Ever wondered what that French sounding document everyone keeps going on about is actually for? Here’s everything you need to know about the Carnet de Passage for overlanders and motorcycle travellers…
Carnet de Passage for Motorcycle Travel
By Andy Davidson
Mad or Nomad - RTW motorcycle travellers
What is the Carnet?
The Carnet de Passage en Douane (commonly known as Carnet or CDP) is an internationally-recognised customs document, which allows you to temporarily import your vehicle into a country without having to leave a cash deposit at the border.
It acts as an international guarantee to the country you’re entering, promising that your Carnet’s issuer will cover any taxes or duties owed if you don’t export your vehicle.
To get the Carnet in the first place, you have to purchase the document and also leave a security deposit, guarantee or pay an indemnity insurance premium (how much depends on the value of your bike and the countries you’re visiting) with the issuer. Once you have exited all Carnet countries and no longer need the document, you return it (fully stamped and completed) to the issuer and they return the deposit to you if you left one with them.
To put it simply, if you don’t export your motorcycle within the time frame allowed, customs from the country you imported it to will contact your Carnet issuer and they will give them your security money.
Carnet vs Temporary Import
To enter a foreign country with your vehicle, you will need to go through Customs first and temporarily import your vehicle. Each country has their own rules on this import process.
For some countries you must use a CDP to temporarily import your vehicle, for others you can use a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) instead.
TIPs tend to be either free or very cheap dependent on the country you are visiting. More often than not, they are free. How long they are valid for is dependent on the country you’re entering: 15, 30 and 90 days are the norm – or they may be valid for as long as your visa is valid. Again, it’s dependent on the country. You get your TIP from the customs office at the border you are entering.
Of course, avoiding Carnet countries will make your trip easier and cheaper, but if you’re on a round-the-world epic and want to visit all continents, then you’re probably going to need a Carnet at some point.
Carnet countries
A Carnet is not required for any country in Europe, North America, Central America South America, West Asia, Central Asia and East Asia with the exception of the countries listed below.
It is required for many countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East as well as Australia and New Zealand.
We’ve compiled a list here of regions and countries that require a Carnet. The list is not exhaustive and things change, so check with each individual country, but this should be a good starting point.
Africa
- Egypt (adds a considerable amount more to your Carnet cost), Sudan, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Libya, Tanzania, Uganda, Cameroon, Congo, Burundi, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal.
- Southern African Customs Union (SACU): South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini — required for shipping, but not for land borders, although it will make life easier if you use a CDP regardless.
Asia and the Middle East
- India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka (for stays over 30 days), Kuwait, Qatar, Singapore.
- Malaysia – land border entries are usually okay without a carnet, but required if shipping out.
- Japan – easier with a Carnet, but you can enter with a TIP now. Check our Japan guides for more info.
Australasia
- Australia and New Zealand both require Carnets.
Read more: Motorcycle Destination Guides
Shipping and carnets
There are a number of countries that you can enter using a Temporary Import Permit only. However, if you ship your motorcycle to that country via air or sea freight, you will need a carnet instead. This can also be the case if you are shipping out.
For example, you can enter and exit Malaysia using a TIP. But if you want to ship out of the country you will need a Carnet, which means you need to enter with a Carnet in order to ship out with one.
South Africa is another example, you can enter with a TIP at a land border, but to use a TIP when shipping in is a huge pain and so a Carnet is preferred.
Read more: Motorcycle Shipping Guides
How to use a Carnet
You will need to apply to a CDP issuer to receive a Carnet. There are two payments, firstly you’ll need to pay for the actual CDP document itself (usually around £200-£300.
But to receive this, you will need to either pay for a non-refundable security deposit or an insurance indemnity premium.
A security deposit is a refundable sum you pay upfront and based on your motorcycle’s value and the countries you’ll visit. It’s held by the Carnet issuer and returned once your Carnet is properly discharged and no customs claims are made.
An insurance indemnity premium is a non-refundable fee that covers the issuer’s risk. It’s cheaper upfront and avoids having to part with large funds for an extended period of time, but if customs make a claim, you’re still liable to reimburse the issuer. Additionally, the premium will be more costly than if you were to pay a fully refundable deposit.
