Carnet Cost
 

Can anyone tell me where you find out the cost of a Carnet .. is it done by length of trip of countries visited or??

hi julie,
you can find all info on ADAC - Ihr Partner in allen Fragen rund um die Mobilität. (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club) - Mitgliedschaft - Pannenhilfe - Routenplaner - Tests - Versicherungen - Kreditkarten - Finanzierungen - Autovermietung and then type 'carnet de passage'
good luck

Hi Juie, I'm in the process of buying my third carnet. I purchased one from ADAC (German auto club) several years ago but was told they no longer issue to non-Germans. I am dealing once again with the CAA- Canadian auto club- I will let you know the particulars when I find out. They have a new system that MAY require a lesser cash deposit- last time I had to give them 5,700CAD. The price of a carnet DOES vary by countries visited. It is usually valid for 1 year but can be extended/adjusted for an additional year. Be clear about the countries you intend to visit. When you receive your carnet, make sure the countries you plan to visit haven't been crossed off- this happened to me in a country in Africa! I hope you have better luck with a NZ or OZ auto club! H. More info:

How to Obtain one

You can obtain an application by either contacting CAA National office to have an application mailed to you, or by printing the application (see below)

Submit the completed application form, along with the following attachments:

• two photographs of the vehicle
• two signed photographs of the applicant
• a copy of both sides of the vehicle registration document
• the carnet fee and cash deposit

The fees and deposit must be in Canadian funds. They are:

• Fee: $450.00 CDN ($400.00 CDN if you are a AAA member)
• Deposit: $300.00 CDN (to be used for such expenses as couriers. The unused balance is returned once the discharged Carnet is returned to the CAA)
• Visa and Mastercard accepted.

Each carnet application must be accompanied by the non-refundable issuing fee of $400.00 or $450.00. As soon as CAA embarks on the processing of a carnet application, the work performed is the same, whether the carnet is issued, or whether the application is cancelled prior to issuing taking place. For this reason, issuing fee is not refundable.

In addition to the Carnet fee and deposit, CAA requires a financial guarantee, sufficient for CAA to meet any claims that could be made by a foreign government for customs duties and taxes. These duties and taxes can be levied against a vehicle when it is temporarily imported into a country under cover of a Carnet de Passages, but is not removed or exported. This financial protection is provided to CAA by the holder of the Carnet in the form of an irrevocable letter of credit, a certified cheque or a money order. This financial guarantee is held by CAA in a non-interest bearing account until such time as the used Carnet is returned to CAA.
Amount of Guarantee

CAA calculates the amount of the financial guarantee using the value of the vehicle and the maximum amount of duties and taxes that could be claimed by the countries to be visited. Permanent importation duty & tax rates may vary from 0% to over 300%, depending on the country visited, the vehicle, and its equipment.

The Carnet, when properly discharged, will have an entry and exit stamp for every foreign country visited. The Certificate of Location located at the back of the Carnet must be endorsed by US customs, upon your return, proving to CAA that the vehicle is back in the USA. When the properly discharged Carnet is received, CAA will release the financial guarantee and the balance of the cash deposit.
There are many steps involved in the process of issuing a Carnet and it can take up to a month to finalize, but CAA will help and guide you through the process.
If you have any questions, please call International Documentation Services at CAA National office (613) 247-0117, ext.: 2025.
Application

Please print, complete and mail the application, along with the attachments mentioned above, to:

CAA National Office
c/o International Documentation Services
1145 Hunt Club Road
Suite 200
Ottawa, Ontario
K1V 0Y3

Finally, as a reminder!

Dear Mr. Petersen:

Can you please list all of the countries individually you might be travelling through in Western/Southern, East Africa and in Asia.

I would never want to make a mistake and accidentally leave out a country.

Regards

Suzanne Danis (Mrs.)
Canadian Automobile Association
International Documentation Specialist
1145 Hunt Club Road
Suite 200
Ottawa ON K1V 0Y3 Canada
Tel: 1 613 247 0117 x 2025
Fax: 1 613 247 0118
e-mail: sdanis@national.caa.ca

Carnet de Passages en Douane - Cost Calculator Email

The following is an estimated cost of your guarantee. Please note that final costs will be determined by CAA after a complete review of the application.
Indemnity Option
(Highest Priced Country for this Option: India)
CAA Fees Indemnity Option Fee (incl taxes) Total Returned on Discharge Net Cost
$550.00 $2,360.00 $2,910.00 $1,138.70 $1,771.30
Guarantee Option
(Highest Priced Country for this Option: Iran)
CAA Fees Guarantee
Required Estimated
Bank Fees Total Returned
on Discharge Net Cost
$550.00 $10,000.00 $2,000.00 $12,550.00 $10,000.00 $2,550.00
Countries selected:
Australia
India
Indonesia
Iran
Malaysia
Pakistan

The data/ experience from ADAC & AAA above may be helpful, but if you're a NZ citizen & the bike is NZ-registry, you really need to talk with NZ AA:
Exporting a car: taking your car overseas temporarily - AA New Zealand

and get your Carnet issued by them.

