Demystifying the Carnet de Passage for Baffled American Overlanders

There are certain elements of travel that are so unfamiliar and mystifying we don’t know where to start.

We’re left with two choices: figure it out or don’t go at all.

For American overlanders, the carnet de passage is often unheard of. Most of us won’t ever need to know what it is. We can drive all the way to the bottom of South America without one.

But maybe you’ve looked into overland travel in Africa or Asia, and you’ve realized there’s a special document required to make your dream adventure a reality. We know how it feels to be uncertain and overwhelmed about how to obtain a carnet. In this article, we’ll demystify the carnet de passage by explaining what it is, how you get one, and the fees involved.

We will transparently share real numbers, so you have a real-world idea of the cost.

Please know that I’m far from an expert on this topic. We have only been issued one carnet for one region of the world, so far. But I wish this information had been available to me when we were getting ready to ship our Jeep to Africa. I had to collect it from various friends and contacts, or simply learn from experience. I hope it will be helpful to you as a baseline. Of course, you will need to verify all of this information for yourself, since policies change over time.

What is a carnet de passage?

A carnet de passage is the permission document that makes your vehicle legal in a foreign country. Carnets are not required in as many countries as they used to be. Now temporary import permits (TIPs) are available at many borders when you arrive.

But some countries still require a carnet if you want to enter with your own vehicle as an international overlander.

The carnet is valid for one year from issuance (not from the date you import your vehicle or begin traveling), but there are procedures to extend or renew.

How to get a carnet

Federation Internationale de L’Automobile appoints service providers in different countries as authorized issuers. Many overlanders go to the issuer in their country of origin. But this is not a requirement. Sometimes the price or terms may be more favorable from an issuer in another country, so it may be worthwhile to obtain several quotes.

In the United States, the issuing company is called Boomerang Carnets. Boomerang has a straight-forward process for obtaining a carnet and it can be done quite quickly. As of late 2025, the processing time was 1-2 weeks.

Here are the steps:

1. Complete the application form, which is an Excel spreadsheet that contains standard owner information, the countries to be visited, vehicle description, and a declaration you agree to.
2. With your application, email photos of the vehicle, your ID, and vehicle registration.
3. Sign an agreement.
4. Once your two payment options are received (see below), pay by wire or credit card (credit card processing fee applies).
5. Boomerang can mail the carnet anywhere it needs to go; ours went to our agent in Cape Town where the Jeep was arriving at port.

How much does a carnet cost?

Up until now, you’ve probably been wondering what the big deal is. So you need a special document for your vehicle–what’s the catch?

For many, the catch is the cost.

You see, when you get a carnet, you have to place money in bond. This is your promise that you will not sell your vehicle in the foreign country.

Historically, the bond requirement was equivalent to 100 percent the value of your vehicle–or more.

And for many, especially American overlanders, that’s the end of the road. If your vehicle’s value is $100,000, you have to be pretty wealthy to have another $100K lying around to place in bond while you travel. For most, this is laughably unattainable. No Africa for you.

But there’s more to the story.

First, the bond price is based on the value of the vehicle itself–the one with a VIN number–not the value of your vehicle + camper + mods, etc. And it is based on today’s price, not your purchase price. Those considerations really impact your cost, so keep that in mind.

Second, and the most important thing to know, is your carnet issuer may not require 100% in bond. Boomerang is one of those issuers.

Boomerang does it one of two ways:

1. High cash guarantee (refundable) + low fees (non-refundable)
2. Higher fees (non-refundable) + lower cash guarantee (refundable)

Certain countries are considered higher risk and visiting them under a carnet may increase your cost.

Real numbers: our carnet cost to overland Africa

I based the declared value of our 2021 Jeep Gladiator on Kelley Blue Book data, and Boomerang said they would verify with JD Power. Given a value of $28,000, we had two options:

The “Cash Guarantee Option” was not an option for us. We’re a lower-middle-class family and don’t have that kind of capital available for this purpose. So the “Loss Prevention” option is the one we chose.

We’re thankful the second option was available, since it has allowed us to overland Africa in 2026.

FAQ

I’ve shared the essential information about the carnet de passage, specifically for Americans going through Boomerang Carnets. But you may still have questions, so I’ll try to answer some of those here.

Is it smarter to have an older, cheaper vehicle if I need a carnet?

It definitely can be. Since your carnet cost is directly tied to the value of your vehicle, then using a low-value vehicle drastically reduces your carnet investment.

Not only that, but comprehensive vehicle insurance is not financially accessible to anyone but the extremely wealthy. We have not had more than liability insurance for five years, through all of Latin America and now Africa.

So it starts to make a lot more sense why overlanders use older, less expensive vehicles for these major international adventures. Of course, this is not the only consideration when choosing a vehicle, but it’s an important one.

Do you really need a carnet to overland Africa?

The short answer is no, but there are exceptions and they change constantly–not only over time, but also traveler to traveler.

We considered overlanding Africa without a carnet. It has been done, most famously by Dan Grec from The Road Chose Me. It is currently possible to drive from Europe through Morocco and down the west coast of Africa without a carnet. It is also possible to overland large parts of southern and eastern Africa without one, using only TIPs.

South Africa is where it gets tricky. Some overlanders cannot enter by land without a carnet anymore. If you ship in, you absolutely must have one. That is why we have one. We researched shipping into other countries, but decided on Cape Town as a larger port more common among international overlanders.

Kenya is another country that can be difficult/impossible to get into without a carnet.

One last note. Just because you can travel without a carnet, doesn’t mean you should. Carnets tend to really simplify the border process and for many that is reason enough to use one.

What other regions requires overlanders to have a carnet?

Besides parts of Africa, the carnet de passage is necessary in parts of the Middle East and Asia. Carnets are not used in the Americas or Europe.

When and how is the cash guarantee returned?

We haven’t experienced yet, though I can come back and update in 2027 once we leave Africa. I know the carnet has to be stamped out of every country it was stamped into.* A Certificate of Location is also required, completed, stamped, and signed by the final country where you use the carnet.

Once you’re finished with it, you need to return your carnet to Boomerang before they will process the return of your deposit.

*There is a federation of countries in southern Africa called SACU, which includes South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini, and Lesotho. If you’re traveling within these countries, you won’t get a stamp at each border. For example, after getting our South Africa entry stamp, we didn’t use the carnet through Namibia or Botswana. It wasn’t until we left Botswana that we got stamped out, and then we were stamped into Zambia.

If I’m getting a carnet for multiple years, how do I decide which countries to declare?

Boomerang recommends declaring the countries you plan to visit one year at a time. This is because the countries you declare can increase your cost. So no reason to do that if you don’t need to.

How can I renew or extend my carnet?

Boomerang offers a three-month extension on the same carnet. They will also renew for one year if the foreign country you’re in will allow it. If you alter your country list, then your security deposit may go up.

Beyond that second year, my understanding is you have to return your old carnet and receive a new one. You have to be careful how you stamp in and out of countries during the transition from one carnet to another, but overlanders do it all the time.

What if my vehicle is destroyed or damaged beyond repair?

There is a process for this that requires paperworks and headaches. Theoretically, if you can complete all the paperwork, you should be able to get your cash guarantee returned. I hope this never happens to you (or me).

Any other questions?

I hope this guide to the carnet de passage has addressed your questions and concerns, and empowered you to get out there and travel more widely.

I’d love to hear about your experience, any corrections to my article, or additional questions in a comment. I may not have the answer, but maybe we can figure it out together. There are some incredible veteran overlanders out there who are generous to help.

-B