Either way, once you have paid the security fee and for the document, you will receive your CDP. You can then travel to the countries listed on the back of the document. How to use the document in each country is explained in the next section. But put briefly, you use one entire page per country. You’re stamped in when you enter and must be stamped out of the country when you exit. The customs officials tear off a section to keep from that page when you enter and another section when you exit.
When you are finished with your trip or with the document, you must complete the final page of the document called the Certificate of Location. It’s used to confirm that your motorcycle (or vehicle) is no longer in a Carnet-required country. Customs, police, or another official authority can stamp it in a non-Carnet country — or back in your home country. Once stamped and fully completed you can post the Carnet back to the issuer and they will refund any deposit money owed and release your Carnet.
If you don’t export the vehicle and you’re not stamped out, customs from the country you entered can make a claim against you with your issuer. So always make sure you fill out your Carnet properly.
How to use a Carnet
You’ll get a little booklet (you can pay extra for more pages). Each page in the booklet is split into three parts. Upon entering a country, a customs official will stamp you in on the top left hand part of the page. They will then tear off the lower section of the page and keep it.
When exiting, a customs official will stamp you out on the top right side of the page and tear off and keep the middle part of the page.
Once you have exited, you will be left with only the top first section of the page and an entry and an exit stamp.
It’s important you get your vehicle stamped in and out correctly, as this proves you have temporarily imported and exported the vehicle.
Once you’ve finished your trip, or used your CDP up, you must return it to your CDP issuer. Before doing so, you will need to fill out the final page and have it witnessed by a customs official in the country you are in – this country must be a non-carnet country or your home country.
Notes:
- Always take clear, detailed pictures of each page as and when any part of it is filled in.
- Photograph the entire document before posting it back to your issuer, and post it securely.
- You’ll be surprised how many customs officials do not know how to properly fill out a Carnet. Be very vigilant and don’t be afraid to offer a hand on how to use the document.
Frequently Asked Carnet Questions
How long does a CDP last and can I renew it?
The CDP lasts one year. You can apply for a new CDP once your current one has expired, even if you are out of your home country. Your old CDP must be sent back to the issuer in your home country.
Does it affect how long I can stay in the country?
No. Each country has its own rules for how long you can stay. The CDP lasts 12 months and some countries will allow you to stay until your carnet expires, but that doesn’t mean you can stay in the country for 12 months or until it expires in every country.
What paperwork do I need to get a CDP?
A copy of your passport, driver’s licence, vehicle registration document and a completed Carnet application form. Each issuer may ask for additional information.
Do I have to return my CDP to my home country to discharge it?
No. You do not need to return your motorcycle to your home country or the country where the Carnet was issued in order to discharge it.
Discharging your Carnet means you have finished the book and have now taken your motorcycle or vehicle out of the last country that requires a Carnet. So for example, you may have exited India (requires a Carnet), ridden through China and entered Kyrgyzstan (which does not require a Carnet).
So you will have had your Carnet stamped out of India. And you enter Kyrgyzstan using a TIP. Let’s say you no longer need your Carnet as you’re riding home to the UK. In that case, you can have your last page filled out in Kyrgyzstan and have the booklet sent back to the issuer as proof you are no longer in any country that requires a Carnet. Or you can keep hold of it until you return home. It’s always a good idea to contact your issuer to discuss these options as some issuers may require a stamp for example.
How much is a Carnet?
There are two costs. You will need to pay a fee for the actual Carnet itself and an additional fee for the deposit or insurance indemnity.
Carnet costs are dependent on the country and issuer you are applying to. It also makes a difference which countries you would like to visit and the value of your motorcycle.
You must provide your CDP issuer with an insurance indemnity or a part-refundable deposit on top of the CDP cost.
The amount of each depends on the value of your vehicle. When you make an application, your CDP issuer will let you know the prices for both options.
What happens if my motorbike is stolen?
Get a police report and speak to customs in that country to confirm that your CDP is discharged and nothing else is owed. Contact your issuer as soon as possible.
Do I have to get the Carnet from my home country?
No. You do not have to get it from your home country and can actually apply to a foreign carnet company – provided they are happy to accept your request. You also do not need to be in your home country when you apply for a Carnet.
Where do you recommend applying to?
There are lots of Carnet issuing companies throughout the world. To find out who your country’s Carnet supplier is, visit the official Carnet de Passage website here carnetdepassage.org
But, as mentioned above, you do not necessarily need to get it from your home country. We recommend contacting the below issuers as they tend to be quite helpful.
Note, we’ve heard lots of travellers saying it’s not possible – but we assure you it is. We are from the UK with UK registered bikes and our last two Carnets were issued by Switzerland with no problems whatsoever. Each issuer has their own prices and options and the Swiss one worked best for us.
Recommended issuers
Switzerland
Touring Club SuissEmail: cpd@tcs.ch
Czech Republic
Ustredni Automotoklub CR
Email: sekretariat@uamk.cz
Germany
Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC)
Email: cdp@adac.de
United Kingdom
Cars UK
Email: carnetservices@carseurope.net
Read more on motorcycle travel and paperwork
Thanks for checking out this Carnet de Passage for Motorcycle Travellers guide. We hope you enjoyed it! Here’s a few more related articles on motorcycle travel and paperwork that we recommend you read next.
Try these next…
Are you planning a big trip and figuring out motorcycle paperwork and Carnets? If you have any questions, please post your comments below. We’d love to hear from you.
Hi….I am an Englishman living in Russia at the moment. I own a Harley Davidson Road King and I’m planning to ride it home to England this summer. Do I need a CDP even though the chart says no? I can purchase insurance here in Russia to cover me through Europe and the UK.
Any advice on my proposed trip will be great … thanks 👍.
Hi Johnnie, sounds like a great trip you have planned!
A Carnet is country dependent, so for example, you need it to ride in India but not Tajikistan.
So, that means it’s completely depends on your route and which countries you’re going through.
However, as you said you’re in Russia and riding home to England, you’d have to go exceptionally far out of your way to hit a Carnet country – so unless you’re planning on going China/India/Pakistan/Iran you won’t need one.
Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Andy
Hi Andy
Thanks for the informative article. I have 2 questions
1. Does Carnet has mention of the countries that I intend to travel to ? For eg. mentioning India raises the cost of Carnet significantly. Is it possible to not mention India but still able to enter India quoting there is a change of plan ?
2. If the vehicle is formally imported at one of the Carnet country & duty being paid, will sending a proof from Customs dept to the Carnet issuing authority can get the deposit paid back ?
Advance thanks for your answers.
Hi Ashish,
1. Yes, Carnets stipulate the countries you travel to as it makes a difference to the amount of deposit or insurance paid to the CDP company.
2. This is a question for your carnet issuing company to be sure, but yes you will need proof it has been imported and to return the CDP to the company. But the exact procedure will be dependent on your carnet company – I would advise contacting them and ask what documents they need and if the CDP needs to be stamped out after import.
Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Andy
Thanks Andy for the reply. While I understand & agree on the price point, my question was more like – will Indian custom authorities not allow the vehicle to enter India if the CDP does not have mention of India on it ? Is this something that will vary from country/custom to country ?
Hi Ashish,
Sorry for my late reply, it’s a very good question and to be honest, not something i’m entirely sure of. I’ve asked a few people and am awaiting their replies hence the late reply. But so far, it’s uncertain. I’m not sure if that’s something customs will look out for on the CDP. I would assume it is and they’d want to make sure it’s valid for their country. The other issue is if anything happens to your bike there and customs tries to contact your issuer who will of course inform them that it wasn’t valid in the first place.
My inkling is that customs will check for validity, to match the fact that Carnets cost more for certain countries, like Iran and Egypt etc. But let me get back to you on this.
Cheers,
Andy
Hi
I am planing to goto Pakistan from UK, i am aware the charges for applying Carnet, but if i dont have security funds as a deposit then how much would be the insurance on average as a security holding. I would be happy if you assist me.
Many thanks
Hi Arsalan, sounds like a great trip riding to Pakistan!
Okay, so firstly I’m going to assume you will be travelling on a UK registered bike and in that case you will be using Cars (https://www.carseurope.net/carnet-de-passage-en-douanes-cpd/) which are the UK based company that handle CDPs for UK registered vehicles.
So, you will need to contact Suki from Cars and she will be able to advise you on what the deposit and security insurance amounts are.
