Transport under a TIR Carnet
One seal and one guarantee across borders
Carriage under a TIR Carnet lets cargo cross several borders under one customs seal and one international guarantee. There is no need to open secured transit or find a guarantor in each country, which saves money and hours at crossings. We check whether TIR applies on the route, select an authorised carrier and manage the operation until the Carnet is closed.
Since 2022 the status of TIR Carnets on lanes involving Russia depends on sanctions and the position of national associations, and a through movement by one truck from the EU is practically impossible today. So we use TIR where it actually works — Turkey, the Caucasus, Central Asia, China — and offer T1 or EAEU customs transit on other legs.
Specification
Specification · Transport under a TIR Carnet. Standard terms · TIR eligibility is confirmed per route and cargo
Service
- Procedure
- international transit under the 1975 TIR Convention
- Cargo
- FTL in a sealed body
- Alternative
- T1 / customs transit with security
Terms
- Timing
- eligibility check — 1 day
- Documents
- Carnet, CMR and invoice check included
- Currency
- USD / RUB
Logistics
- Departure
- Carnet accepted, seal, voucher
- Borders
- seal check, entry/exit stamps
- Destination
- TIR termination, import declaration, release
Price
- Base
- freight rate including the TIR operation
- Extras
- inspection, re-sealing, waiting — at cost
Service flow
- 01
Route and cargo check
We check that all countries and crossings on the route accept TIR, the cargo is not restricted and the guarantee amount covers potential duties. If not, we propose transit with a separate security.
1 day - 02
Carrier and vehicle
We select a TIR-authorised carrier and a vehicle with a sealed-transport approval certificate and TIR plates, and check the Carnet's validity and number of vouchers.
1–2 days - 03
Opening the TIR operation
After loading, the customs office of departure accepts the Carnet, applies the seal and stamps the voucher. We reconcile the Carnet with the CMR, invoice and packing list before sealing.
on the loading day - 04
Border crossings
At each border customs checks the seal and stamps the entry and exit vouchers; the cargo is normally not opened. We track the truck by GPS and stay in contact with agents at the crossings.
along the route - 05
Termination and release
The customs office of destination removes the seal and terminates the TIR operation, then the import declaration is filed and the cargo released. The Carnet counterfoil goes back to the carrier and the operation is closed.
1–2 days
Problems
The Carnet has an error or its data differ from the CMR and invoice — the truck is stopped at the very first border.
We reconcile the TIR Carnet, CMR, invoice and packing list line by line before sealing at the customs of departure.
A crossing or country on the route does not accept TIR, or duties on high-value cargo exceed the guarantee — additional security is demanded.
We check the route and estimated duties before booking; if TIR will not work, we plan the move under T1 or customs transit with security from the start.
The seal is damaged en route — there is a risk that the procedure will be deemed breached and duties charged.
The driver goes straight to the nearest customs office, which draws up a report and applies a new seal noted in the Carnet; we manage the process remotely.
Documents
Documents for carriage under the TIR procedure. Any discrepancy between the Carnet, the CMR and the invoice is a reason to stop the truck at the border, so we reconcile them before sealing.
Incoterms
- FCA
- seller clears export; TIR is opened at the customs of departure
- DAP
- to the destination in Russia; import declaration and duties on the buyer
- CPT
- carriage paid by the seller, risk on the buyer after handover to the carrier
Documents
- TIR Carnet
- issued to the carrier by its national association; number of vouchers depends on the countries on the route
- Vehicle certificate
- approval of the vehicle for carriage of goods under customs seal
- CMR
- cargo data must match the TIR Carnet
- Invoice
- commercial invoice with description, HS code and value
- Packing List
- packing list: packages, gross/net weight
FAQ
A TIR Carnet is a customs document and at the same time a guarantee of duty payment under the TIR Convention. It is obtained by a TIR-authorised carrier from its national association — not by the shipper or consignee. It contains two vouchers for each country on the route.
Under TIR one international guarantee covers the whole route, so there is no need to post security or hire a guarantor at each border. The seal is applied once at departure, and cargo is normally not opened at intermediate borders. This saves both money and hours at crossings.
It depends on the route. Since 2022 conditions for Russian and Belarusian carriers and associations keep changing, and a through movement by one truck from the EU is practically impossible because of mutual bans. We check TIR eligibility before every trip; if it does not work, we move the cargo under T1 or Russian customs transit with security.
No. Alcohol and tobacco products are subject to special guarantee conditions and TIR often cannot be used for them. If duties on the cargo exceed the guarantee amount, customs may demand additional security. Dangerous goods move under TIR only in compliance with ADR. We check eligibility before booking.
The procedure continues: the inspection is recorded, a new customs seal is applied afterwards and a note is made in the TIR Carnet. What matters is that any opening is documented by customs, not done by the carrier on its own.
The TIR Carnet serves as the transit declaration up to the customs office of destination, but it does not replace release. On arrival the TIR operation is terminated and the cargo is cleared under an import declaration with duties and VAT paid, or placed in a temporary storage warehouse (SVKh) until the declaration is filed.