This is a passport for your vehicle basically, without it you cannot travel through Africa. It allows you to temporarily import your vehicle into a country without paying customs duty. The Carnet is issued by the RAC in the UK whom then become responsible for the customs duty and tax, but of course they require some security, which is either.

 

Bank guarantee to the value.

 

An insurance policy to the value.

 

 A cash deposit to the value.

 

This is a very expensive document, you might think the value is the cost of the vehicle but hold on it’s not that simple. Different countries have different import duty values. One of the most exorbitant import duties is Egypt. They want cover to 800% of the vehicle value. Ouch!!!!!   Just think if your Lanny was worth £15000.00. That’s £120,000.00 cover. (Spare a penny guv.)   If ever anything was going to stop you selling your vehicle the duty will. And if you take out the RAC insurance policy they will pay out the duty if they have to but then they want to claim it all back from you so what is the point of the policy? Seems heads they win and tails you loose. But in truth if all goes well and you return the Carnet fully stamped you do get back about 30% of the total policy fee.

 

The paperwork can be downloaded from the RAC at www.rac.co.uk

 The Carnet is valid for one year; every country that is being visited has to be listed.  To date the RAC has been very helpful and it is always worth a phone call with a problem.

 

                      *            *            *            *            *            *            *

 

 

 

 

 REQUIRED FOR

  

Austria                          Obtainable at the border                   

Turkey                           Obtainable at the border

Syria                              Yes                                                      Jordan                          Obtainable at the border

Egypt                             Yes                                                      Sudan                           Yes

Kenya                            Yes                                                      Uganda                         Yes

Rwanda                        Yes                                                      Tanzania                       Yes

Zambia                          Yes

South Africa                  Not required 

 

 

All the visa’s that are required will only be valid for three month’s from date of issue, which is not good for us. We have written to the various embassies asking if it is possible to obtain a visa in the neighbouring country whilst en route. But as of yet no replies. If anybody has any information that may be of help please feel free to contact us.

26-8-08

No reply from the Embassys, looking at going to London to door knock them to find the answers.  

29-10-08

done the London trip, two days of walking mostly around the outside of  Hyde Park. Visited all the Embassys, two sore feet and a sore head. not sure we are much further forward but we need to have a visa for Syria prior to leaving. All the others apart from Sudan can be obtained on the boarder. For Sudan we need to obtain this in Eygpt.

 

 

 

Passports.

Driving Licences, (UK).

Driving Licences, (International).

Birth Certificates.

Marriage Certificates.

Vehicle V5.

MOT.

Vehicle Insurance.

Carnet de Passage.

 

We intend to scan all documents into out computer and copy onto a pen drive for emergencies. It is also intended to take several photocopies of each with electronic and paper copies left in the UK. 

 

 

Please note as things develop this will change.