ATA Carnet Alert: New Carnet Requirements to Enter Turkey

To all ATA Carnet users traveling to Turkey, please be advised that Turkish Customs has implemented a new national rule that requires ATA Carnet holders and/or their authorized representatives to provide an Excel file stored on a memory key to Turkish Customs at the time of entry. This file is then uploaded into Turkey’s national Customs system. The new requirement is coming directly form Turkish Customs, and the Turkish National Guarantee Association (TOBB) was not consulted before its implementation.

For ATA Carnet holders and their representatives, this requirement must be taken seriously, as the consequences for failing to present the key with the Excel file has already caused delays and unexpected penalties. As reported by the Secretariat, when the ATA Carnet holder does not have a USB memory stick containing the list at the time of entry, the responses by Turkish customs officers has been inconsistent. In some instance the officer simply enters the data manually, but there have been complaints that some holders had to wait hours or even pay fines.

The ATA Carnet community is working diligently to have this requirement reversed. In the meantime to avoid any potential customs delays, we recommend you prepare accordingly.  If you have any questions or concerns please contact your ATA Carnet Help Desk at 1.800.CARNETS (1.800.227.6387) or by email Carnets@RoanokeGroup.com.