News: Carnet de Passages for North America

The CAA has recently announced the Corporation for International Business (Boomerang Carnets℠) in Barrington Illinois as the new issuing authority for FIA Carnet de passages in North America. Those of you familiar with the document will know this is a big deal for North American overlanders, but in case you aren’t aware of just what a CDP is for, here’s a basic look.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERACarnet front cover

In many ways it acts like a passport for your car. A foreign goverment is assured that a vehicle bearing this document will be removed from their country within the owners allotted time for tourism. If the vehicle has not been removed before the deadline, the country may make a claim with the issuing agency (Boomerang Carnets) for all duties and taxes required for permanent importation. “Using the Carnet is an alternative to leaving a cash security deposit with a foreign government. It allows free movement and unencumbered access between many foreign countries. Most countries, but not all, allow this option. A Carnet is valid for one year from the date of issue.” – CAA Club
If you’re interested in the FIA Carnet, the CAA provides the following contact information.

Boomerang Carnets℠ C/O
Corporation for International Business (CIB)
325 North Hough Street, 2nd Floor
Barrington, IL 60010 USA

Carnet HelpLine℠ 1-800-282-2900℠
Mobile Carnet HelpLine℠ 1-847-638-8325
Fax: 1-847-381-3857

More information may also be found online on Boomerang’s website.

 

Current holders of existing CAA issued Carnets must, on their expiry, return them for discharge to:

CAA National Office
500-1545 Carling Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario, K1Z 8P9, Canada

Should a replacement Carnet be required, it must be requested from Boomerang Carnets℠.

 

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Chris didn’t receive a real taste of the outdoors until moving to Prescott, Arizona, in 2009. While working on his business degree, he learned to fly and spent his weekends exploring the Arizona desert and high country. It was there that he fell in love with backcountry travel and four-wheel drive vehicles, eventually leading him to Overland Journal and Expedition Portal. After several years of honing his skills in writing, photography, and off-road driving, Chris now works for the company full time as Expedition Portal's Senior Editor while living full-time on the road.