ATA Carnet Dubai: UAE Cost, Process and Documents
Updated 1 September 2026
An ATA Carnet is a temporary-admission customs document for exhibition goods, commercial samples and professional equipment that will return unchanged. Dubai Chambers issues it to members and non-members, with published processing fees plus a refundable security deposit based on the goods and destinations.
What an ATA Carnet is
An ATA Carnet is an international customs document that replaces the duties and deposits normally charged when goods enter a country temporarily. ATA stands for the French/English "Admission Temporaire / Temporary Admission". It is recognised by customs in over 80 countries under a system run by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
The deal is simple: the goods must leave and return in the same condition. You are not selling them abroad — you are showing them, using them, then bringing them home. Because customs knows they will come back, the Carnet lets them skip the duty and the cash deposit at each crossing.
When you need one (and when you don't)
You need a Carnet when goods travel abroad temporarily and return unchanged. You do not need one when the goods are sold, gifted or used up. Carnets cover three broad categories: exhibition and trade-fair goods, commercial samples, and professional equipment.
| Situation | Carnet? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Exhibition stand, display goods, demo units | Yes — Carnet | Goods return unsold after the show |
| Professional equipment (cameras, tools, test kit) | Yes — Carnet | You bring your own gear and take it home |
| Commercial samples shown to buyers | Yes — Carnet | Samples come back, not sold abroad |
| Goods you are selling / gifting abroad | No — normal export | Ownership changes; duty applies |
| Consumables handed out (brochures, giveaways) | No — normal export | They will not return |
| One-off trip, low value, single country | Maybe — temporary import | A local temporary import bond can be cheaper |
How it works in the UAE
You apply to the Dubai Chamber, list every item, put up a security, and receive a booklet of vouchers that customs stamps at each border. On the way out of the UAE, customs stamps the export voucher. At the destination, their customs stamps the import voucher — no duty, no deposit. Coming home, the process reverses. When the fully stamped Carnet is returned and discharged, your security is refunded.
This is ideal for UAE businesses heading to overseas shows, and for foreign companies exhibiting at UAE events like GITEX, Gulfood or Big 5. If you are shipping to a stand rather than carrying goods yourself, see our exhibition shipping service — we handle the Carnet, on-stand delivery and the return.
Cost, validity and who issues it
An ATA Carnet is issued through Dubai Chambers, is generally valid for one year, and can cover approved trips and destinations within that period. The official fee structure currently lists:
- Standard, one country: AED 900 for a member or AED 1,800 for a non-member.
- Express, one country: AED 1,400 for a member or AED 2,300 for a non-member.
- Additional countries: AED 50 each for a member or AED 100 each for a non-member.
- Security deposit: calculated from the goods value and customs duties in the visiting countries, then refunded after proper discharge.
Dubai Chambers lists one working day for express processing and two working days for normal processing, starting after receipt of the administrative fees and guarantee. Check the official service page before applying because fees and requirements may change.
Keep every counterfoil stamped. A missing customs stamp is the usual reason a security is not refunded. If a voucher is unstamped, customs can treat the goods as permanently imported and claim the duty against your deposit.
Carnet vs temporary import
A Carnet is the better choice when you cross several borders or reuse the goods often; a one-off local temporary import bond can be cheaper for a single trip to a single country. The Carnet's strength is that it works across many countries with one document and one security — you do not negotiate a fresh deposit at each customs post. For a single low-value trip, a destination's own temporary import procedure may cost less, so weigh the issuing fee against the convenience.
How to apply, step by step
- List your goods. Prepare a detailed general list — description, quantity, value, weight and country of origin for every item.
- Apply to the Dubai Chamber. Submit the list, pay the issuing fee and lodge the security.
- Collect the Carnet. You receive the booklet of coloured vouchers (export, import, re-import, re-export).
- Get stamped at every border. UAE customs on exit, destination customs on entry, and the reverse on return.
- Discharge and reclaim. Return the completed Carnet to the Chamber to release your security.
Before you travel, make sure the rest of your paperwork lines up — our export documentation checklist covers what else customs will expect.
Exhibiting abroad or at a UAE show?
We arrange the ATA Carnet, ship your stand goods, deliver on-stand and bring everything back — so your team just shows up. One account, one invoice.