We can’t give you an estimation on this amount because it depends on what motorcycle you are using and its value. Get in touch with Suki, she’s very helpful and will be able to give you an accurate price.
Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Andy
Hi,
I’m a Italian, living in Thailand so I have Thai motorbike license and my motorbike is registered in Thailand, but Thailand doesn’t offer any CDP, I was planing in traveling from Thailand true Malaysia and Indonesia all the way to Bali and back, but I see that Indonesia requires CDP, what can I do and what are my alternative if any, also if you can give me a bit more info on Vietnam because that country is a little confusing in there requirement as that is going to be my alternative trip if I can’t get to Indonesia.
Thank you so much for everything.
Hi Domenico, sorry for the late reply, we’ve just arrived in Australia and are trying to collect our bike from customs so it’s a bit crazy at the moment!
Firstly, brilliant to hear you’re planning on riding around SEA.
Thailand
As far as I’m aware, you can easily travel between Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos on your Thai registered bike. But for Indonesia, even though it’s part of the ASEAN network, you still need a CDP.
There is a Facebook group called Indonesia Overland Network , the admin is Thomas (super helpful guy), I contacted him regarding your question, and he agrees that a CDP is needed for Indo, even with a Thai registered bike.
You can get a CDP from another country, it doesn’t have to be from Thailand.
Vietnam
I don’t think you can take your Thai bike into Vietnam either. It’s very hard to get any foreign bike into Vietnam. I believe you can take a Vietnamese bike to Laos and Cambodia though.
The easiest option is to rent a bike in Vietnam. You can find all of our Vietnam guides, how to ride the Ha Giang Loop and our recommended rental and tour companies there in our Vietnam page.
Alternatively
You can, with a Thai registered registered bike, travel through Laos and Cambodia easily. And there are some amazing routes that way.
Going to Indo with a bike is tricky to say the least, the first biker to get the boat from Malaysia to Java in 3 years since covid only did it like 6 months ago and there’s been no news since (the boats all closed down after covid) so you need to go from KL to Borneo, cross the border and get a ferry to Java. It’s a very, very long process.
If you do decide to do this option, we have a tonne of info on our Indonesia page including all of your shipping options.
I hope this helps,
Cheers,
Andy
Hi Andy
Thank you so much for the answer, and very good job on keeping this blog so updated, wish you good luck in Australia and enjoy the ride.
Cheers,
Domenico
Thanks Domenico, much appreciated.
On a side note, I have just emailed some friends who run motorcycle rental and touring companies in Thailand, if they come back with any additional info I’ll message back on here.
Best of luck with your travels,
Cheers,
Andy
Hi Domenico,
The guys got back to me and confirmed you’d need a CDP for Indo and you’d need a tour guide for Vietnam. Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Andy
Hi Andy
Thank you so much for the info, in this case i would stick to my safe route, Thailand,Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia, it would be a wonderful ride anyway.
Thanks so much for your help
Cheers
Domenico
No problem, hope you have a great trip! ps. Check out the Laos and Cambodia pages on our site as they show all the info on the best routes and places to see with a bike etc.
All the best,
Andy
Hello Andy,
Thank you so much for the info, yes I would look at the page from Laos and Cambodia and also Malaysia, I’m sure I would find lot’s of info for my trip, in the mean time you enjoy your trip in Australia.
Cheers
Domenico
It’s possible to take Vietnamese registered motorbike to Cambodia and Laos (Laos only from Vietnamese side, not from Cambodia) you just only need document for your motorbike, (so called by foreigners Blue Card, BC) does not matter if it’s in the name of some Vietnamese guy you never met in your life. No need to for power of attorney letter, just blue card. Went around 10 times across Vietnam-Cambodia border and nobody asked for “BC”, until month ago Vietnamese official on Moc Bai asked for it, he just glanced on, and let me go without further questions. It’s very difficult to cross from Cambodia to Laos with Vietnamese motorbike right now, there is some yt video recently posted there, but without problem you can enter Laos from Vietnam on VN registered motorbike (got this confirmed by German fella in Phnom Penh who was also riding on Vietnamese plates and went to Laos from VN side)
Thanks for your contribution to this. I will also add this useful info to our new guide listed below. Thanks
Yes, I believe that is all correct – and apologies to Domenico, I should have let you know that we have a new guide on the website which explains everything you need to know about buying a motorcycle in Southeast Asia including Vietnam and how to do the process in more detail.
