ATA Carnets: The Customs Document for Taking a UK Stand Abroad
Taking a stand to a show outside the UK means filling in a customs form for every piece of it, the frame, the counters, the screens, unless that stand travels under an ATA Carnet. The carnet itself is simple to describe: one document that lets equipment leave the UK temporarily and come back again without import duty being paid at each border. Getting one organised, and budgeting properly for what it actually costs, is where first-time international exhibitors tend to come unstuck.
The short version
- An ATA Carnet is a customs document for temporarily exporting non-saleable goods, including exhibition stands and display equipment.
- It’s issued by a UK Chamber of Commerce, not HMRC directly, through the national ecarnet system.
- As well as an issuing fee, most applicants need to put down a security deposit, either as a refundable cash sum or an annual bond.
- It covers 80+ countries and territories, including the EU, and is valid for up to a year.
What an ATA Carnet actually covers
A carnet covers equipment that leaves the UK and comes back, used for display or demonstration rather than sold or given away. That means the stand structure, screens, furniture and demo units are covered, but consumables aren’t: promotional merchandise, printed flyers, branded giveaways and anything else that’s handed out or left behind at the show still needs declaring and paying for in the ordinary way. If a stand includes both, a demo product range plus boxes of branded pens for visitors, only the demo range goes on the carnet.
What it costs: the fee and the deposit
There are two separate costs, and exhibitors often only budget for the first one.
The issuing fee is charged by whichever Chamber of Commerce processes the application. The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, one of the larger UK issuers, charges £270 including VAT for members and £444 for non-members, with a two-working-day express service available for £540 and £714 respectively. Other regional chambers price similarly, and most businesses apply through whichever chamber covers their area or trades through the national ecarnet platform directly.
| Service | Members | Non-members |
|---|---|---|
| Standard ATA Carnet | £270 | £444 |
| Express (2 working days) | £540 | £714 |
| Extra voucher (additional country sheet) | £84 | £168 |
The security deposit is the bigger number and the one that catches people out. Chambers typically ask for security equal to roughly 40% of the declared value of the goods on the carnet, there to cover the import duty that would otherwise be owed if the equipment never came back. There are two ways to provide it:
A cash deposit is paid up front and refunded once the carnet is returned fully stamped and closed off, usually within a few weeks of the trip ending. For an occasional exhibitor taking one stand to one show, this is normally the simpler route.
An annual bond, arranged through a surety company, replaces the cash deposit with a yearly premium, a much smaller figure than the deposit itself, but one that isn’t refunded. For a business exhibiting abroad several times a year, a bond is usually the cheaper option overall, since the premium is paid once rather than tying up a deposit on every trip.
How to apply, and when
Applications go through a UK Chamber of Commerce, either in person at the issuing office or through the ecarnet online platform. The application itself needs a detailed, itemised list of what’s travelling, descriptions, serial numbers where relevant, country of manufacture and an individual value for each item, along with the countries and dates of travel. Photographs of higher-value items are worth including, since they make the carnet easier to check against at the border.
Standard processing is usually a matter of days rather than weeks, but the guidance from issuing chambers is to apply 5 to 10 working days before travel to leave room for queries, and to use the express service only as a genuine fallback rather than the default plan. A carnet application left until the week of shipping adds avoidable risk to a schedule that’s usually already tight before a show.
Which countries it works for
The ATA Carnet system covers more than 80 countries and territories, including every EU member state, Switzerland, Norway, and major markets further afield such as the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, China and India. It’s worth checking the specific destination before committing to it in a brief, since the list, while broad, isn’t universal, and a small number of countries that UK exhibitors do visit sit outside the scheme.
A carnet is valid for up to a year and can be used for repeated crossings into different countries within that period, provided every country visited is listed on it, so a stand travelling to three European shows across a season can usually be covered by the same document rather than a fresh application each time.
What this means for a brief
Who holds the carnet, and who’s responsible for applying for it, is worth settling in the brief before a contractor is appointed rather than after. For a custom-built stand, the contractor is often best placed to apply, since they already hold the itemised equipment list the application needs. The carnet itself is issued to a UK-registered company, so if a contractor is applying on an exhibitor’s behalf, it’s worth being clear in writing whose name it goes under and who’s responsible if the security deposit isn’t released because of a stamping issue at the border.
How Stand Between can help
We introduce exhibitors to contractors who’ve taken stands abroad before and already have a process for the carnet application, rather than treating it as an afterthought once shipping dates are already tight. Tell us about your show and we’ll put you in touch with builders who’ve done this before.
Sources
Common questions
Do I need an ATA Carnet for every show outside the UK?
Only when you're taking equipment out and bringing it back rather than selling it. Since January 2021 this covers most EU shows as well as shows further afield. Check the destination is on the ATA Carnet list before you book shipping, since a handful of countries aren't covered.
Is the security deposit a real cost, or do I get it back?
A cash deposit is refunded once the carnet comes back fully stamped and is cancelled with the chamber, usually within a few weeks. An annual bond isn't refunded, it's a premium paid to a surety company, but it avoids tying up cash and works out cheaper if you're exhibiting abroad more than once or twice a year.
What happens if a carnet isn't stamped correctly at the border?
An unstamped or incorrectly stamped carnet can mean the security deposit isn't released, or in some cases import duty becomes payable after all. It's worth briefing whoever is travelling with the stand on what the stamps need to show at each crossing.
Can a stand builder apply for the carnet on an exhibitor's behalf?
Yes, and for a custom-built stand it often makes sense for the builder to apply, since they hold the itemised list of what's being shipped. The carnet itself is still issued to a UK-registered company, so check in the brief who that will be.
More guides
- How Much Does an Exhibition Stand Cost in the UK?
- Exhibitor Paperwork and CDM 2015: What a Space-Only Stand Must Submit, and When
- Exhibitor Public Liability Insurance: What It Costs and What Organisers Actually Require
- How to Choose an Exhibition Stand Builder
- Shell Scheme vs Space Only: Which Should You Book?