Taking professional camera equipment abroad has always required careful planning. The kit needs to be insured, packed for air travel and documented correctly for customs. Until recently, that last part usually involved a physical ATA carnet filled with paper vouchers and counterfoils.
On a recent filming trip, I flew to Madrid, Spain, with a professional production package built around my Sony FX9 and Sony FX3 cameras. It also included Sony lenses, a DJI Ronin RSC2 gimbal, an Aputure 300D II, compact LED lighting, Sony and Sennheiser wireless audio equipment, monitors, tripods, batteries and the supporting accessories needed for the shoot.
It was the first time I had used the new digital ATA carnet, or eATA carnet.
I had travelled with a traditional paper carnet before, so I understood the basic responsibility: the equipment leaving the UK needs to match the equipment entering another country, and it all needs to be correctly recorded again on the return journey. What had changed was the way those movements were declared and validated.
Instead of relying entirely on stamps and detachable paper forms, the digital system uses an app, individual digital declarations and QR codes. It is a significant change for DOPs, camera crews and production companies taking professional equipment abroad.
This is what the new process looks like from a working DOP’s perspective, what I learned from using it and what I would prepare before the next international shoot.
What is an ATA carnet?
An ATA carnet is often described as a passport for goods. It allows professional equipment to be temporarily exported and imported through participating customs territories without paying import duty and tax, provided the goods are used correctly and brought back out again.
For film and television work, that can include equipment such as my Sony FX9 and FX3 cameras, Sony lenses, DJI Ronin RSC2, Aputure lighting, radio microphones, monitors, tripods and other reusable production kit.
The carnet provides customs with an agreed list of the equipment travelling. Each time the goods leave or enter a customs territory, that movement needs to be processed. The resulting record shows that the equipment was only imported temporarily and did not remain in the country.
That underlying principle has not changed with the move to digital. The new system changes how the carnet is carried and processed, but the holder is still responsible for using it correctly.
Why ATA carnets have gone digital
Paper carnets have worked internationally for decades, but the process depends heavily on physical documents, handwritten entries and stamps. A missed stamp or incorrectly completed counterfoil can create problems long after the journey has ended.
The eATA system is designed to create a clearer digital record of each customs movement. It is being introduced internationally through the International Chamber of Commerce and the World Customs Organization.
The UK and European Union began accepting digital carnets on 1 June 2026, alongside several other participating countries. More customs territories are being added as the system moves towards a fully digital process.
For filmmakers travelling between Great Britain and the EU, that means digital carnets are no longer a future idea. They are now part of the practical production workflow.
How a digital ATA carnet works
The carnet application still starts with an authorised issuing chamber or a carnet specialist. You provide the required company details, itinerary and a complete list of the professional equipment that will travel.
Once the application has been approved and the digital carnet issued, the user receives a Carnet ID and PIN. These are used to download the carnet into the official ATA Carnet app.
The app acts as a digital wallet for the carnet. It contains the general list of goods and allows the holder or authorised representative to prepare declarations for each stage of the journey.
These declarations are called Travels.
Before presenting the equipment to customs, the user creates the relevant Travel in the app, selects the goods involved and generates a unique QR code. The customs officer scans or processes that code, and the movement is recorded digitally.
The main stages are:
- Apply for the carnet through an authorised issuer.
- Receive the Carnet ID and PIN.
- Download the carnet into the official app.
- Create a Travel for the relevant customs movement.
- Select the equipment travelling under that declaration.
- Present the generated QR code to customs.
- Check the app to confirm that the movement has been validated.
The digital process is relatively simple when written as a list. The important part is understanding that one QR code does not cover the entire return trip.
Each customs movement still matters
A typical return journey from Great Britain to an EU country involves several separate customs events. The equipment is exported from Great Britain, imported into the destination, re-exported when the job is finished and finally re-imported into Great Britain.
The correct Travel needs to be prepared and presented at each relevant stage.
This is one area where the word “digital” could create a false sense of simplicity. The app makes the record easier to carry, but it does not automatically detect that you have crossed a border or complete customs formalities on your behalf.
You still need to:
- Find the correct customs office or customs point.
- Allow sufficient time before departure.
- Present the equipment when requested.
- Show the correct declaration.
- Make sure customs has validated the movement.
- Check the transaction appears in the app before leaving.
If a required movement is missed, the carnet holder may later need to prove that the equipment left the country. In some circumstances, duties, taxes or penalties can become payable.
Creating a Travel in the app
A Travel is the digital replacement for the relevant paper voucher and counterfoil. It represents a specific movement of goods and generates the QR code presented to customs.
The user chooses the type of movement and selects the equipment covered by it. This is useful when a carnet contains more equipment than will be carried on a particular journey, or when goods move in separate consignments.
The Travel must be prepared before customs processes the equipment. Once it has been validated, the transaction is time-stamped and cannot simply be edited like a draft.
That makes checking the declaration important. Before presenting the QR code, I would confirm:
- The correct movement has been selected.
- The correct destination or customs territory is shown.
- The relevant goods have been included.
- The person carrying the equipment is properly authorised.
- The QR code is ready in the supported format.
The guidance I received recommended saving the live QR code to a phone wallet rather than relying on a screenshot, because a screenshot may not be accepted. The current instructions supplied with the carnet should always take priority, as the system is still developing.
Digital does not mean paperless everywhere yet
The international move to eATA is a transition rather than a single overnight change. Countries are joining at different stages, and customs teams are building familiarity with the system.
During this period, an issuing chamber may provide digital and paper documentation together, depending on the countries being visited and the operational requirements of the journey.
That means I would not assume that having the carnet in the app is the only preparation required. Before travelling, I would check the instructions on the specific carnet and carry any backup paperwork provided by the issuer.
The digital carnet’s front cover or issuing guidance should explain which format to present at each customs office. If the route includes countries that are not yet processing digital carnets, paper documentation may still be required.
What has improved compared with a paper carnet?
The clearest benefit is visibility. With a paper carnet, the evidence is spread across stamps, signatures and counterfoils. With eATA, the holder can see the digital transaction history in the app.
That makes it easier to check whether a movement has been processed and to keep track of the carnet during the trip.
There are other potential benefits:
- Less dependence on handwritten information.
- A time-stamped record of customs transactions.
- Faster sharing of declarations with an authorised traveller or agent.
- Easier monitoring by the issuing chamber.
- Less risk of the only record being lost with a physical document.
As customs teams become more familiar with the platform, the QR-code process should also become faster and more consistent.
What has not changed?
The biggest lesson from using my first digital carnet was that the important production work still happens before reaching the airport.
The equipment list needs to be complete and accurate. Descriptions must be clear enough for customs to identify the goods. Serial numbers should be supplied where available, and values and countries of origin need to be recorded correctly.
The carnet also only covers the goods listed on it. Last-minute additions to the camera package cannot simply be assumed to be covered, and countries cannot normally be added after a digital carnet has been issued.
The holder remains responsible for ensuring that customs processes every required movement. A QR code waiting in an app is not the same as a validated customs transaction.
In other words, the administration has become more modern, but the need for proper preparation has not changed.
My practical checklist for using an eATA carnet
For my next international production, I would use the following checklist.
Before applying
- Finalise the equipment package as early as possible.
- Prepare a clean inventory with descriptions, serial numbers, values, weights and countries of origin.
- