ATA Carnet Travel with Gear - Question

[August Bradley]

Hoping someone may have an insight here as none of the consulates or border control offices seem to have a clear answer.

I'm shooting a film in Uganda for three weeks. Traveling with 5 cases of camera gear. Uganda is not on the list of ATA Carnet countries, so seems I do not need the ATA Carnet.

However, I'm flying to Uganda through London (Heathrow) with a 24 hour layover, and the UK is on the ATA Carnet list.

Do I need a Carnet if only traveling through the UK with a flight transfer/layover?

Hoping I can check my luggage all the way through to Uganda to avoid the issue altogether, but even that seems uncertain.

Any advice? Thanks!

 

[Adrian Weinbrecht]

Hi August

It's a very good question, have you spoken with your carnet agent about this?

At the very least have a couple of printed out equipment lists with all the serial numbers etc of your kit.

I think as long as you can prove what you're doing you should be ok, eg going to film in Uganda.

Im based in London so I'm not sure what it's like arriving here!

We used to always do Carnets for lots of different countries, these days we don't always worry about it. Canada was actually the strictest for us. If it's not too expensive there's never any harm, but I know of many times when it was a waste of time and money for us.

 

[Chris McKechnie]

You may want to get one to avoid being taxed upon arrival back into the USA. That is predominately what a carnet is for. To provide proof of your gear's country of residence. I've done lots of international travel, and always have a carnet even if the country I'm going to isn't on the carnet list. It's an added safety layer for you.

 

[Erich Roland]

carnet

carnet

Chris is right, you should get a Carnet for exit and entry back into US, otherwise without that document the US border can cause much grief. If not Carnet then at the very least type up a document with gear list and serials and get the customs office to stamp it on the way out of US so they have something on return to US to suggest your not buying gear overseas and bringing in without paying duty/taxes.

Oddly I was in your exact same situation just last week with a 24 hour layover at Heathrow before traveling to the shoot in a non-carnet country. We chose to take the gear out in London for the layover and go through customs but I think it was a mistake and should have just checked gear through to destination and not had the additional hassel of customs/carnet in and out of UK (when we didn't need the gear in UK) but also we were charged both times for extra baggage.

 

[Gavin Greenwalt]

I would say assume you're staying in every country as your destination. I flew to Singapore and had no intent at staying in Japan for more than the 1 hour layover but a delayed flight put me on a bus across Tokyo which means you have to go through Customs both in and out. It worked out OK but you never know if the customs guy is going to be having a bad day.

 

[August Bradley]

Thanks everyone, very helpful.

 

[Peter Strietmann]

I use this certificate of registration provided by us customs. Fill it out with all your gear listed, take it to a customs office and they will sign off on it then laminate it. I believe they are now good for a year. They use to be good indefinitely.

See, http://forms.cbp.gov/pdf/CBP_Form_4457.pdf

 

[Ted Parkes]

Eliminate the risk of hassles and go with the Carnet with some extra pages.. depending on how often you travel. . I suggest you put all your gear on it. You can omit the lines of equipment that you don't have with you on any given trip and it is also good for a year.