How to Buy and Sell a Motorcycle in Southeast Asia
Thanks guys,
Andy
Hi
I’m planning to ship my bike to Africa. But I think I will travel for 3 month and be back to continue later on.
Do you know how it works with CDP and customs if you will have to leave the bike in a country for a longer period, like 6-9 month, and then continue travelling. Is it even possible?
Best regards
FredrikJ
Hi Fredrik, thanks for your comment.
Generally speaking, the Carnet acts as your temporary import and a Carnet is valid for one year, so you can keep your bike in the country until your Carnet expires. BUT, this is not always the case – it depends on the specific country as they may stipulate how long your bike is allowed to stay – every country is different. I would join the Overlanding Africa facebook group and ask in there about the specific country.
Importantly, you’ll also have to consider what happens when your CDP expires after 12 months – you’ll need your bike to be in a non-Carnet country in order to return the CDP and get your money back – or request a new one while you’re on the road.
Please do let us know on here how you get on and I hope this has helped,
Cheers,
Andy
Hello,
I plan to make a trip from Canada to Egypt. First, I will go to Europe then turkey then middle east
Hi Yaser,
Sounds like a great trip! Do let us know how you get on!
Cheers,
Andy
I will explain my trip plan
First I ship my car from Canada to uk then Europe then turkey, Iraq, gulf countries, Jordan, and last destination will be Egypt
Hi Yaser, you will need a carnet for Egypt and it will be pricey. If you need help with shipping from Canada to UK or Egypt then check out our Recommended International Shipping Companies page as we have great companies listed in those countries.
Best of luck with your trip!
Andy
Does Egypt need local carnet de passage or international? And how much it cost?
Hi Yaser, not too sure what you mean here. The country in which your vehicle is registered is where you will need to obtain a CDP from – in your case, Canada. You can find more information on obtaining a Carnet in Canada on the CAA here .
A carnet’s cost is dependent on the issuing company and which countries you intend on travelling through. But including Egypt on a Carnet is very costly. If Egypt is the only country that requires a carnet on your trip, I would reconsider taking your vehicle there.
Hope this helps, cheers
Andy
Thanks so much!
Hello, if I plan to cross from Turkey to Iraq by my canadian car and Iraq is on the carnet, but I’ll enter from Ibrahim Al Khalil border crossing and if the stamp was Kurdish at carnet, and try to go to Baghdad. If I flew to Baghdad first from erbil to use my federal visa is it ok. Or I’ll face problems? Because I heard some people could cross from Turkey to whole Iraq not just Kurdistan only
Hi Yaser,
Apologies for the late reply. I’m not entirely sure on this one I’m afraid as it seems quite specific and rules change frequently. I suggest asking in the Overland Middle East Facebook group.
Also, download and use iOverlander, there are recent posts on the Ibrahim border which may shed some light.
Please let us know how you get on.
Cheers,
Andy
Hello,
Is it possible to drive with my Canadian license plate anywhere in the world?
Hi Yaser, it’s not about the plate on your vehicle – it’s about which countries you want to travel to and what their temporary import rules are.
Cheers,
Andy
Hey Andy,
Thank you for all the information.
The overlanding association (and you!) say that you don’t need a CDP for much of South America and Canada. It’s confusing when carnetdepassage.org/trip-planner/ says that you do! Are they right/wrong/out of date?
Thanks so much,
Henry
Hi Henry,
Yes, that’s right, as far as I’m aware you do not need a CDP for any country in the Americas. You don’t need one for Canada, the US, any of Central or South America.
No idea why that website says otherwise.
Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Andy
Thanks so much, Andy. Quick and helpful as always!
Hi Andy, the advice for the Americas is great. The CdP website suggests the contrary but hopefully is just out of date. Question, I’m shipping into Halifax with my car and then a week later crossing into the US, then exiting via Miami back to UK. Is there any danger that Canadian Customs might ask for a Customs bond ?
Hi, I am just in the beginning stages of planning a motorbike trip leaving from New Zealand and starting in America and Canada where I don’t think I need a carnet but do I still need to get one for when I bring my bike back to New Zealand? Thanks for a fabulous site and I can already see that I will be spending lots of time looking at your channel 🙂
Hi Sharleen, thanks for your message and that’s great to hear you’re heading out on a big trip! You’re going to love the Americas.
