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Just over a month ago, on 1 June 2026, the way goods move temporarily across borders changed for the first time in decades. The UK, EU, Norway and Switzerland began their transition to digital ATA Carnets, the eATA system, and the freight world has been watching closely ever since.
For anyone moving exhibition stands, touring production kit, broadcast equipment, professional gear or commercial samples in and out of the country, this matters. The ATA Carnet is the document that allows goods to travel temporarily across more than 80 countries without paying duties or taxes at each border. Going digital is a genuine modernisation of a process that has run on paper, stamps and physical endorsements for years.
Issuing chambers are producing both a digital and a paper carnet for each application during the transition, with paper acting as the backup if a digital carnet can’t be processed at a particular crossing. That dual-running is sensible; it keeps shipments moving while customs systems and border officers bed in. Paper carnets issued before 1 June also remain valid until they expire, so mixed-format itineraries are entirely normal right now.
Around 30 countries confirmed they were ready to accept digital ATA Carnets from 1 June, with more expected to join through 2027. The endgame, set internationally by the ICC and the World Customs Organization, is a fully digital system worldwide by 1 January 2028.
Once a carnet is approved, holders receive a carnet number, ID and PIN, load it into the ATA Carnet app, and present a QR code at customs for scanning- no paper to lose, damage or leave unstamped. UK Border Force are expected to have scanners in place at borders from August 2026, which is when the day-to-day experience at the frontier should really start to smooth out. A desktop management facility sits alongside the app for forwarders and high-volume users.
Journeys that include countries outside the initial group will still need paper for those legs, the United States, for example, is working towards joining but has not yet transitioned, so US movements continue on paper for now. Getting the format right for each leg is exactly where experience counts.
The most useful development for a forwarder is the desktop management facility built for high-volume users. It means we can manage carnets across multiple client movements in one place, rather than juggling paper per shipment, and we can guide clients through which format they need, leg by leg, so nothing gets held at a border on a technicality.
“The online system was simple and quick to use. We needed a fast turnaround to move the cargo, and the digital carnet saved us time and avoided potential costs that a physical version could have carried. It’s a real step forward.” — Karen Martin, Operations, UCARGO
Example of the import QR code showing it has been used for the import.
That first-hand experience is already being noticed on the route: one of the RORO ferry operators has since approached UCARGO to help develop guidance for its gate teams and customers, aimed at keeping waiting times down as digital carnets become routine.
If you’ve got temporary exports on the horizon… a tour, an exhibition, a demo unit heading overseas, now is the time to talk format. Get in touch, and we’ll map your route against what’s gone digital and what still needs paper, leg by leg, so your kit keeps moving.
