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EU ATA Carnet FAQ

Short answers for carnet users in the EU, with the country-specific bits (Germany, France) called out where they differ. New to carnets? Start with What is an ATA Carnet? Something already went wrong? Fix a problem has the recovery playbooks.

Do I need a carnet for trips inside the EU?

No. The EU-27 is one customs territory with no customs formalities between member states - "Innerhalb der EU benötigt man keine Carnets", as IHK Stuttgart puts it, and GEFI says the same: "pas de carnet au départ de France pour l’Europe". A carnet is for travel outside the EU: Switzerland, the UK, the US, Canada, Japan and so on. Watch the exceptions though: the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla, and the French overseas departments sit outside the EU’s fiscal territory, so a trip there is carnet territory.

Can one carnet cover several non-EU trips?

Yes, within the 12-month validity. The number of trips depends on where it was issued: a German carnet allows unlimited trips (order enough voucher sheets), while a French carnet caps out at 8 temporary admissions. Trips can be simple returns, circular or star-shaped, and combined.

How long is a carnet valid? Can it be extended?

Twelve months (in Germany formally one year minus a day), and it can never be extended. Destination customs can also impose a shorter stay, written in box 2 of the relevant counterfoil, and that date wins over the carnet’s expiry. For longer stays the route is a follow-up carnet with the same goods list - Germany calls it the Anschlusscarnet - arranged before the old one expires. Not every country accepts it, so clear it with the destination customs and your chamber first.

Where do I get the EU export stamp?

Wherever the goods actually leave the EU - a German airport, a French ferry port, the Swiss border, anywhere in the 27. It doesn’t have to be in the country that issued the carnet, and the re-import stamp on the way home works at any EU border office too. The catch: a fresh carnet must first be opened by customs, ideally at an inland office near you, days before the trip. See the EU guide for the full stamp chain.

Do I really need serial numbers on the goods list?

List them wherever they exist. Customs must be able to recognise your goods on return; zoll.de names serial and device numbers as the standard means, and France requires them whenever the goods have one. Without them, customs may attach seals or stickers when opening the carnet. For robots, controllers, laptops and sensors: serial numbers on every line.

Can lithium batteries go on the carnet?

We found no official German or French statement on batteries as carnet line items, so confirm with your chamber. In practice batteries that travel with the equipment and return are listed like any other item. Transporting them, especially by air, is a separate dangerous-goods question that the carnet does not touch.

Can I sell goods while they’re abroad on a carnet?

Not while they remain under it. If a buyer appears, regularise before the re-export deadline: a definitive import declaration in the destination country (France calls it the mise à la consommation) referencing the carnet, local duties paid, and the carnet annotated. In Germany you additionally file a belated export declaration for values over EUR 1,000. You stay liable until the duties are actually paid. Goods you plan to sell from the start don’t belong on a carnet.

Is the carnet an export licence?

No. Dual-use items (autonomous platforms, certain cameras and lidars, encryption) need their authorisation on top, even for a temporary trip. In Germany that’s the BAFA (Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle); in France the SBDU (Service des biens à double usage), under EU Regulation 2021/821. Run the dual-use check in parallel with the carnet application.

In how many countries does an EU-issued carnet work?

Almost 80 - published counts differ slightly between customs administrations and the chambers. Issuance towards Russia, Ukraine and Belarus is currently suspended (Germany also issues none for Iran).

How much does an ATA Carnet cost in Germany?

Three parts: the IHK issuing fee (roughly EUR 80–155 depending on the chamber, e.g. München EUR 130/155 member/non-member, Stuttgart EUR 90, Frankfurt around EUR 80–100), the ICC fee of EUR 12 + VAT, and a value-based Euler Hermes insurance fee starting at EUR 46 (e.g. EUR 79 for goods worth EUR 10,000–25,000). Stuttgart’s worked example for EUR 20,000 of goods: EUR 181 net. Check your own IHK’s fee schedule.

How much does an ATA Carnet cost in France?

Per the latest published national tariff (1 January 2025): a €75 base package for one return trip, a €30 international guarantee-chain levy, a €30 CCI certification per trip, and a non-refundable guarantee premium scaled to the goods value (from €70 up to €11,000 of goods, up to a flat 0.22% above €500,000). The cheapest realistic carnet is about €205. Neither Germany nor France takes a Swiss-style refundable cash deposit.

Who can apply in Germany? Do I have to be an IHK member?

Companies, registered and unregistered businesses, freelancers, public bodies and private individuals can all apply - membership is not required, though non-members pay a higher fee at some chambers. You must apply at the IHK of your company’s seat (private individuals: place of residence). There is no legal entitlement to a carnet; the IHK decides.

Who can apply in France?

Companies (with a KBIS extract and SIRET number), artisans, associations, liberal professions and private individuals, always via the national GEFI portal. Whether a company without a French establishment can apply is not addressed in any official source we found; ask a CCI directly.

My French carnet is going to Switzerland. Anything special?

Yes: the goods list must state the net weight of every item if Switzerland is on the itinerary, even just for transit (the same rule applies for Russia and Ukraine). Other destinations don’t require it, and the list can’t be changed after the CCI validates the carnet, so get the weights in from the start. German lists have a weight column anyway - fill it in properly for the same reason.

My IHK isn’t listed on e-ata.de. Now what?

About 73 IHKs use the shared e-ata.de portal, but not all. If yours is missing, check its website or call - it may take applications through another channel, and paper applications still exist at several chambers. You can’t simply apply at a different IHK; territorial competence follows your company’s seat.

Can I use a carnet for a country outside the ATA system?

Sometimes. France allows the carnet "tous pays": French customs accept carnets even towards non-ATA countries, but the foreign side is then handled under that country’s own temporary-admission rules, so check with the destination first. Taiwan needs a separate document, the carnet CPD Chine-Taiwan. For German carnets, stick to the published country list and ask your IHK about anything not on it.

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Sources

Every factual claim on this page comes from the sources below, checked on the "last reviewed" date in the footer. Official resources are linked in whatever language they are published in.