ATA Carnets and track days – how does it affect organised trips to Europe?
Here’s how an ATA Carnet will affect you if you’re travelling to Europe with an organised track day provider like Focused Events
THE news that all non-road registered bikes travelling to Europe from now on will require an ATA Carnet was rightly big news among certain sections of the motorcycle community.
Indeed, for those individuals travelling to the EU for themselves, there is an added layer of complexity and cost. Although the situation is much less complex or expensive for those travelling with a professional track day or events company.
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To find out the inside line on the situation, we sat down with Kevin Healy, of Focused Events, to see how the situation would affect us, as a punter travelling to a track day with his firm.
“Just to clarify the situation for customers that want to enjoy a Euro track day with us… Yes, from the 1st of January if you are using your motorcycle on a European track day event, it will have to travel through a port, either in Spain, France, or Holland.
“To ensure that the bike or kit is not sold into the EU, it has to be tracked and have a financial guarantee attached to this to ensure you return it to the UK. You can either deposit 40% of the value against your goods or take out insurance for the 40% value.
“With Focused Events, as an organiser of these activities, we will have all our customers on our ATA Carnets. And the procedure and costs are very simple and inexpensive.
“it’ll cost around £6.70 per person to be on our Carnet with a further £31.00 for the insurance premium against the value of your goods we are carrying for you. Focused Events will organise all this for you, the only input required from the customer is a list of his or her goods, with a little more detail and value included.
“So, in total, if you were traveling with Focused to a track day abroad, the extra cost to you the punter is only actually going to be around £37 per person.”
Is an ATA Carnet a fixed price?
Kevin also divulged that for those still wanting to purchase an ATA carnet themselves and travel under their own steam, there might be a cheaper way to obtain the paperwork.
“It is worth calling around as there actually 47 Chambers of Commerce across the UK, and Carnets costs can differ.
“For those travelling with a reputable track day provider, they should have all this done for you, and it’s a simple fairly cost-effective process.”
To read our full article outlining the Carnet process for private individuals, click here.
To check out Focused Events’ UK and EU track days and find out how to book, click here.
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
