concerned, this could be included on an ATA Carnet. For more information on ATA Carnets, you can visit our website at www.chamber.ca/carnet

If we can be of further help, do not hesitate to contact us.

(Ms.) L.M. Sauvé
Manager, Carnet Services
Canadian Chamber of Commerce
350 Sparks Street, Suite 501
Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7S8
Tel: 613-238-4000, ext. 222
Fax: 613-238-7643
E-Mail: carnet@chamber.ca

_____________________________________
My original letter to them:

Hello, I am writing on behalf of a number of individuals who are travelling worldwide with motorcycles. These individuals are travelling on business (photography, journalism) and charitable endeavours (UNICEF and other agencies). Recently we have become aware of your service, and were wondering if it was an alternative to the Carnet de Passage en Douane issued by the
Swiss-headquartered Alliance Internationale de Tourisme (AIT) which most travellers with vehicles have been using.

Can you advise whether:
a. The ATA Carnet covers temporary importation of vehicles?
b. Whether it is accepted in all 202 countries which accept the Carnet de
Passage en Douane, or a smaller subset of that list?
c. What is the procedure and costs for obtaining the ATA Carnet?
Thanks in advance.

Susan Johnson

[This message has been edited by Susan (edited 16 December 2001).]