Hi, I'm currently 1 year into a multi-year RTW having done LatAm last year and am now heading to Africa. My original plan was to enter via Morocco and go down the West Coast to Southern Africa and then next year, come up the East side and head to India (home). However, Morocco is refusing to give me a visa saying I can only apply in my home country and I need a pre-arrival visa (can't get it at the border for us less-privelaged citizens). So, the plan now is to enter via Egypt and go down the East side.

I received my carnet while I was in Buenos Aires and added every country in Africa except Egypt, because they require a much higher fee. I got my carnet for the US registered bike at the CAA and now they are asking their indemnity insurer to revise the policy for Egypt. Once the permission is given, I should be able to go to any national auto association and make the changes to my carnet (basically replacing the back cover with Egypt not crossed out).

My question: which of these countries do you think are easier and more receptive to dealing with foreign carnets? France, Germany or Switzerland? Or is it all the same?

I've been in Paris for a month (getting rejected by Morocco, getting a new passport, etc) and only the carnet is holding me back. I have some friends to visit in Germany and Switzerland before catching the Alexandria ferry from Venice. I'd like to move on, but wondering if I should just stay in Paris until carnet is done.

From here:


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J A Y | Riding a 98 Suzuki DR650
Current ride thru Latin Am and Africa > Jammin thru the Global South

Hi Jay

I can't help with the carnet question, but I do suggest that you apply for the Sudan visa ASAP, if you haven't already. I waited 3 weeks in Aswan for one, gave up and went to Europe (on the Visemar line, nice vessel). There is a pair of Americans (Luke and Nick, with a RR at that other site) who applied in Djibouti but were given the same deal.

Good luck with everything!
Sean

jammin,
Your Carnet situation is unusual/ confusing.
If I understand right, the CAA is in the process of issuing you a revised (US) Carnet, to add Egypt, and CAA says "...you should then be able to go to any national auto association..." to have that auto assoc replace the last page on your US/ CAA Carnet ?
And you're wondering if it makes any difference which auto assoc, French, German or Swiss, to help you complete this change?
If the above is an accurate description of your situation, then

1. I would first ask CAA/ Suzanne Denis if she has any specific recommendation about which of the three auto clubs to use to complete the change CAA is authorizing. Suzanne is very competent/ helpful, but may not know specific procedures at the other national auto clubs.

1.1. Ask CAA if it might be possible/ easier for CAA to Fedx/ send you a revised CAA Carnet document (back page) to you in Paris, rather than you're trying to get the CAA change completed at a different national auto club office.

2. If CAA thinks any of the three clubs will do this, then start with the French auto association, because it's in Paris and so are you:
http://www.automobile-club.org/se-de...en-douane.html
L'Automobile Club
Délégation Paris Ile de France
14 avenue de la Grande Armée
75017 Paris
Tél. : +33-1 40 55 43 0

3. If the French club doesn't work--can't or won't do what CAA suggests is possible--then try either the Automobile Club Switzerland in Bern, or the ADAC German club in Munich, depending on which is more convenient on your travel plan, and which says it can do what CAA suggests:

ACS Automobil Club der Schweiz - Zollvorschriften
Automobil Club der Schweiz
Zentralverwaltung
Wasserwerkgasse 39
3000 Bern 13

Tel. +41 31 328 31 11
Fax +41 31 311 03 10

www.acs.ch
acszv@acs.ch

or
Carnet de Passages
ADAC Touring GmbH
Grenzverkehr
Am Westpark 8
81373 München
Tel +49 89 7676-6338
carnetdepassage@adac.de


4. Even if CAA thinks any club will do this, don't assume this is true. Verify with the national club office(s) before you make any onward travel plan.
Talk/ verify only with a competent staff person in the national club office who is responsible for Carnets, understands your CAA situation, and is willing/ able to do what CAA thinks is possible.


Good luck !

Thanks for the great info, Fisher
Yes, you understood my situation correctly.

1. My bad timing is that Suzanne is right now on a month long vacation and David is filling in for her. This is clearly not his department and I had to tell him that this was possible. Before my carnet was issued, Suzanne answered all sorts of questions, great woman, very responsive. I foresaw exactly a situation like this happening: the need to add a country to a carnet after it was issued and Suzanne said that yes, it was a little complicated, but not impossible and the clubs should be able to talk to each other and help their members out since it's all issued from the FIA.

1.1 I asked David if he could simply send me the revised document from the CAA direct but he said for that he would need to reissue the carnet charging me the issuing fee of $550 again. I think Suzanne would've been able to help me out with this if she was there.

2. I went to the Paris office of the ACF this morning and surprisingly there was only one lady in there and she was the one dealing with carnets She understood the situation, all though admitting she had never done something like this, and said their process would be for the CAA to send them an official letter (on club letterhead) stating what had to be done and that all the appropriate fees had been paid and then she would proceed. She was receptive and said there shouldn't be any charge from them for this service. Let's see though.

The six hour time difference is making me lose so many days in the back and forth volley The indemnity insurer (RL Davison) is based in the UK, so just that took 4 days.

I am worried though that I simply can't get a new back cover with Egypt not crossed out, since here (I saw a French carnet) the front and back are one piece, meaning all the official info has to be re-entered on the front and stamped. So, I hope this does not mean my carnet has to be re-issued, cause that would certainly entail a hefty fee.

Oh well, that's the price of trying to stay legal when plans change. C'est la vie.

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J A Y | Riding a 98 Suzuki DR650
Current ride thru Latin Am and Africa > Jammin thru the Global South

Just giving an update on my situation: The indemnity insurer (RL Davison) approved the changes to my carnet after paying the extra free for adding Egypt. The ACF (French Auto Club) said they needed approval from the CAA on club letterhead (signed, scaned) saying that everything was OK to add Egypt to my carnet.

But the lady at the ACF (Carmen) who does the carnets said she needs approval from a bigger boss who's on vacation till Wednesday before she can proceed, since she has never done something like this but said once she gets the OK, she will 're-issue' my carnet with Egypt added and said there will be no additional fees (since I have paid everything to the CAA).


Another issue: Sudan is not listed on the CAA website as a required country for carnet (but ADAC and everyone else says it is) and I didn't explicitly state that I would be traveling to Sudan when my original carnet was issued (since I had only planned for West Africa this year). So now Sudan is also crossed off on the back cover of my carnet. Should I jump through all the hoops again to get Sudan un-crossed from the back of the carnet? There should be no additional cost, but David at the CAA said RL Davison will need to be notified again (another week lost but my oversight ).

Update: I called the CAA and they said Sudan is not listed on their website since they do not have an agreement with the affiliate there. They are telling me that instead of a carnet, Sudan requires advance permission plus a bank gaurantee. Oh bugger. What can I do about this?

Do you think the Sudanese customs wont look at the back cover and just stamp the carnet? :confused1:

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J A Y | Riding a 98 Suzuki DR650
Current ride thru Latin Am and Africa > Jammin thru the Global South

Just giving an update to this thread for future searchers

I was able to enter Sudan on a CAA Carnet with Sudan crossed out on the back cover. I entered at Wadi Halfa and the fixer took all our carnets and got them stamped. It seems the CAA's info is not up to date on Sudan.

I am in Lusaka now and I didn't realize that Zambia is crossed off on my carnet and the customs agent noted this and said they can't stamp my carnet but will simply issue me a temporary import permit, free of charge, which I have to give to the customs at exit

Onwards to Namibia and South Africa

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J A Y | Riding a 98 Suzuki DR650
Current ride thru Latin Am and Africa > Jammin thru the Global South