Carnet de Passages - English information

Carnet de Passages: the passport for your vehicle

The Carnet de Passages is an international customs document.
It is required in certain countries of Africa, Asia and South America as well as in Australia and New Zealand for the duty-free and temporary importation of a vehicle.

Here you can find current information about the Carnet de Passages.

India

When entering India with the Carnet de Passages, the Indian customs authority often requires a confirmation issued by ADAC. Hereby we confirm that your Carnet was issued by ADAC.
As Indian customs authority often wants to receive this confirmation directly from ADAC, we don't send it to you with the Carnet.
The request of this confirmation may cause delay on entry.
Indonesia
Since end of August 2016, vehicle importation rules in Indonesia have become stricter:
Travellers, who would like to import their vehicle temporarily under a Carnet de Passages, have to provide different information to the Indonesian automobile club to avoid long waiting periods at the border.
Please provide following information to the club (IMI) by e-mail at the latest one week before your planned entry: imi@imi.co.id
- Name
- Country of residency
- Carnet number
- Port and date of entry to Indonesia
- Itinerary plan in Indonesia
- Port and date of exit from Indonesia
Libya

Until further notice no Carnet de Passages will be issued with validity in Libya.
For further information about the temporary importation of your vehicle please get in contact with the Libyan Embassy.
South African Customs Union
(South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland)

The maximum period of stay for your vehicle is 12 months. During this period you must have a valid and confirmed Carnet de Passages.
If your vehicle cannot be exported out of South African Customs Union and if your Carnet de Passages is going to expire, the stay can be extended for another year. For this you definitely need the approval of South African customs auhtority and a Follow-up Carnet.
Further information about the procedure (substitution) can be found here: Extension CdP for the Southern African Customs Union, PDF 145 KB
Thailand

Since 1st of January 2017 there are stricter rules in Thailand concerning the temporary importation of your own vehicle.
Please note that you need a permission for the temporary import.
For further information please contact the Department of Land Transport at least 15 working days before your planned entry: www.dlt.go.th/en/

The Carnet de Passages can be issued in the name of only one person and for one vehicle. That means it is not transferrable to another person or vehicle.
The document's holder is liable for consequences which reveal from loss or abuse of an unauthorized third party.

The Carnet is regarded as an official document and stays property of ADAC. That's why the document's holder should keep it carefully.

New Application
You can download and print the application form for the Carnet de Passages here:
Application Form, PDF 515 KB

Please send the complete documents for the application
- original application form (4 pages) signed by the applicant
- copy of ID or passport
- copy of vehicle registration papers
- copy of automobile membership card (affiliated to the FIA)
- original bank guarantee form (if you have applied for one)
to following address:
ADAC e.V.
Grenzverkehr
Hansastrasse 19
80686 München
Follow-up Carnet

If your Carnet de Passages is going to expire or is running out of pages and you want to continue your journey, you will need a Follow-up Carnet.
Please apply for it 6 - 8 weeks before the expiry date at ADAC in Munich.
For the issuing of the Follow-up Carnet we need a new application form as well as the same documents of the first application. Please download here the current version:
Application form, PDF 487 KB

If you then decide to go to countries which are not covered by the actual Carnet, the deposit must be increased.
If not, the deposit will be transferred to the Follow-up Carnet.
The issuing fee has to be paid again. Please use the actual table of fees.
The old Carnet will be stamped out on exit and the new one will be stamped in on entry.
Extension of Carnet validity

If a vehicle cannot be exported from a country within the Carnet validity, it can usually be extended by another 3 months. This is only possible in a country where an automobile club exists.
Please apply for the extension 4 - 6 weeks before the expiry at ADAC and the foreign automobile club. The foreign automobile club will get in contact with foreign customs authority. We can provide the according contact details upon request.
Customs authority has to give its approval for this extension. As soon as the extension was granted by customs authority, the foreign automobile club will ask for our permission. We will give our permission as soon as the extension fee (proportional paying based on the issuing fee) is on our bank account.
An extended Carnet is only valid in the country of extension. You can use it for leaving the country only, not for continuing your journey (please see Follow-up Carnet).

There are special rules in a few countries:
South African Customs Union,    PDF 145 KB
Australia,    PDF 22 KB
New Zealand,    PDF 22 KB

Here you find answers to frequently asked questions concerning the Carnet de Passages:

What is a Carnet de Passages?

The Carnet de Passages is a customs document and replaces the lodging of a deposit on entering a country. The Carnet guarantees the country you are visiting that your vehicle will be exported. It can be used in several countries and it is valid for one year. The insurance for the vehicle is not included.
In which countries do I need the Carnet de Passages?

Please see tab "country overview".
For how long is the Carnet de Passages valid?

The Carnet de Passages is valid for 12 months.
An extension of the Carnet has to be asked for directly at the foreign automobile club or ADAC issues a Follow-up Carnet (please see "Application/ Use).
In both cases, please get in contact with us at least 6 weeks before expiry of the Carnet.
How much time does ADAC need for the issuing of a Carnet de Passages?

As soon as all required documents (original and signed application form, copy of passport, vehicle registration papers and automobile membership card) and the payment of deposit and issuing fee have been received by ADAC, we need approximately 2 - 3 weeks for the issuing and dispatch.
During high season from May to October you should expect an issuing time of approximately 4 weeks.
When may I apply for the Carnet de Passages?

You are the one who determine the validity date of your Carnet. That's why you please have to send in the application documents at least 4 weeks before your validity date.
ADAC is allowed to issue a Carnet de Passages four weeks prior to the validity date.
That means a Carnet de Passages with the validity date 1st of November can be issued and sent not sooner than 1st of October. It is not possible to issue the Carnet earlier!
I am first travelling through Europe and I need the Carnet de Passages later during my journey.
How can I apply for the Carnet de Passages?

You can apply before your departure for the Carnet de Passages with a later validity date. Please clarify the dispatch modalities with ADAC. The Carnet can be issued 4 weeks before this validity date.
The Carnet de Passages will be sent on time to any address you wish by DHL. The costs for DHL have to be paid by the applicant.
Does the vehicle need to stay registered in my country of residency during my journey?

We recommend you to keep your vehicle registered because you will need a valid registration as soon as you return to Europe.
Which insurance do I need for the journey?

In most countries you are obliged to present a liability insurance.
Probably your insurance company doesn’t offer a global liability insurance. That’s why it is possible to take out insurance at the border of a country with liability insurance duty.