Guidance

Apply for a CPD Carnet

Find out how the CPD Carnet works, how to apply and what to do at customs.

From:
HM Revenue & Customs
Published
18 January 2019
Last updated
31 December 2020 — See all updates

A CPD Carnet, (Carnet de Passages en Douane) lets you temporarily take your UK registered vehicle into certain countries. This means you:

  • do not pay the import duties in the country you drive through or temporarily stay in
  • agree to obey the laws and regulations of that country and the conditions of temporary admission

You cannot use it as an import document for example, if you’re emigrating and taking your car with you.

The carnets are managed by the:

Only automobile associations and organisations appointed by the Alliance Internationale de Tourisme and Federation Internationale de l’Automobile can issue and guarantee the carnet.

Vehicles your carnet will cover

A CPD covers temporary use of:

  • road motor vehicles
  • motor cycles
  • trailers
  • registered motor sport vehicles transported by trailer for private or commercial transport use

Who can use a carnet

Private travellers or businesses can use a CPD. This can be the registered owner of the vehicle or the authorised driver. Your carnet will need to show the vehicle:

  • make
  • model
  • colour
  • engine size
  • seating capacity
  • registration number
  • owner
  • value

When you’ll not need a CPD

You can claim temporary admission if your vehicle is used for either:

  • commercial deliveries
  • demonstrations or exhibitions

If you’re not a UK resident, you can temporarily import your vehicle for your own private use. But you’ll still need a CPD if your vehicle is staying for more than 6 months.

Responsibilities of the carnet holder

The carnet lets you import temporarily import only, there are penalties for its misuse. The main conditions of use are that:

  • you cannot hire out, loan, abandon or dispose of a vehicle you’re temporarily importing without approval first from the issuing association and the customs authority of the country you’re visiting
  • you can only extend it with agreement from the local customs authority beforehand
  • the holder is responsible for getting the carnet properly stamped at each border crossing
  • you cannot use it in any country where you (if you’re the carnet holder) are normally resident
  • you cannot use it in any country that your carnet excludes

What makes up the CPD

The carnet is a booklet made up of 5, 10 or 25 pages.

The 5-page carnet lets you either:

  • temporarily import into 5 countries
  • make 5 different trips.

A 10 or 25 page carnet will cover a temporary import up to 10 or 25 times. You’ll use a separate page for each country you visit.

Countries that accept the CPD

You mainly need a CPD in:

  • Africa
  • Asia
  • the Middle East
  • Oceania (the Pacific)
  • South America

You can get more information about this from the motoring associations in each of these countries.

Using UK-issued CPDs

You must show the carnet to customs in each country you visit:

  • at import - customs will stamp and keep the import voucher, they should stamp the import counterfoil at the top of the carnet and give that back to you
  • at export - customs will stamp and keep the export voucher, they should stamp the export counterfoil and give that back to you
  • on return to the UK - to avoid difficulties in establishing proof of re-export from countries you visited, you can show the certificate of location to the frontier customs office in the UK, they’ll certify it

You must return the CPD to the issuing association before it expires so that the security is discharged.

If customs are not satisfied that the vehicle is the same that you originally exported, they’ll not stamp the certificate of location. You’ll need to submit a normal customs declaration and you’ll owe customs charges.

How to apply

You can get a CPD from:

CARS UK
The old Airfield Site
Bury Road
Chedburgh
Suffolk
IP29 4UQ

Telephone: +44 (0) 1284 333 812

Email: [email protected]

After you’ve applied

Once issued, your carnet will either be posted to you or you can collect it from the issuing office.

They’ll also tell you how much to pay and the guarantee or security you’ll need to give.

Your CPD is valid for up to 1 year from the date of issue. If your journey goes beyond 1 year you may, in certain circumstances, get a second carnet or an extension. You must contact the local motoring organisation.

Updates to this page

Published 18 January 2019
Last updated 31 December 2020 + show all updates

  1. This page has been updated because the Brexit transition period has ended.

  2. First published.

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