All good news for UK travellers - ADAC takes them on.

Update on the UK ‘Carnet’ situation : Adventure Motorcycle Travel

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

Love your book mate.

Hi Everybody,

Yes a Carnet issued in Malysia.

We traveled from the UK to Thailand in 2014 (plodd.net) (overlandersthailand.com) in our UK registered vehicle 28 countries and not needing a carnet anywhere on the trip, our vehicle is still in Thailand after almost 2 years and we are now thinking of a return trip back to the UK, only using a different route, so our new route would take in Myanmar and if for only there we would need a Carnet, so I contacted RAC no go, I then found an article on the net saying that the Malaysian Automobile Association are prepared to issue carnets for Thai registered cars, I emailed two of there offices in Malaysia and one said they could not issue me with a Carnet for our UK registered vehicle and the other one said they could if I have a letter from the RAC UK saying that they would not issue one.
To date I have requested the letter from the RAC and I am now awaiting there reply.
For anybody that is thinking of South East Asia and on the subject of Carnet's
we have had some difficulties entering the following countries without a Carnet very recently Thai into Laos (Laos side Vientiane friendship bridge) border would not let us in until I kicked up, Laos in to Thailand (Thai side wanting a Carnet) Laos into Cambodia (Cambodia side at Strung Trang) turned us away. Cambodia into Laos this time the Cambodian side would not let us out (they did after we payed them $60 USA with no receipt Fancy That ??) Ho and by the way as I am sure most people on here will already know a Carnet is NOT required in any of these countries and I am also pritty sure that these countries could not claim against one if you was to default on the agreed terms of the carnet, but it does make it easier for the customs officers as they don't have all the temporary vehicle import papers to fill out and process they just stamp your carnet in on the way in then out on your exit.

Dave

Well as expected after about 2 weeks of toing and fro-wing with emails they decided that they could not issue a carnet for our vehicle and sugested I contacted the main office in Switzerland that issue carnets, I contacted then and avery swift reply came back saying that I would have to contact a issuing association as the head office did not issue carnets.
And the story continues as I am now going to send a copy of the email from Switzerland to the Malaysian Club asking why they will not issue me a carnet.

Watch this space

Dave

I've a UK registered bike and am going through the ADAC option Can anyone tell me how long it took the ADAC to send it back once received?
COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN

Hi
Have you got your carnet, we hope to apply soon and wonder how long it will take, if you have yours how long did it take to come through? We are wondering if we can post off the details and then pick it up from Munich on the way through, do you know if that's possible please?
Hope you have received your carnet
Suede

Hi there,we used ADAC for a new Carnet on our UK registered Defender in Africa when our RAC Carnet was due to expire.
ADAC couldn't have been more helpful and efficient.
New CDP applies for online by downloading forms from ADAC website (in English). Application sent in by email with scanned copies of relevant documents.
CDP issued within 10 days! AND post-dated so that start date is not before you actually need it. AND sent by courier to us in Zambia. AND it's a fraction of the price RAC were charging.
Highly recommended and painless.
Link to details on our blog:
Bird Calls & Chocodiles... - wearthefoxhat
Happy to provide links to documents etc if you contact us.
Good luck
Scott
Ps- subsequently have returned old Carnets to RAC and got our deposits returned to our bank within 4 weeks. Result.

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All who wander are not lost - JRR Tolkien
www.wearthefoxhat.us

Thanks for the info! Can you provide some information to start with? I cannot find the English site of ADAC :/

Hi,
This is a link to the page I used to download the ADAC Carnet application form in English.
https://www.adac.de/reise_freizeit/r...ssages_en.aspx
Hope it helps.
Scott

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All who wander are not lost - JRR Tolkien
www.wearthefoxhat.us

Thanks! I somehow found that link yesterday and I am filling it little by little.

I got my carnet! The whole procedure was painless, and I got my carnet sent by next day delivery (at extra cost) within a week. They were very helpful and efficient! I thought I might be able to go in person to the office in Munich, but apparently it's harder to get an appointment, so I just did everything via post. Only annoying thing was that i had already left and had to get it forwarded to me on the road - mostly my fault for leaving it too late.........

Hi, I got a Carnet from ADAC about 6 weeks ago for a trip to Iran. As mentioned above the procedure was painless and efficient. I called the Munich office and clarified a few things and they spoke good English and could not be more helpful.

I'm now back in UK and ADAC have asked me to get confirmation from UK customs that my bike is back in UK, so I can have my deposit back. Has anyone experience of getting this customs stamp? In hindsight I could have got it done at Dover but did not?

hi go to any customs at a port with your bike and get them to fill in the last page, should be no problem

These people are now issuing Carnets in the UK - Cars Europe

This is what they told me as an estimate/guideline -

• Vehicle value - £7,000
• 5 page carnet - £210 plus option1 or 2
• Each extra driver (if applicable) - £50
• Delivery outside the UK - £60 TBC

OPTION 1 - Security/premium fee: £1,635 of which £250.00 is refundable once your carnet has been successfully discharged.

OPTION 2 - Cash deposit of £8000 includes a non-refundable fee of £500. We will refund £7,500 once your carnet has been successfully discharged.


Not having the deposit of 8,000GBP means that option 1 is quite attractive albeit fairly expensive option for me, but I understand it is risk management they can't make it so cheap as to tempt people doing something they aren't allowed.

Hopefully some useful information for somebody that I'm happy to pass on.
Also they replied to my email within an hour!

Perhaps someone with more knowledge of the world of international paperwork than me could explain what exactly is the legal status of the CPD type carnets that we've been talking about in this discourse.

Cars Europe, the issuer mentioned in James's report above just look (as far as I can see anyway) like a private company so on what basis are they issuing carnets? Are they just acting as an agent for some higher, quasi governmental authority (such as the FIA) or is the whole system so loose that anyone can do it - Tesco's for example, should they wish (or even, to dredge up a discussion from the dim and distant past, Mr Carnet).

Presumably it would be very convenient for Cars Europe to be able to issue their own carnets to facilitate their commercial activities (and if it's all done internally I don't suppose it costs them anywhere near the rates mentioned). From our perspective all I would say is thanks for at least opening the system up to outsiders even if that does come at a cost, but it just surprises me that a private company are able to take on what I previously assumed (seemingly incorrectly) was, if not a direct function of government, at least somewhere in the world of quangos.

Anyone able to shed light onto how it actually works please chip in.