Forum menu
In this case, Spanish officials seem to have assumed a container-load of bikes was an import.
It is an import. It's just that it is very soon to be re-exported back to the same country, without any sales, or purchases, or added value occurring... so shouldn't attract duty. Paperwork declares all that.
We have been checked by Spanish customs a few times but never mentioned anything about the bikes.
Someone has to ask... do you take a ladder everywhere?
daveylad : Haha Spain also still trying to keep the covid scam alive with their entry requirements.
Nah I’ll pass on visiting thanks.
Intelligence mode disabled brexitboy?
I was talking to ex-rowing mates earlier about this and this seems to be a norm for boat trailers full of boats heading to Europe. There is an insurance policy you can get or you pay a refundable large sum as long as the same stuff comes back. Rowers have in the past taken an old boats and collected a new one whilst overseas from the factory and do a swap
I thought leisure boats and planes were exempt? Or do rowing boats not fit into that category?
You need carnets and import duty etc for anything that is being imported. That means anything that you are bringing in and is staying there.
No, a carnet is a bit of paperwork where you declare everything, it's value, serial number and place of manufacture, and then its stamped on the way in and out of the country. If there's a mismatch at either end (usually when leaving the 'foreign' country and returning to the UK) you can end up liable for the duty on any missing equipment left behind in that country, or if there's extra you didn't declare then you can get stung on re-entry to the UK.
It's specifically for NOT importing goods.
It's being overcomplicated whilst being oversimplified.
A few guys with a van full of bike looks dodgy and there should be paperwork to prove they are kosher.
A person/family with an amount of bikes should be ok as it's obviously their bikes.
It's customs doing their due diligence (job).
Same as .gov telling you you may need to prove you have enough cash to see you through so you are not going to work illegally.
Looked into this extensively when transporting motorbikes to Spain. Carnets are odd things as they don't apply to road vehicles. Basically, so long as you're travelling with the item, it's classed as your belongings and you won't need a carnet. Send them separately in a van and expect import duty, VAT and a fine for not declaring it proprly to start with. Oh and make sure they're physically clean. We're no longer classed as "clean".
@stainypants I'd be far more worried about being asked to put that velle on a weighbridge (which european plod have a nice habit of doing). GVW-ULW=sweet f-all with those things. Mine can't even carry 7 rugby-players, never mind their luggage.
benpinnick
The above story is basically a non-story as its _exactly_ what you’d expect the customs people in Spain to do given the circumstances. If loading a whole load of expensive bikes into a van and driving them into the EU with the excuse ‘We’re planning to ride them’ with no paperwork was going to get you sailing through the border unfettered, then that would make a mockery of having a customs border at all.
The story would have been of the UK customs did what they are supposed to do and they got charged import duty twice!
Carnets are odd things as they don’t apply to road vehicles. Basically, so long as you’re travelling with the item, it’s classed as your belongings and you won’t need a carnet.
Not always so. I had to have a carnet for a motorcycle i rode on a long tour going outside the eu