Do we need a customs carnet to travel to the EU?

[spongebob]

I follow motorhome Spain and saw this. Has anyone experienced problems like this?

Question on arrival at Santander from Portsmouth , my van was checked over by customs officer and I was charged €400 in duty for 3 used electric bikes that I planned to bring back after a 2 week visit. The staff muttered something about “carnets”Was I correctly fined?

Answer. That wasn’t a fine - it was precisely the customs arrangement that uk ministers negotiated in the Brexit deal. Anyone taking goods in excess of €430 or more from Great Britain ( but not Northern Ireland) to the EU is required to declare them, and if necessary, pay the required tariffs. For the avoidance of doubt this is not a new EU rule it is simply imposing the customs regulations that the UK helped to draft while a member of the EU. As the border officials indicated, you could have avoided the duty by paying for a customs carnet - a document listing temporary imports ( including serial numbers)

 

[10tenmen]

Surely this only applies to business use as per gov uk

Take goods temporarily out of Great Britain

Take goods temporarily out of Great Britain using ATA Carnet, Returned Goods Relief, declaration by conduct, oral declaration, Duplicate Lists.

www.gov.uk

 

[MisterB]

interesting issue .... so, if the person had ridden them in, what would have happened? if you take this to its extreme, what about taking pots and pans, camping equipment that we all carry in our motorhomes?

 

[ManTheVan]

Surely this only applies to business use as per gov uk

Take goods temporarily out of Great Britain

Take goods temporarily out of Great Britain using ATA Carnet, Returned Goods Relief, declaration by conduct, oral declaration, Duplicate Lists.

www.gov.uk

That article says the carnet would cost £360 (unless you’re a member of the London Chamber of Commerce, in which case it would be £216).

Can anyone advise whether this is now the situation if one takes a vehicle-based trip to the EU? I wouldn’t have imagined that taking privately-owned bikes, your watch, iPad, phone or anything else that might be worth more than 430€ would result in duty being payable for a private holiday?

 

[Kozikot]

Apologises, just started a New Post on the same theme...

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[Jimbohorlicks]

I remember some years ago when we flew to Morrocco that we had to declare our video camera and a note was put in my passport to that effect just in case I sold the camera in Morrocco. If it wasn't available when we returned I could have been fined or charged with duty .

 

[busby]

Think the clue is VAN,,and Three bikes. Wonder if there were three passengers. More scare mongering...File it away with gassing and milk in the fridge,,BUSBY

 

[pete4x4]

Spain is on the list for the Carnet but it all talks about business use not personal travel. It is strange that this is the first time this has appeared on the net and I tend to agree with Busby, if it was a Van not a motorhome then you can see why someone maybe expected to pay.

 

[MisterB]

Think the clue is VAN,,and Three bikes. Wonder if there were three passengers. More scare mongering...File it away with gassing and milk in the fridge,,BUSBY

i certainly hope so, i have 2 second hand air conditioning units that i want to take over to our static van in France (in the car) - they are split systems, and i wouldnt be bringing them back at any time soon - so if its true then i may be liable for import duties to take them to France? if they were in the motorhome then i might get away with any questions they may ask if stopped.

i have done a bit of reading and we do have a trade deal currently with no duty - but its really complicated and requires proof of origin documentation - but they were bought on ebay and i dont have any official documentation

i am hoping i can find some dispensation where i can take goods up to a certain value - similar to bringing goods into the UK?

 

[Kozikot]

Think the clue is VAN,,and Three bikes. Wonder if there were three passengers. More scare mongering...File it away with gassing and milk in the fridge,,BUSBY

I always call my Moho a Van, same as my 4x4 is a Truck, there's always 3 of us with 3 bikes as my Adult Daughter lives with us permanently due to her disabilities....

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[georgio]

There seems to be a lot more to this than we read . For example did they look like a trio of likely lads in a white van. Or were they in a motorhome with the wife sat next to him with the map on her knee etc. many times I have seen white vans pulled in and searched .

 

[busby]

I always call my Moho a Van, same as my 4x4 is a Truck, there's always 3 of us with 3 bikes as my Adult Daughter lives with us permanently due to her disabilities....

True in your case but if the van in the article was a Camper I doubt it would have been stopped.I have been twice this year,it wasn't busy so ripe for stopping,,,but wasn't.BUSBY.

 

[Spriddler]

The staff muttered something about “carnets”Was I correctly fined?

I'd want a more specific and convincing justification from Customs to cough up 430 Euros than them just, quote: 'muttering something about carnets'.

 

[Lenny HB]

I think you are pretty safe in a Motorhome.
Coming back through Newhaven last week there was an old VW camper or minibus not sure which, elderly couple in it, ladder and tree branches on the roof they were the only vehicle to be pulled by customs.

