Carnet de Passages en Douane

Carnet de Passages en Douane

A Carnet de Passages en Douane, usually shortened to CPD or simply 'carnet', is an international customs document used for the temporary importation of a motorcycle or other vehicle. It works as a customs guarantee. The issuing automobile association guarantees that import duties and taxes will be paid if the motorcycle is not exported correctly. The issuer in Australia is the Australian Automobile Association (AAA).

How A CPD Works

Think of the CPD as a passport for the motorcycle. A CPD is issued to a named holder for a specific motorcycle. The motorcycle's registration, VIN/chassis number, engine number, make, model and value must match the application and the physical motorcycle.

Each carnet page covers one temporary import and export movement:

  1. On entry, Customs stamps the entry counterfoil and removes the entry voucher.

  2. On exit, Customs stamps the exit counterfoil and removes the exit voucher.

  3. After the journey, the original carnet is returned to the issuing organisation with any required Certificate of Location or proof of re-importation.

  4. The issuer checks the carnet before releasing the refundable security.

An exit stamp and release of the security are related but separate events. An exit stamp can close a country's temporary import, but the issuer may still hold the security until the motorcycle is back in its country of registration or has been permanently imported elsewhere.

Carnets normally contain 5, 10 or 25 pages. Each page covers one temporary import and the matching export. Returning to the same country later normally uses another page, so riders must count entries—not just the number of countries on the route.

The holder must not sell, hire out, lend, abandon or materially alter the motorcycle while it is under temporary admission unless both the issuing organisation and the relevant customs authority approve the arrangement.

Application Fee, Security And Insurance-Based Options

CPD cost for various countries are detailed further below. There are usually two separate financial components:

  • the issuing or processing fee, which is not refundable; and

  • security protecting the issuer against a customs claim.

Depending on the issuer, security may be provided as a refundable cash deposit, bank guarantee, insurance bond, non-refundable risk fee or insurance indemnity premium. A lower upfront insurance-based option is not a cap on liability: if Customs makes a valid claim, the carnet holder can still be required to reimburse duties, taxes and costs.

Security is influenced by the motorcycle's value and the countries listed in the application. High-duty destinations can require much larger guarantees, and some issuers exclude particular countries entirely. Tell the issuer the full intended route and obtain approval before adding a country later.

CPD Versus A Temporary Import Permit

A Temporary Import Permit, usually called a TIP, is issued by the customs authority of the country being entered. It may be free or relatively inexpensive and is valid only for the period set by that country—sometimes a fixed number of days and sometimes linked to the rider's immigration permission.

A CPD is issued before the border movement by an authorised AIT/FIA organisation and provides an international customs guarantee. Some countries require a CPD; others accept a TIP; some accept either depending on the entry method.

Sea or air freight can change the practical requirement. A country that commonly issues a simple TIP at a land border may require a CPD, customs guarantee or more formal temporary-admission declaration when the motorcycle arrives or leaves as cargo. Always confirm the rule for the actual port, airport or land crossing—not merely the country in general.

Different countries have slightly different naming conventions for TIPs, for example, in Chile it is called the Título de Importación Temporal de Vehículos (TITV). For consistency when discussing overlanding logistics, it is common for international travelers to refer to the document as TIP regardless of local convention.

Which OBO Shipments Require A CPD?

  • Malaysia.
    No CPD required for bikes trans-shipping via OBO's Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) hub.

  • Italy import only via Genoa before trucking to Milan. No CPD required for export from Italy.

  • India

  • Japan

  • South Africa; and

  • foreign-registered motorcycles visiting Australia;

In broad terms, CPDs are most commonly encountered in parts of Africa, South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Oceania. Requirements in individual countries change, and land-border practice can differ from port or airport practice.

The Americas generally do not need a CPD. A carnet may still become necessary if they later join a shipment to a destination that requires one.

A CPD is not normally required for Europe, however, OBO's Milan import requirement is a special case with significant benefits of using CPD.

At Each Border

  • Check that the customs officer stamps the permanent counterfoil as well as removing the correct voucher.

  • Confirm that the date, customs office and signature are legible before leaving.

  • Photograph the completed counterfoil immediately and keep a cloud backup.

  • If an officer is unfamiliar with the booklet, politely show the printed usage instructions rather than accepting an incomplete endorsement.

CPD For Australian Riders

The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) issues CPDs for Australian motorcycles travelling overseas.

Cost for applications from 1 July 2026:

  • application fee: AU$1,178, non-refundable; and

  • security bond: AU$5,000, refundable after the carnet is discharged and accepted by AAA.

CPD For European Riders

European CPD arrangements are not uniform. Riders normally apply through the authorised issuer serving their country of residence or vehicle registration.

Italy — Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI)

ACI's service is for Italian or foreign citizens resident in Italy with an Italian-plated vehicle.

  • issuing fee: €150 for ACI members or €250 for non-members;

  • postage within Italy: €20; and

  • security: a bank or insurance guarantee, with a minimum of €2,500.

