Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB - carnet or laissez passer?

Hi.
When bringing your car to certain non-EU contries , you are issued one paper which is kind of temporary registration doccument overthere/.(most of the time for a limited <30 days period of time. That's called "PassAvant" o "Laizerspasse" or something like that .

On the other hand , there's the issue of import duty on vehicles.

Certain countries (Such as Ghana) are suspicioous of you selling illegally the vehicle , and -in order for you NOT to sell the car there- they ask you to produce a CARNET de PASSAGE en DOUANNEs (which is kind of proof of deposit in your country of funds enough to satisfy the import taxes of your vehicle should you leave the country without your vehicle.

-if you dont have a Carnet- Some countries (such as Mauritania) let you bring in the car , but writing the vehicle's details your passport (to avoid you leaving the country without your car).

Other countries (such as Mali) simply dont care , they issue you a temporary permit "Passavant" for 10 Euros and let you do with your car whatever you want.

It should be done , that -if you present a carnet -, that sufficess as temporary import permit (i.e. with a Carnet , you dont need -they dont issue- a passavant) .

In order to get a carnet , besides the cost of the carnet itself (200 Euros) , you must make a deposit of around the full value of your car (!) in a secured bank .That ammount will be returnet to you upon return of the carnet propperly stamped (with all the entry/exit stamps etc.. ).

Until here , this is the "OFFICIAL" knowledge.
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BUT in my experience , a carnet is a expensive and useless piece of paper. They dont seem to be required any more.IF you insist in a border , sooner or later they will give you a passavant without a carnet (hey ! they' have the forms already for local cars! .) Think on the ammount of people you can bribe with 1/10th of the ammount invested (and often lost) in the Carnet. People tend to think that the use of the carnet is compulsory just because they CAN use it at borders .Buy most of the time , stories are heard that people Without a carnet , can cross the border also .

This december I am gonna try again to get to Capetown from Europe , and I am definitely not carrying a carnet any more .

So far , all these countries can be entered without a Carnet

Morocco
Mauritania
Algeria
Mali
Senegal (deppending on the border , LaiszPAsse or convoy may be required)
Gambia
Burkina
Niger
Chad

(and as of 2000) someone in this forum also told that

Cameroon
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon

/// so far , the only countries for which a Carnet is its required , and without it you won't enter the country are

Ghana
Nigeria

.

Have fun ./

Quote:

Originally posted by Babsickle:
Hi,

I'm wondering if any one can help me, Its all getting very confusing.

1) what is the differnce between a carnet and a Laissez passer or passavant?

2) we are traveling through france and spain in to Morrocco and around north affrica we will then travel through most of europe on the way back. So do i need a carnet or a Laissez passer?

3) we are going for 6-8 months so how much is it likely to cost.

Sorry if I.m repeating things that other people have asked but i dont quite getthe diffenece between the documents and which is better or most suitable??

Please take pitty on me . . . .