Carnet de Passage

First let me explain a little bit what the carnet de passage is. It’s simply said a passport for your motorcycle, when you enter African and Asian countries you have some option but you always need to import your vehicle, either you can do that with the Carnet de Passage or you can do this local, the costs are around 10 euro’s in most countries to import the vehicle, sometimes you need to go to the capital city to extend it. So for us it was just easier to travel with the Carnet de Passage. You cross a border and let the paper stamped and signed, done deal, no money to pay!   When you leave the country they will stamp and sign it again.

In which countries you can use your Carnet de Passage?

I will try to keep this up-to-date as much as possible for the countries we are passing.

AFRICA

Morocco – No Carnet de Passage, free importation of your motorcycle. You fill in a paper at the border when you enter and you need to show that again when you leave the country.

Mauritania – No Carnet de passage, importation of the motorcycle costs 10 euro’s. They write the motorcycle details in your passport and write it out again when you leave the country.

Senegal – We used our Carnet de Passage. We choose to take a small border called Diama, they don’t stamp your Carnet de Passage here. You get a Pass Avant what costs 2500 cfa (4 euro) this is valid for 48 hours but when you enter on a Friday you get 96 hours because they don’t work in the weekends (we did this). You need to enter Dakar in the 48 hours what is about 300 km from the border to let your Carnet de Passage stamped at the custom office in the harbor GPS coordinates 14.672178, -17.425022.

The Gambia – Use Carnet the Passage. They sign and stamp it at the border and sign and stamp it out.

Guinea Bissau – We used our Carnet the Passage. They need a little help how to fill in the Carnet the Passage but they sign and stamp it when you enter. We entered from Ziguinchor. We left Guinea Bissau from a really small border (Contabane) where they signed and stamped Carnet de Passage out of the country.

Guinea Conakry – We used our Carnet the Passage. As we crossed into Guinea on a really small border they didn’t stamp or sign our Carnet the Passage (neither our passports). They told us they would do in Dabbis, but that’s wrong. You need to go to Boke (GPS coordinates 10.948341 ,-14.280779) The first officer tried to get 100.000 GNF (10 euro) each from us, we refused friendly then he told us he was going to get the chief and ask him. The chief came and signed our Carnet the Passage with a smile and no money asked. When leaving the country (Kouremale border) they stamped and signed our Carnet the Passage, asked what I have for them, first I just smiled, then he said he was hungry, I told him so am I, he asked again what do you have for me, I said a handshake. I shake his hand he smiled and give me our Carnet de Passage back.

Mali –We used our Carnet de Passage. They signed and stamped really easy nothing asked. When leaving Mali the same easy process.

Burkina Faso – We used our Carnet de Passage. They signed and stamped it without a lot of questions. Nothing asked for. When leaving the country I needed to explain the guy about 3 times what the document was and what he needed to do. Eventually he stamped the document and I was satisfied.

Togo – We used our Carnet de Passage. I needed to explain what to do, but then it got stamped and signed easily. When leaving the country the same I needed to explain it but done easily.

Benin – We used our Carnet de Passage. They immediately recognized the Carnet de Passage and knew what to do. Only thing we needed was a copy of our passport I tried to do it without but he insisted of me getting the copies. When leaving the country through a small border I needed to explain what the paper was, but the guy was very friendly and signed with a big smile.

Nigeria – We used our Carnet de Passage. We crossed into Nigeria through a small border and I needed to explain what the document was for but then it got stamped and signed easily. When leaving the country they know what they needed to do.

Cameroon – We used our Carnet the Passage. They have a special office for the importation of your vehicle and they know what the Carnet the Passage is and stamp and sign it easily. When leaving the country they know what they needed to do.

Gabon – We used our Carnet the Passage. They have a special office for the importation of your vehicle and they know what the Carnet the Passage is and stamp and sign it easily. When leaving the country they know what they needed to do.

Congo (Brazzaville) – We used our Carnet the Passage. They have a special office for the importation of your vehicle and they know what the Carnet the Passage is and stamp and sign it easily. When leaving the country they know what they needed to do.

Congo (Kinshasa) DRC – We used our Carnet the Passage. They have a special office for the importation of your vehicle and they know what the Carnet the Passage is and stamp and sign it easily. When leaving the country they know what they needed to do. 

Angola – They don’t accept the Carnet the Passage, see our border crossing and bribery Western Africa writing what to do with the importation and exportation of the vehicle.

Namibia – We used our Carnet de Passage. They signed and stamped really easy nothing asked. When leaving Namibia the same easy process.

South Africa – We used our Carnet de Passage. They signed and stamped really easy nothing asked. When leaving South Africa to Lesotho we did not stamp out the Carnet de Passage as you come back 100% sure. When leaving to Swaziland we stamped out at Oshoek border, we had a lot of trouble with that as they say we are not a Carnet de Passage border we do not stamp them after a lot of talking they did stamp our Carnet de Passage but they where not happy about doing it.

Lesotho – We didn’t use our Carnet de Passage and no TIP (Temporary Importation Permit) either.

Swaziland – We didn’t use our Carnet de Passage and no TIP (Temporary Importation Permit) either.

Mozambique – We used our Carnet de Passage. They signed and stamped really easy nothing asked. When leaving Mozambique the same easy process.

Botswana – They don’t accept the Carnet the Passage, see our border and bribery Southern Africa writing what to do with the importation and exportation of the vehicle.

Zimbabwe – They don’t accept the Carnet the Passage, see our border and bribery Southern Africa writing what to do with the importation and exportation of the vehicle.

Zambia – We used our Carnet de Passage. They signed and stamped really easy nothing asked. When leaving Zambia the same easy process.

Malawi – We used our Carnet de Passage. They signed and stamped really easy nothing asked. When leaving Malawi the same easy process.

Tanzania – We used our Carnet de Passage. They signed and stamped really easy nothing asked. When leaving Tanzania the same easy process.

Rwanda – We used our Carnet de Passage. They signed and stamped really easy nothing asked. When leaving Rwanda the same easy process.

Uganda – We used our Carnet de Passage. They signed and stamped really easy nothing asked. When leaving Uganda the same easy process.

Kenya – We used our Carnet de Passage. They signed and stamped really easy nothing asked. When leaving Kenya the same easy process.

Ethiopia – We used our Carnet de Passage. They signed and stamped after they know the road you will take in Ethiopia, also they will give you a paper with all your valuables on it otherwise they will not stamp your Carnet de Passage. When leaving Ethiopia they stamp after checking the other papers.

Sudan – We used our Carnet de Passage. They signed and stamped really easy nothing asked. When leaving Sudan we did it at the airport as well fly out of Sudan. You can check the article about how you can leave Sudan to Europe with motorcycle.

If you are already making a plan to travel Africa by motorcycle or car you can check all border crossing, bribes and visa details.

We made a short video for our Africa journey, roads, life… We hope that you like to watch :

FS