Paperwork

Ahhh...the mystery of the dreaded Carnet. or, to give it its full title 'Carnet De Passages En Doune', but who's going to remember all that.

OK that Carnet is nothing more than a document that allows the holder to temporarily import and then export his or her vehicle into a given country.

Q. How's it work?

A. Carnets are issued by Motor vehicle associations in differing countries in the UK it's the RAC (the AA no longer issue) and each one has a differing value depending on the vehicle it is issued against. The carnet guarantees payment of import duties and taxes (of 1to 5 times the value of the vehicle) to a country if a 'temporarily imported' vehicle is not re-exported.

Q. How does it guarantee the payment of the duties?

A. Depending on the countries in which you'll be using the Carnet, the carnet will have an intrinsic value of between 1 to 5 times the market value of your vehicle, yep that means if you're on a shiny new BMW R1150 GS Adventurer, which cost you £10,000.00, and you want to ride through Egypt, which requires the carnet to be 5 times the vehicle value, then you need to prove that you have £50,000.00. in order for the issuing organisation to issue your carnet. Scary isn't it! However, before you dismiss the carnet and that dream trip you've been planning, there are a few realities which make the carnet possible for us lesser mortals.

3 legal ways to get your Carnet:

1. Hard cash talks...

Hand over 1 to 5 times (depending on which country/countries your carnet will be used) your vehicles value in real money to the issuing organisation, who will hold the 'lovely cash' until you hand them back your correctly stamped carnet at the end of your trip. Problems with this scenario: You'll need the cash for your trip - No interest accumulates on the money being held - Who has that amount of money just lying around...?

2. The insurance scheme...

Insurance schemes are offered (the issuing organisation should inform you of their recognised insurers), which allow you to insure the value of the Carnet by paying a monthly premium. When the carnets required value has been established the insurer requires 10% of the total carnet value to be paid as a monthly premium for the first year. If you need to renew the carnet for a second year then the premium drops by 50%. So as an example, a bike £7,000.00 (the insurance company will 'hike up' the bikes real market value) and if you want to ride Africa's east Coast Cairo (Egypt) to Cape Town (RSA), Egypt will require 5 times the £7000.00 vehicle value and so your carnet value will need to be for £35,000.00. 10% of your bike at £7,000.00 is an annual premium of £700.00, spread over 10 months at £70 per month. The problem with this scenario is it's just money being thrown away.

3. The bank guarantee (this is how we acquired our 'shiny new Carnets')

Like scenario's 1 and 2, decide on the value required of the carnet, based on the value of the vehicle and the countries it will be used. Important 'HUGE' tip: You (yep, just lowly non-expert you) provide the valuation of the vehicle. Naturally you may feel inclined to value it a little on the 'low' side! The poor army/customs official sitting in his hut on the edge of the Mauritanian Northern Sahara is unlikely to have a clue as to the 'real market' value of your motorbike. Deposit the required sum in a interest bearing savings account for a agreed fixed term and have the bank issue you a letter of guarantee, which you in turn hand to the appropriate Carnet issuing organisation. The bank will charge you for issuing the letter of guarantee and of course for the guarantee itself.

Q. So, do you really need a Carnet?

A. The jury's still out on this one, but our view is that if you have some extra time and money then having one isn't essential. A friend of ours has just ridden the North West Coast of Africa (where carnet's are meant to be essential) without a Carnet. So it can be done.

...Just bear in mind, if you choose not to use a Carnet then you must be prepared to endure longer waits at borders while someone sorts out all types of other paperwork for you to fill in and of course be prepared to 'stump up' ludicrous bribes, either to get past the customs guard or for him/her to simply fetch the shabbily photo-copied temporary import form, which you will need to fill in triplicate. Without one you are just presenting an opportunity for someone to make your life harder and or more expensive. Would we travel without one?...NO!

Q. OK, so I've got Carnet, how do I use it?

A. Each page of the Carnet provides for the temporary importation of the vehicle into one of the countries mentioned (and not the deleted ones) on the back cover of the carnet itself.

On entry to a new country, the customs officials detach and retain the importation voucher for their own records. They will also sign and stamp the importation voucher, which is retained inside the Carnet itself.

When you leave the country, the customs official will stamp and sign in two places, one is on the same voucher as was signed when you entered and which is retained by you and the other is the exportation voucher, which is torn out of the carnet and retained by customs. As you cross into your next country the process is repeated and thus you are exported from country and imported by the next and so on.

Q. How do you manage with one passport and so many countries?

A. It is a good idea to have two passports. You won't find it publicised (in the UK) but it is not illegal to have two completely separate passports. AS long as your a 'Brit' and you can justify why your applying for a second passport it should be no problem.