Germany — ADAC

ADAC's current issuing fee is:

  • €250 for a member of an FIA-affiliated automobile club; or

  • €350 without qualifying club membership.

For EU/EFTA-registered motorcycles travelling to ordinary destinations, ADAC's published security bands are €2,500 for motorcycles valued up to €15,000, €3,500 for values from €15,001 to €25,000, and €5,000 for values from €25,001 to €50,000. Higher-risk destinations use larger security amounts. Non-EU-registered motorcycles require an individual assessment.

Czechia — UAMK / Autoturist

UAMK issues CPDs through Autoturist. Published fees depend on booklet size and validity:

  • five pages: CZK 7,890 for three months, CZK 8,290 for six months or CZK 8,590 for 12 months;

  • ten pages: CZK 8,090 / 8,490 / 8,790; and

  • 25 pages: CZK 8,490 / 9,090 / 9,490.

Published motorcycle deposits range from CZK 98,000 for a motorcycle valued up to CZK 250,000 to CZK 385,500 for a motorcycle valued up to CZK 1,000,000. Higher-risk countries require larger deposits.

Switzerland — Touring Club Switzerland (TCS)

The published non-resident conditions currently list:

  • issuing fee: CHF 620; and

  • refundable cash deposit: individually assessed, at least 100% of the motorcycle's current value, with a minimum of CHF 3,000.

United Kingdom — CARS UK

CARS publishes the following document fees from January 2025:

  • five pages: £238;

  • ten pages: £253; or

  • 25 pages: £278.

The rider must also provide security through either a non-refundable CARS UK Risk Fee or a part-refundable deposit guarantee. That component is individually quoted based on the motorcycle, route and customs exposure. CARS accepts enquiries from riders who are already overseas and can dispatch an approved carnet by courier.

CPD For North American Riders

Boomerang Carnets is the current CPD issuing service for residents of the United States and Canada. Automobile-club membership is not required. Its current published starting figures are:

  • application fee: US$950;

  • refundable cash guarantee: minimum US$5,000; or

    non-refundable Loss Prevention Security Fee: minimum US$3,600.

Already Overseas And Need A CPD?

This is the critical question for a rider who left home without a CPD because it was not needed for the original route, but later wants to ship to a destination or through a customs process that requires one.

Do not assume that an automobile association in another country will issue the document. AAA Australia, ACI Italy and AASA South Africa expressly tie their services to local registration or residency. ADAC, UAMK and CARS UK publish useful overseas-delivery or remote-application information, but do not provide a blanket entitlement for every foreign resident and foreign-registered motorcycle. TCS publishes a conditional non-resident pathway.

Before relying on any overseas issuer, obtain written confirmation covering:

  • eligibility based on residence and motorcycle registration;

  • validity for the intended destination and cargo-import method;

  • issuing fee, security and delivery cost;

  • where the original carnet can be delivered;

  • processing time; and

  • the evidence required before the security is released.

Follow-Up Carnets And Extensions While Travelling

A rider whose journey continues beyond the original carnet's validity may need a follow-up carnet. This is a new booklet, normally with another issuing fee, and the existing security may be transferred if it remains sufficient. The old and new validity dates must align, and Customs may need to stamp the old carnet out and the new carnet in at the next movement.

An extension is different. It generally requires agreement from the issuing organisation, the local automobile association and the customs authority where the motorcycle is temporarily imported. An extended carnet may be valid only for leaving that country, not for continuing through additional countries.


Foreign Riders Bringing A Motorcycle To Australia

Extending A CPD In Australia

OBO's current operating guidance is to begin the extension request through AAA six weeks before expiry. The rider must have a visa covering the requested extension period.

Leaving Australia Without The Motorcycle

A rider's presence in Australia needs to cover more than half of the motorcycle's presence. Temporary importation is for touring, not indefinite storage. The relevant dates run from the motorcycle's import and export movements, not the rider's flight dates.

A rider who wants to leave Australia while the motorcycle remains temporarily imported should email the National Temporary Imports and Securities (NTIS) within Australian Border Force (ABF) before departure to advise secure storage location and planned absence dates. Do not leave Australia and assume the motorcycle can simply remain behind under the CPD.

Theft, Accident, Write-Off

Notify Police, Customs and the issuing organisation if the motorcycle is stolen, seriously damaged, written off or must be scrapped. Make sure to get a police report.

CPD Versus ATA Carnet

A CPD is designed for the temporary import of a vehicle used for touring or transport. An ATA carnet is very specifically NOT for touring purpose. It may get done in other parts of the world but OBO will not use an ATA Carnet as a substitute for a CPD for ordinary motorcycle touring.

An ATA Carnet is mainly for temporarily imported commercial goods, professional equipment, exhibitions and events. A competition motorcycle imported for an event will fit an ATA process, but a privately used touring motorcycle does not.

Issuer information and fees in this article were checked on 3 August 2026

CPD fees, security amounts, accepted countries and temporary-import rules change. Customs acceptance remains at the discretion of the relevant authority.

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