The A.T.A. Carnet

Purpose of the A.T.A Carnet

The Carnet is designed to facilitate border-crossing formalities by allowing the following items to be temporarily exported or admitted tax and duty-free:

  • commercial samples
  • goods to be used for trade fairs, exhibitions and other commercial events
  • professional equipment

 

CAUTION :

  • All exported items must be returned in an identical condition, without any transformation or modification;
  • the period during which the goods must be returned is strictly defined as 1 year from the date the ATA Carnet was issued. If this one-year deadline is exceeded, tax, duty and a fine will be charged.

The ATA Carnet can be used in States that are signatories of the ATA Agreement, which number fifty.

All types of journey are eligible:

  • straightforward round trips, there and back
  • round trips with successive temporary admissions into several countries 

 

How to obtain an A.T.A. Carnet

Seven days' notice is required for the Carnet to be issued (application to the Geneva Chamber of Commerce and Industry, checks and then the issue of the Carnet by the Chamber of Commerce, payment, where necessary, of a bond amounting to 30% of the declared value…).

Please complete a shipping request in EDH, request an ATA Carnet in the "Comments” box and attach an Excel file itemising the merchandise.

Please note that the Chamber of Commerce insists on use of the numbering scheme shown below, so please adhere to this otherwise your application will be rejected.
Shipped items must be referenced using their serial number, marking, etc. (if this is impossible a detailed description of the product must be given and photographs attached for the merchandise to be identifiable by the customs). It is also necessary to state the weight, value in CHF and origin (“Made in…”).

 

Use of the A.T.A. Carnet

If you are travelling with the merchandise yourself:
At each border-crossing (inbound and outbound), the user must present the ATA Carnet and have the pages stamped by the customs office, during normal office opening hours. Upon your return to CERN, please submit the duly signed Carnet to the Logistics Office at 73/1-013. We will take care of sending it back to the Geneva CCI.
If the Logistics Office organises the transport through a carrier, this service will take care of these formalities.
In both cases, please create a shipping request in EDH (attaching the Excel file and adding the request for the ATA Carnet in the “Comments” box).