The Carnet de Passages en Douane is an internationally recognised customs document that, if accepted in a country, entitles the holder to temporarily import a vehicle without the need to pay the appropriate customs duties and taxes. A Carnet is required for most transcontinental journeys and you must obtain one in advance of the journey. In short, it�s a passport for the vehicle.

Certain motoring organisations issue this document making them directly responsible for the payment of customs duties and taxes if the Carnet is not returned correctly, i.e. if the owner violates another country's customs regulations by selling the vehicle illegally.

The RAC issues Carnets in the UK, however we organised ours through the German Automobile Association ADAC, as it was far cheaper. In the UK it would have cost us in the region of �25,000 holding deposit as opposed to �5000 we have to secure in Germany.

There are three options for obtaining the Carnet: Insurance indemnity arranged through the motoring organisations nominated insurance company. For our vehicle this was in the region of �2500 in the UK but a percentage of the premium is refunded once the Carnet is discharged. A Bond paid to the motoring organisation and refunded once the Carnet is discharged. A Guarantee calculated as the highest potential duty payable. Each country has their own duties, ranging from 100% to 500% of the value of the vehicle being brought into the country. The guarantor (bank, building society, etc) agrees to pay any duties up to the limit of the guarantee. A fee is charged for arranging the guarantee.

The Carnet is valid for one year from date of issue and the fee for just a Carnet booklet can vary from �60 to �90 in the UK depending on how many pages you require, this is not including up to another �350 you have to pay in administration charges (including a refundable deposit). Compare this to a standard �220 for all paperwork when using ADAC! You require 1 page per country you visit with the vehicle. We need a 25-page book, as we will be visiting 18 countries that require a Carnet de Passages to enter. We will also have to arrange for another Carnet after a year before the original Carnet expires.