 

[gus-lopez]

I'd want a more specific and convincing justification from Customs to cough up 430 Euros than them just, quote: 'muttering something about carnets'.

so would I.

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[Gaston aires]

Think the clue is VAN,,and Three bikes. Wonder if there were three passengers. More scare mongering...File it away with gassing and milk in the fridge,,BUSBY

What you don’t believe in gassing ? I’ve been Gaston aires for years.
Phil

 

[ElliesBoss]

Pre Schengen we had to get carnets stamped when taking cars and associated gear into the EU countries to take part in rallies. Towing with a campervan. Had to list virtually everything. Again had to get them stamped on the way back to make sure nothing had been sold. It would seem logical to reintroduce these controls to Schengen but how they decide what needs a carnet I do not know.

 

[Spriddler]

A couple of threads have been running in the m/bike forum re Carnets but without any firm conclusion.

Customs regs when taking a m/cycle temporarily to E.U. by trailer or in a m/h.

I haven't managed to get official info on this but it has been under discussion on my m/bike club website. It would seem that Customs Form CERFA15678-01 is required: https://www.service-public.fr/professionnels-entreprises/vosdroits/R47284 This is the brief info that have....... Has anyone...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Carnet De Passage (CDP)- Taking your motorbike/scooter to Europe.

Hi All, We're planning a trip around Europe and as usual will be taking the scooter in the MH garage. There are a number of articles in the press about French customs possibly applying their own interpretation of the rules and demanding CDP's if a scooter/motorbike is either on a trailer, in a...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[TonyEmm]

I follow motorhome Spain and saw this. Has anyone experienced problems like this?

Question on arrival at Santander from Portsmouth , my van was checked over by customs officer and I was charged €400 in duty for 3 used electric bikes that I planned to bring back after a 2 week visit. The staff muttered something about “carnets”Was I correctly fined?

Answer. That wasn’t a fine - it was precisely the customs arrangement that uk ministers negotiated in the Brexit deal. Anyone taking goods in excess of €430 or more from Great Britain ( but not Northern Ireland) to the EU is required to declare them, and if necessary, pay the required tariffs. For the avoidance of doubt this is not a new EU rule it is simply imposing the customs regulations that the UK helped to draft while a member of the EU. As the border officials indicated, you could have avoided the duty by paying for a customs carnet - a document listing temporary imports ( including serial numbers)

A Carnet is NOT required for leisure travel within Europe. I have made an enquiry through the .gov website and received this response…

”Hi Tony,

Thank you for your email.

A carnet is not required for travel to the EU as a tourist. I suggest you take a copy of your V5 and proof of ownership of your bikes and trailer – you may need to complete a tourist entry on the border and you’ll be free to remain in the EU for 90 days.

The link below may provide some useful information..

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/driving-in-the-eu

thanks

Sukie Duhaney t: +44 (0) 1284 333 812 m: +44 (0) 7538 823 648 e: sukie@carseurope.net w. www.carseurope.net

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[spongebob]

Thanks TonyEmm That’s cleared that up. Good result

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[TonyEmm]

I think you are pretty safe in a Motorhome.
Coming back through Newhaven last week there was an old VW camper or minibus not sure which, elderly couple in it, ladder and tree branches on the roof they were the only vehicle to be pulled by customs.

Might have been the poppies that attracted them!

 

[Kups]

Thanks TonyEmm That’s cleared that up. Good result

Agreed. Can you honestly see the border staff checking every bike on each motorhome for ownership details??!
And in Calais last Friday they didn't even check my fridge for half a pint of milk and some cheshire cheese, they're not interested in such minor issues

 

[TonyEmm]

Agreed. Can you honestly see the border staff checking every bike on each motorhome for ownership details??!
And in Calais last Friday they didn't even check my fridge for half a pint of milk and some cheshire cheese, they're not interested in such minor issues

Norty Boy! Though I thought he was busy in Wales just now….

 

[VXman]

True in your case but if the van in the article was a Camper I doubt it would have been stopped.I have been twice this year,it wasn't busy so ripe for stopping,,,but wasn't.BUSBY.

I think if I wanted to smuggle something I'd get a bog standard motor home and have the wife in the passenger seat with a map on her knee!!!

 

[nicholsong]

So what happens if I, as a resident in EU, take private items, such as TV and push-bikes, to UK for a week and back into France, to go back to Poland?

Are they exempt both ways because I have EU Residency?

Geoff

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[busby]

So what happens if I, as a resident in EU, take private items, such as TV and push-bikes, to UK for a week and back into France, to go back to Poland?

Are they exempt both ways because I have EU Residency?

Geoff

Think EU would be the people to ask,,BUSBY