Knowledge base

ATA carnet for trade fairs, when you need it and how it works

What an ATA carnet is, when you need it for fairs abroad and how OTSL helps obtain it.

An ATA carnet allows temporary admission of goods without duty or VAT for the duration of the event, provided they return unchanged. It is useful for fairs outside the EU (e.g. in the UK after Brexit) when you do not want to pay import charges for goods that will return anyway.

ATA carnet is an international customs document for temporary import/export of goods without duty or VAT for a set period.

OTSL helps obtain the carnet and settles it on return. See ATA carnets and exhibition logistics.

Related service: Exhibitions

Frequently asked questions

What happens when goods under an ATA carnet do not return from the fair?

Import charges, meaning duty and VAT, become payable for goods that do not return, in the country where they stayed. The carnet covers only goods coming back unchanged. If part of the exhibits is sold on site, they are settled separately and the carnet is closed for the remaining goods.

Do you need an ATA carnet for a fair in another EU country?

No. Within the EU goods move without customs clearance, so no carnet is needed. The ATA carnet is used when leaving the EU customs territory, for example for a fair in the United Kingdom after Brexit. There it avoids duty and VAT on goods that will come back home.

Who settles the ATA carnet after the goods return?

The carnet has to be discharged after the trip: the confirmations from the border crossings must match and the goods must come back unchanged. OTSL helps obtain the carnet before departure and settles it on return, as part of the exhibition logistics service. The exhibitor does not have to track deadlines and border stamps alone.

Transport to trade fairs in Germany: deadlines, slots and stand logistics

Germany is the largest trade fair market in Europe. We show how unloading slots and hall…

Trade fair transport in Poland: Kielce, Poznań, Warsaw

We handle exhibition logistics in Poland: Targi Kielce, Poznań International Fair, Ptak Warsaw…

Trade fair transport to Austria: Vienna, Graz, Salzburg

We move stand builds and exhibits to Messe Wien, Messe Graz and Messe Salzburg. Booking-in for…

Need transport or customs clearance?

Tell us what you need, a forwarder replies, not an autoresponder. Operations available 24/7.

Ask about transport / customs