The ATA Carnet in the United Kingdom
Before Brexit, a UK robotics company could drive a demo robot to a trade fair in Munich with no customs paperwork at all. Since 1 January 2021 Great Britain sits outside the EU customs union, so every temporary move of equipment between GB and the EU is an export and an import. The ATA Carnet is the standard tool for doing that without paying duties and VAT at each border, and the GB–EU trip is by far the most common UK carnet use case.
The UK system has a clear division of labour:
- Chambers of commerce issue carnets. The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) is the national guaranteeing organisation and runs UKNATACO (the UK National ATA Carnet Organisation) as its operational unit. Twenty-one chambers around the country issue carnets under that umbrella.
- HMRC and Border Force handle the customs side. Officers stamp carnets at ports, airports and inland border facilities; HMRC's National Carnet Unit deals with problems and regularisation. They never issue carnets.
The guide, step by step
Your issuing chamber, the goods list, fees, and the UK security system 2 Use it at the border
Export validation, the EU stamp, transit vouchers, digital carnets 3 Fix a problem
The National Carnet Unit, Certificates of Location, lost carnets, claims
Quick answers instead? The UK ATA Carnet FAQ covers costs, security options, serial numbers and more in short Q&As.
Where to get it stamped
Only Border Force / HMRC offices can stamp a carnet, and not every port has one on site. The two guides below cover the routes robotics companies actually use:
UK airports
Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Stansted, Eurostar, Belfast - stamp before check-in, red channel on arrival
Dover & Eurotunnel
Driving to the EU - the Sevington inland border facility, GMRs for freight, Holyhead for Ireland
Northern Ireland is different
Everything on these pages applies to Great Britain. Moving goods temporarily between Northern Ireland and Great Britain follows different rules under the Windsor Framework; gov.uk says so explicitly. If your trip starts or ends in Northern Ireland, talk to your chamber before assuming a carnet is the right tool.
Key UK facts
| Issued by | 21 chambers of commerce, listed on uknataco.co.uk; LCCI guarantees all UK carnets |
|---|---|
| Typical cost | LCCI: £270 (member) / £444 (non-member) incl. VAT, plus security; other chambers set their own fees |
| Security | Equal to the highest duty rate in your destination countries plus a possible 10% penalty (EU: 40% of goods value); as refundable cash/draft, bank guarantee, or the non-refundable Carnet Security Scheme |
| Validity | 12 months from issue, multiple trips, never extendable |
| Digital (eATA) | Carnets for the UK, EU, Norway and Switzerland are digital from 1 June 2026 (ATA Carnet App + QR code); paper continues for other destinations |
| Customs side | Border Force stamps at the border; HMRC National Carnet Unit (atacarnetunit@hmrc.gov.uk) handles regularisation |
| UKNATACO contact | queries@uknataco.co.uk · +44 (0)20 7203 1714 · 33 Queen Street, London EC4R 1AP |
New to carnets entirely? Start with What is an ATA Carnet? and the robotics guide, then come back here for the UK specifics.
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.
- gov.uk - Apply for an ATA Carnet ↗ (English, updated 1 June 2026)
- gov.uk - Taking goods out of the UK temporarily ↗ (English)
- UKNATACO - issuing chambers list ↗ (English)
- UKNATACO - administration of the ATA Carnet scheme in the UK ↗ (English)
- LCCI - ATA Carnet pages and fees ↗ (English)
- UKNATACO - Security Rate Chart ↗ (English, PDF, June 2025)
- LCCI - digital ATA Carnets from 1 June 2026 ↗ (English)