Carnets usually issued for 12 months, w/ cost calculated on the "highest country import tax" of the specific country/ itinerary you plan to follow + auto club administrative fees (which can vary significantly between national auto clubs)

Just thinking out loud :nono: Would it be possible for the RAC to swipe my credit cards to the value of the carnet but not charge the card ? Like they do in bars/restaurants when you set up a tab and then if the bike didn't come back to the UK they just charge my card.

RAC 'credit card' deposit
 

Hey mcgiggle - somehow I doubt it, but I thought it was a good question - I sent off for some clarification on the whole carnet business 15min ago - to the RAC, and then added your query - so will keep you posted with what (if any) answers I get on that one.

Would be fantastic if they could do that! Good thinking batman :batman:

J :scooter:

One further note: when I was in Capetown last year, I learned I could obtain a carnet within 48 hours from the South African auto club- a simple procedure. Shop around for the best deal- it may not be in your home country. When I got my first carnet, I got it from Canada- they simply FedExed it to me- in Argentina! Ride safe, Dave.

That's good timing/ service by CAA (48 hrs FedX to Argentina).
BUT, if your sig line is accurate, your bike was USA-registered, and Canada IS your home country, because CAA is the only issuing auto club for USA-registered vehicles.
Not to say there may not be exceptions, but, typically, there is no "shopping around for the best deal." The 'rules' require that Carnets be issued only by the auto club of the country where the vehicle is registered or, (in the case of North America) by the auto club 'authorized' to issue Carnets for vehicles registered in that region.

This is my own experience of getting a Carnet:

I'm from the UK, but had bought my bike in Australia. I needed the Carnet to start from Malaysia and through the UK RAC and my current account/mortgage bank, got it couriered out to the shipping office in KL. It was based on the value of the bike (£2,500) and the maximum 500% import duty which came to a horrible £12,500.

In the end, the total cost to me was about £250 including £40 for the courier charge to send it to Malaysia. Because both my mortgage and bank account are with Virgin One, the cheapest way to do it was to just reduce the amount of 'draw down' facility I had by £12,500, so its a little bit like the idea someone had about using a credit card.

Now I'm back, I have sent the carnet back to the RAC and the £12,500 facility will now be reinstated to my account. Well I hope so as I'm really bloody skint now!

So we've been quoted NZ$35,000 for carnets for two bikes round the Med incl egypt etc.. Egypt being 200%...

Does anyone know whether you can travel through Europe without a Carnet.
I mean Portugal, Spain,Morocco, Balkans, Greece, Turkey..excl Middle East

For clarity
 

Hi Courtfisher, you misunderstood me. I am on my third carnet now. The CAA sent my first one to Argentina to cover me in Africa. It took weeks to obtain but I wasn't in a hurry. When I reached Capetown, the auto club there told me they could have issued me a carnet within 48 hours. I got my second carnet from ADAC who were also quick since I had friends in Stuttgart who helped me. So for the record, the CAA has never been fast- for me- yet. As for shopping, I'm a US rider on a US registered bike, none of my 3 carnets were issued by the US. Seldom is there only ONE option- though it does happen! JulieBuny, you don't need a carnet for the countries you listed above. Regards, H.

Hook, thanks for the clarification. It's great you were told by the ZA/Capetown auto club that they would have issued you a Carnet in 48 hrs; and that you actually got a Carnet from ADAC. It's always worth checking/ 'shopping' locally, and sometimes local auto clubs may work; BUT in general the international agreement, among all national auto clubs authorized to issue Carnets, requires that a Carnet be issued (only) by the vehicle's home country-registry auto club. best, C.

Swiss Home of Carnets
 

Thanks Hook. You know its the most confusing thing these carnets. Its so expensive that it can really wreck a trip to take one out, but then you can get stung at a border if you dont have one. But $35K up front is alot of money.. Even going onto the Carnet website in many different countries the information is totally ambiguous.. Yes you need carnets, no you don't,
very frustrating.

Do you think it would be, or does anyone think it would be reckless to not get a carnet to travel through Europe, Balkans, Turkey, Morrocco, even Syria and Jordan?

Hi Julie, none of those countries require a carnet either. Good luck with your trip, Dave.

Bank guarantee
 

Hi All,

In most places that issue a carnet you do not have to pay the full deposit. A bank guarantee will do. I think these cost less than £100 and are cheaper than the interest you will lose in most cases, but also means you don't have to stump up the money in the first place.

Also I was told that you should be very careful how you price your bike (or land rover in my case). It's not the value of the bike plus kit, just the minimal value of the bike, and apparently the Carnet issuers will not really question any valutaion that doesn't take the p1ss.