For creators on the move
Do I need a carnet?
Your camera bag is regular luggage right up until you charge for content. After that, customs calls it commercial goods. Tell us where you are based and which country you're going to, and we'll check every stop.
Where to get one
Carnet issuer partners in the United Kingdom:
We don't have an issuer partner in yet. Each country has its own issuing body, usually a chamber of commerce, and the ICC carnet directory lists them all.
This is a guide, not customs advice. What you need depends on what you carry and why, so confirm with your issuer or the customs authority before you travel.
The bit nobody tells you
Customs doesn't care about your follower count
It cares what the equipment is being used for. A camera on holiday is a personal belonging. The same camera on a work trip is professional equipment, and professional equipment crossing a border is a temporary import, even if it is just for a week.
Some creators cross that line without even realising. The equipment gets better, the trips start paying, and packing the bag feels exactly the same. The paperwork doesn't.
It counts as work if
- You are a freelancer and there's a paying client
- Your channel is monetised, even a little
- A brand is paying for any part of the trip
- You'll sell or license what you shoot
A passport for your gear
An ATA Carnet lists the equipment you're carrying and lets you take it into a country temporarily without paying import duty or tax and then take it home again. A carnet usually lasts up to a year, can be used for multiple trips and can cover several countries.
What happens without one
Customs can ask for duty and import tax on the value of your equipment or a deposit until it leaves the country and can also impound your gear until this is resolved. When you get home, you can be asked to show the equipment wasn't bought abroad.
When you can skip it
A personal trip or holiday. Travel inside a single customs territory, such as between EU countries. Countries outside the ATA Carnet system, where customs runs its own temporary admission process instead.
Got your carnet?
You have to find the customs desk to process it, and they are sometimes extremely hard to find! Customs Finder has directions to 1029 customs desks in 95 countries.
Offline, instant, no account, and completely free.