TABLE OF CONTENTS
Giving the declaration to Customs
When travelling with goods and an ATA Carnet, you must complete a transaction at each customs crossing. Follow these steps:
| (a) Tap on Carnets from the main menu… |
| (b) …or from the sidebar menu. |
| Tap on the ATA Carnet you wish to use. |
| Tap on Travels in the lower menu. Tap on the QR code icon of the desired travel. |
| Swipe right to the required transaction. A QR code will be available that will have to be shown to the custom officer to check the carnet and the goods and ultimately process the transaction.
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| The history of transactions can be seen on the History section. A recent committed transaction requires a few minutes to show up here. In ATA Carnet App and ATA Carnet Desktop, the Holder/Declarant signature associated with a transaction can be viewed from the carnet History section. |
Each prepared travel automatically generates at least two transaction QR codes (1 Export + 1 Import or 1 Re-export + Re-import), plus any required Validation and/or Transit codes.
Why does the transaction show "Prepared for" a country or customs territory?
The Prepared for country or customs territory is a visual aid intended to help holders and representatives identify the correct transaction when multiple transaction QR codes exist for the same carnet.
In the digital ATA Carnet system, transaction QR codes may appear very similar. The Prepared for indicator and the additional details available through the "i" button help users confirm that they are presenting the intended declaration to Customs.
The Prepared for indicator is part of the travel preparation information and does not by itself determine where a transaction may be processed. Transaction validity is determined by the applicable customs territory and transaction type at the time Customs processes the declaration.
After Customs commits the transaction
Once Customs commits the transaction:
- You will receive a notification in ATA Carnet App or ATA Carnet Desktop confirming that the transaction has been committed.
- The committed transaction will be recorded in the carnet's transaction history. A recently committed transaction may take a few minutes to appear in History.
- If your Issuing Association provided your holder email address when issuing the carnet, you may also receive an email notification of the transaction.
- A transaction receipt may also be available for the committed Customs transaction.
Note: The App/Desktop notification, transaction history, email notification and transaction receipt are separate elements of the system.
Can I use the receipt as proof of the transaction?
The digital receipt provides evidence that a transaction was committed in the ATA Carnet System and may be useful for record-keeping and operational follow-up.
However, acceptance of the receipt as supporting evidence remains subject to the requirements of the Customs authorities concerned and applicable ATA Carnet procedures.
In particular:
- Some Customs administrations may require additional evidence.
- In countries or customs territories that continue to operate paper ATA Carnet procedures, Customs may require documents bearing official stamps, signatures or other forms of authentication.
- A receipt printed by the holder should not automatically be assumed to have the same evidential value as a document officially issued, stamped or certified by Customs.
Where evidence of a transaction is required for a claim, dispute or Customs verification, Customs authorities, Issuing Associations and Guaranteeing Associations may refer to the official transaction record stored in the ATA Carnet System.
The digital receipt is a transaction summary generated by the ATA Carnet System. It does not by itself guarantee acceptance by another Customs administration and does not replace any document, stamp, signature or certification that may be required under national procedures.
Cancellation of a transaction
In the digital ATA Carnet system, cancelling a transaction is a procedure used when a mistake is identified in a committed declaration or if there is a disagreement regarding the processed data. Because digital transactions are recorded in real-time, this process allows the committed record to be discarded so that the holder can amend their declaration and initiate a new transaction process with Customs.
Step-by-Step Cancellation Process
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Important Notes for Users
Consent Required: A cancellation can only be performed with the mutual consent of both the Customs officer and the holder/representative.
Time Sensitivity: While the system allows for cancellation, it is best practice to perform it while still at the Customs office to ensure the officer who committed the transaction can immediately rectify it.Transaction Rejection
In the digital ATA Carnet system, rejecting a transaction is a formal action taken by a Customs officer to refuse a specific digital declaration before it is committed in the system.
Visibility and data isolation
When a transaction is rejected, both the rejection status and the associated reason are stored in the ATA Carnet Core.
This information is only visible to Customs officers within the same customs territory. It remains accessible across different shifts or ports within that country, while remaining isolated from other national jurisdictions.
Voucher preservation
A key operational rule is that rejecting a transaction does not consume the transaction code (voucher).
The corresponding digital voucher set therefore remains available in the holder’s balance.
Correction by the holder
Because the voucher is not consumed, the holder can immediately:
- Open the Travels tab in the app
- Edit the rejected travel to correct the goods list or other information requested by Customs
- Save the changes and generate a new transaction QR code, reusing the same voucher set for a new attempt
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