So, importantly, I’m assuming your motorcycle is registered in New Zealand with a NZ plate and will base my answer on that…
No. You do not need a carnet to bring your NZ bike back to NZ. Your bike is registered in NZ so you do not need a carnet to ride there, just like you are not using a carnet right now.
The carnet is a document that some countries around the world require in order for you to enter their country with your foreign registered motorcycle.
If it is not a carnet country, then it does not require a carnet.
No country in the entire Americas requires a carnet. That’s from the USA all the way down to Argentina – no carnets.
You can ship your motorcycle to Canada or the USA and ride the entire North and South American continents without a carnet.
And then you can ship back to NZ without a carnet.
I hope this helps explain that and answers your question. Please feel free to add any follow up questions.
Additionally, check out the Destinations section of our site, we have detailed guides for every country in North and Central America and I’m currently writing and publishing the South America ones.
Have a great trip
Andy
Thank you so much for a quick and detailed reply. You have definitely answered my question and I am a lot clearer on my options now. I look forward to seeing you both on the road sometime. Safe riding 🙂
Hi Sharleen, glad to be of help. Shout if you need anything else and hopefully see you out there!
Cheers,
Andy
Hi Guys ,
First let me say great site and info here , thanks 👍🙏😊.
Secondly I’m loosly planning my around the world trip after having toured all of Thailand , Vietnam,Cambodia ,Laos , Philippines on rental bikes and now returned back to the UK to purchase my own bike and travel globally.
There is not much clear info on paperwork carnets/ TIP etc ..accept from what I have read here.
My question is I’m really not planning on coming back to the UK and looking at the most viable routes from the UK towards south east Asia and onwards without carnet’s ?
Plus have the option on route if plans change to have a carnet (Example India ) or other ,and if it’s possible to get one whilst on route ?
I’m thinking costs of carne’s!?as it seems very high as apposed to TIP’s.
What route would you recommend from the UK ?, please. I did see your map of your route but I looked at that route on the carne site and involved such a carnet , just wondering the costs .
Thanks for any enlightened info you may have and give me , as someone who has actually been there and done it 😊.
Kinds regards
Hi Adie,
Thanks very much for your kind words!
Great to hear you’re planning a round the world ride. Good idea to ride Southeast Asia on rentals – can be tricky there now – especially with getting a foreign bike into Thailand.
Right, so in answer to your questions in order:
1. The most viable routes from the UK to Southeast Asia
+ The easiest route from the UK to Southeast Asia was via India – however, assuming you have a UK passport, Iran is no longer possible. And you’ll have to skirt around Myanmar and go via China with a paid guide.
+ So, I recommend going from the UK to Central Asia (one of the absolute best places in the world to ride a motorcycle) and joining a group to cross China from Kyrgyzstan to Laos. Here’s our guide on crossing China. This route – and the entirety of Southeast Asia can be done without a Carnet.
2. You mentioned “to Southeast Asia – and onwards” What is onwards? It depends where you want to go.
3. Yes, you can certainly get a carnet while you’re on route. You do not need to be in your home country in order to purchase a carnet. You can purchase it while abroad and have it sent to wherever you like.
4. Yes, to get a carnet is expensive. It will cost you a few hundred for the document – usually around £300. And on top of that you will need to leave a deposit or pay an insurance indemnity for the carnet. So yeah, they are pricey. But if you go the deposit option you will get that back.
5. From the UK, I would recommend what I mentioned above on getting to SE Asia. From there it really depends where you want to go and what you want to do. For example, you will need a carnet for Africa (it can be don without but will be a pain). Or, from Southeast Asia you can ship your motorcycle to the Americas (you do not need a carnet for any country in the entirety of North, Central and South America) and while it is being shipped or stored you can fly to Australia and rent or buy to save you getting a carnet from there. It all really depends on where you want to go.
6. Yes, we’ve had to have a carnet a few times. We needed it for Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Australia, New Zealand. We haven’t had one for a few years but have just recently bought another one for Africa.
From your email, I think it might be a good idea if I list the countries and routes that a Carnet is needed on this guide. I will add it to my to do list. So thanks for bringing that up.
