carnet for India

[Gornzilla]

Hi,

I've got an old bike that I'll be taking to India. It'll be shipped to Calcutta/Kolkata I'm lagging and haven't gotten a carnet yet. Is it worth getting one for an old bike or should I just pay the fees? The bike is worth around $1,500. Will Indian customs even believe me when I say that?

--Dave

[CourtFisher]

Originally Posted by Gornzilla

Hi,

I've got an old bike that I'll be taking to India. It'll be shipped to Calcutta/Kolkata I'm lagging and haven't gotten a carnet yet. Is it worth getting one for an old bike or should I just pay the fees? The bike is worth around $1,500. Will Indian customs even believe me when I say that?

--Dave

Assuming the bike is US-registered, you should really talk with staff at Canadian Automobile Assoc,
http://www.caa.ca/travel/travel-carnet-usa-e.cfm,
the (only) folks who can issue Carnets for US vehicles.
CAA has an interest in issuing Carnets, but they should have most up-to-date experience/ data on India Customs entry realities, including whether India Customs will even consider an entry without a Carnet.

[Gornzilla]

Thanks, I got an email from an internet friend in India. He said I have to get a carnet since my bike is more than 3 years old. I was hoping I could just pay the tax since my bike is so old. He said it's against the law to import a bike more than 3 years old into India.

He also recommended that I ship it to Mumbai or Delhi.

I'll call the CAA on Monday. I have their paperwork. It's registered in California but the title is lost. I'm waiting on a new one from the DMV but it's going to take them forever and a day.

[Chanderjeet]

Better get the carnet. Your friend is right. The import duty for a used bike is 130% if i remember correctly and is non-refundable. But then again the bike shouldnt be more than 3 years old.

So yes, get the carnet :)