ATA Carnet Services
Taking equipment, samples or exhibition goods abroad and bringing them back again shouldn’t mean paying import duty on your own goods. An ATA Carnet lets you move them temporarily, and duty-free, across borders. With our service, you get:
- Expert guidance on whether a Carnet’s the right route for your trip, before you commit to one
- An application prepared right the first time, so nothing holds you up with the issuing Chamber
- Full support using your Carnet, from export to re-entry, so nothing catches you out along the way
What is an ATA Carnet?
An ATA Carnet is an internationally recognised customs document – often called a “passport for goods” – that lets you take goods out of the UK and bring them back again without paying import duty or tax in the countries you’re visiting. A Carnet works as a guarantee to the countries you’re visiting, it’s the proof that your goods are only there temporarily and will be re-exported within an agreed timeframe, rather than sold or left behind.
What it covers
- Professional equipment – camera, tools, musical instruments, and similar
- commercial samples shown to prospective customers
- Trade fair exhibition goods – stands, displays, and demo stock
It’s not for anything consumable, perishable or intended for sale. Food, printed materials, and giveaway items don’t qualify, since the whole system depends on the same goods coming back out again.
Cost and validity
Alongside the issuing fee, a security bond is required to cover the duty and tax that would be due if the goods weren’t re-exported correctly – arranged as a cash deposit, insurance, or a bank guarantee, depending on how it’s set up. Carnets are valid for up to 12 months, though some countries impose a shorter re-export deadline within that window.
When can an ATA Carnet be used?
A carnet is worth considering any time you need to take goods abroad provisionally and bring them back, rather than sell them, leave them behind, or have them processed while away. Common situations include:
- Exhibiting at a trade fair or exhibition abroad, where your stand, display items, or demo stock need to travel out and come home again once the event is over.
- Taking professional equipment on a job abroad, such as cameras and production kit, tools, instruments, or special equipment needed to do the work, but not intended to stay there.
- Showing commercial samples to prospective overseas customers, where the goods are there to be seen, not sold.
- Moving goods through multiple countries on one trip, since a single Carnet can cover several border crossings within its validity period, rather than needing separate paperwork for each one.
- Avoiding the cost and cash flow hit of paying import duty upfront, particularly useful if you’re moving high-value equipment and would otherwise be reclaiming tax after the fact – if that’s even possible in the destination country.
A Carnet isn’t your only option for temporary imports, and it isn’t always the best one. For some goods or destinations, another route may work out simpler or cheaper. That’s usually the first thing worth talking through before starting an application.
Talk to us before you apply – we’ll help you get it right from the start
Get in touchOur ATA Carnet Support
Before you apply
Carnets are issued by authorised Chambers of Commerce, not by customs agents – that’s how the scheme operates. Our role is what happens with everything on either side of that: helping you decide whether a Carnet is the right tool for your trip, preparing your application so it’s complete and accurate before it reaches the issuing Chamber, and managing the customs formalities when your goods are moving.
Taking the admin off your hands
One point of contact handling the parts most businesses find time consuming, rather than you piecing it together between an issuing Chamber and your own admin. We help get your general list right from the outset, and talk you through your security bond options so you’re choosing what suits your cashflow, not just accepting the default and paying more.
Using your Carnet abroad
Once the Carnet is issued, we make sure it’s presented and endorsed correctly at every stage, and that you understand what is expected of you while it’s valid. The Carnet holder is always the one responsible for the goods coming back and the paperwork being right, which means an unstamped voucher or missed step can turn into a customs claim months later. Having us manage that means it’s not something you’re left tracking while you’re focused on the trip.
If you travel with goods regularly
For repeat exhibitors, touring crews, and recurring installation or service work abroad – we get to know your patterns, so each application gets faster and the risk of something being missed goes down each time, instead of re-explaining your setup every time.
What do I need to apply for an ATA Carnet?
Send over the following and we’ll take it from there:
- Company and applicant details – the Carnet must be issued in the name of a UK-registered company or permanent UK resident
- Countries you’re visiting, including anywhere you’re transiting through (not just your final destination)
- Travel dates, so the Carnet’s validity covers your full trip with some margin either side
- A full, itemised general list – every item you’re taking, described clearly enough that a customs officer abroad can match it against the physical goods without guesswork
- Value of the goods, since this determines the level of security required
- Details of who’s travelling with the goods, or who’s authorised to use the Carnet
The general list is where most applications run into trouble – vague descriptions are one of the most common reasons a arnet gets challenged at the border. We’ll go through everything with you before it’s submitted, so nothing’s missing or unclear once it reaches the issuing Chamber.
Why BGM Customs
We’ve been handling customs work for businesses since 1979, and carnets are one more part of getting your goods where they need to go (and back) without the paperwork tripping you up.
40+ years of experience
Family-run, since 1979
Carnets processed monthly
We handle multiple applications every month, across a wide range of industries
Up to 5 days saved
By managing the process for you, from application to final sign off
How the ATA Carnet process works
1. Working out if it's right
We talk through your trip – the goods, the destination, how long you’ll need them, and how they’ll be used, flagging if a Carnet isn’t actually the best route.
2. Preparing your application
We will pull together everything the issuing Chamber will need, including your general list.
3. Submission
Your application goes to the issuing Chamber. We make sure everything’s ready before it’s submitted, so there’s nothing to chase afterwards.
4. Security arranged
Your security bond is put in place, in whichever form suits your business.
5. Carnet issued
You will have a physical Carnet ready to travel with your goods. This can either be collected from the Carnet office or posted.
6. Using it at each border
The Carnet is presented and stamped by customs every time the goods cross a border. We’ll make sure you know exactly what’s expected at each stage before you travel.
7. Confirming return
Once the final stamps are in, the Carnet’s obligations are complete. If any goods have gone missing along the way, this is the point it needs sorting.
Frequently asked questions about ATA Carnets
Talk to us about your ATA Carnet
Whether it’s a one-off trip or something you’ll be doing regularly, we’re here from the first question through to the goods safely returning to UK soil. Get in touch with our team today to talk through your trip, and we’ll tell you exactly what is needed to get moving.