I hope this helps, please feel free to ask any follow ups.
All the best,
Andy
Hi Andy ,
First all thankyou so much for taking your time to reply to me , you have given me a lot of information to digest.
From your suggestions I was looking starting from the UK and head towards turkey ( again Turkey is unclear if needing a carnet or not (one site on the map says you do and others says not) then from here where ? That’s where it gets a little difficult with a UK passport and politics etc ..Iran ,Russia .
Where is best route from Turkey ? Across the Caspian sea by ferry with Bike ?, Towards Turkmenistan or Kazakhastan, Or ride up towards Russia ?, then onwards to Kazakhstan ect…
I like the idea of Your route where no carnet is needed through China , but I know your not allowed to travel solo in China and need a guide or travel with a group , but what is the cost of something like that ?, please.
Or there is India needing a carnet as you mentioned crossing from Tajikistan into china then into India? Onwards towards ,Nepal, Bhutan, skirting Myanmar into Laos ,Vietnam , Cambodia,Thailand ….through to Malaysia, Indonesia towards Oz and onwards from there, possibly .
I do not have plans on returning to the UK.
My other question is if buying a Carnet do you purchase it for each country you need to go through that requires a carnet or is the purchase of a carnet de passage universal .
Plus if I plan to not come back I obviously will not get the deposit back. Depending on cost ,yes I would take that on the chin for the convenience of that piece of paper. Some I know do that.
I watched a YouTube (Marctravels) channel the other day as he entered Thailand with a simple TIP where it says you need a carnet de passage to enter .So again so much conflicting information out there ….carnet maps are out dated with incorrect informaton.
Again if you could shed any light on this would be appreciated Andy.
Have a good day and thanks again for your help .😊👍
Hi Adie,
Thanks for your comment.
In answer to your questions:
Turkey – no, you do not need a Carnet. You need green card insurance and a temporary import.
Iran – this is a bit of a no go at he moment. I wouldn’t risk going somewhere the FCO advises against travel to as it will invalidate your health insurance.
Russia – can be done if you get a visa in advance from the UK
Where’s best – I would not miss Central Asia. Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan that little group was the best riding we have ever done in 7 years on the road.
Route – yes, get the Caspian Sea ferry, but this is a pain as the border is shut so you will have to have your bike transported across. Check the Azerbaijan guides on how to do this. Alternatively ride from Georgia into Russia and then dip back down.
China – for China you need to organise a group crossing with an official guide. Have a read of this guide by Jah, he’s a great guy and organises these crossings for motorcyclists. Tell him Andy from Mad or Nomad sent you and he’ll look after you. He’s written a guide for our site on how it’s done, it can be found here. How to Cross China on a Motorcycle.
India – yes once you dip south you’ll need that carnet.
India route – unfortunately Myanmar is a no go. So you would have to go through China. You can go from Kyrgyzstan through China straight to Southeast Asia if you prefer. You would need a carnet for Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia. Bhutan isn’t possible on your own bike. Neither is Vietnam.
Buying a carnet – no you do not buy it for each country. You buy one carnet and tell them which countries you’re going to. They then print the countries on the back of the carnet. The reason they ask you is because some countries – for example Egypt – will require a higher deposit amount. So yes, it is universal.
Not getting the deposit back – What do you mean? There is a fee for the carnet – roughly a few hundred quid – you don’t get that back. But you also leave a security deposit with the carnet company (which is a certain value of your bike), once you return the carnet (you can post it back to them) you get that money back. You must have your carnet stamped into a non-carnet country in order to return the carnet though of course.
You do not need to return your bike to the country that issued your carnet in order to discharge your carnet and get your money back.
Thailand – Marc’s great. He’s written a few guides for our site too. Yes, you enter Thailand with a TIP, a carnet is not required for Thailand. Have a look at our Destinations pages, you’ll see over 50 countries on there and each one has a detailed Motorcycle Travel Guide which lists all the paperwork requirements for each country.
Based on your questions, what I’ll do is update this Carnet guide and add my own map or list of countries that require a carnet and add more info about the carnet process to make it clearer.
I hope the above helps, best of luck with your planning and travels and let us know how you get on.
Cheers,
Andy