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Afghanistan to London by private car Afghanistan to London by private car
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Trip Paperwork Covers all documentation, carnets, customs and country requirements, how to deal with insurance etc.
Photo by Alessio Corradini, on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, of two locals

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Alessio Corradini,
on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia,
of two locals



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  #1  
Old 2 Oct 2020
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Afghanistan to London by private car
I'm hoping to buy a car (actually, a Toyota Landcruiser) in Afghanistan and drive it to western Europe. My route will be Afghanistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-Russia-Belarus-Poland-Germany, and on to northern France before boarding the ferry in Calais for England. I'd like to know if anyone has info about border crossing requirements, specifically for things like the Carnet de Passage (or any equivalent), motor insurance, or other helpful advice on unforeseen challenges, whether at borders or anywhere else. Can I drive with an Afghan number plate to other countries? If not, can I drive the car I hope to buy into Uzbekistan and get a different number plate that will be recognized in the countries I plan to travel through? What about drivers license requirements, as I only have a US one. I plan to haul a trailer behind the Landcruiser full of stuff. Will that be a problem at border crossings? I'm also thinking about bringing our dog with us. Will that be a problem or do I need paperwork for her too? Thanks for reading! I'm happy to answer questions!
Last edited by homdogs; 2 Oct 2020 at 18:31. Reason: forgot a question
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  #2  
Old 2 Oct 2020
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None of the countries you mention require carnets. However you might have an issue buying a car as a foreigner with no permanent address in the country.

I don't know about other countries but there is quite a complicated process to bring a dog into the UK https://www.gov.uk/bring-pet-to-uk
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  #3  
Old 2 Oct 2020
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You will need an international driving permit which you should be able to get from the AAA, temporary insurance is available at most borders and for the EU from a forum member here, I have no idea how customs will react to an Afghan number plate, as long as it has the proper registration and paperwork either in your name or authorising you to drive it you should get through.
A pet passport for your dog which shows innoculations will be the minimum you need and what do you plan to do with the vehicle when you get here? It will get 90 days when it will have to be exported, officially anyway.
I have not heard of anyone planning a trip starting in Afghanistan which does not mean it is not possible but it will be a journey of bureaucratic discovery.
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  #4  
Old 2 Oct 2020
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tomkat View Post
None of the countries you mention require carnets. However you might have an issue buying a car as a foreigner with no permanent address in the country.
Although a carnet is not required, I prefer to travel with one, principally as a protection against potentially high TIP deposits, and also so that in the unfortunate event of being unable to take the vehicle out of the country, the carnet issuer covers the cost of permanent import, which can be very high.

You need to check on what's required to meet UK import rules - I've done this a couple of times with little trouble, however you do need to satisfy the rules. Also check the rules in Afghanistan in terms of permission to take a vehicle out of the country permanently (I have no idea about Afghanistan, however where we live, if you take a vehicle out of the country for more than 12 months the fine is huge...).

By the way (full disclosure), I have zero experience in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, and Poland, although some in the rest of the countries on the route.
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  #5  
Old 3 Oct 2020
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Originally Posted by Alanymarce View Post
the carnet issuer covers the cost of permanent import, which can be very high.
I am pretty sure they do not, a carnet guarantees duty is paid but the issuer will expect you to reimburse them when they have paid out.
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  #6  
Old 3 Oct 2020
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alanymarce View Post
Although a carnet is not required, I prefer to travel with one, principally as a protection against potentially high TIP deposits, and also so that in the unfortunate event of being unable to take the vehicle out of the country, the carnet issuer covers the cost of permanent import, which can be very high.
For the countries he mentioned, as I say a carnet isn't required, and I've never heard of anyone being required to pay a TIP deposit. That is the point of the carnet, of course, that's the deposit, and for an expensive vehicle you do have to deposit the value of the vehicle. If you are unfortunate enough to have to scrap the vehicle in country, there is generally a procedure to declare it scrapped.

Bringing an imported vehicle into the UK, I looked into this a while ago when I was living in KZ. I believe you can do this without paying tax and duty as long as you owned it for a certain amount of time before entering the UK and don't sell it for a certain amount of time afterwards. It should be possible to research if that still stands using the official link: https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk
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