Required
Paperwork:
In addition to
the usual documents like passports, visas, and vaccination
certificates, there are several other items that need to
be secured before setting out. Here is a short description
of what is needed:
Carnet de Passage: A Carnet is like a passport
for your vehicle. In brief, this document allows you to temporarily
import a vehicle duty-free into countries which normally
require a deposit to cover the importation charges.
Because
Carnets are not issued by AAA in the US, our Carnet is being
issued by Suzanne Danis (who has been very helpful) at the
Canadian
Automobile Association (CAA)
[www.caa.ca]. As of November 9, 2005, the fees
for issuing a carnet were:
$300
CAD cash deposit to cover such expenses as couriers. The
unused balance is returned once the Carnet is discharged.
$450
CAD processing fee.
For a Carnet to be issued you are also
required to provide a financial guarantee in the form of
either a bond or irrevocable letter of credit equal to
the maximum duties that could be levied by any of the countries
listed in the Carnet. Importation rates may vary from 0-250%,
depending on the country. The calculation is taken by multiplying
the vehicles value by the highest duty rate (of any country
listed in the Carnet):
Example: Vehicle Value: $40,000
Duty Rate for Highest Country (Syria): 250%
Bond Calculation:
$40,000 x 250% = $100,000
Each time the vehicle enters
a country, customs stamps the Carnet and a matching stamp
is entered when the vehicle exits. An entry and exit stamp
must be listed for all countries entered in order for the
bond to be released.
International Drivers License: We
have driven in countries all over the world and have never
been required to have an International Drivers License
(IDL). That said it is recommended for this trip and fortunately
they are easy to obtain. IDL’s are issued by AAA [www.csaa.com]
and the National
Automobile Club [www.nationalautoclub.com/]
for a fee of $10. You must have a valid drivers license
and submit your application with two passport photos. IDL's
are valid for one year and are not renewable. For those
traveling more than one year a new application must be
submitted.
Carte Gris: Also known as an International Certificate
for Motor Vehicles, a Carte Gris is an important, official
looking document that you will be asked to produce at police
checks, border crossings, etc. A Carte Gris basically provides
a summary of important information about your vehicle like
the VIN number. For a small fee this document can be obtained
through various vehicle associations.
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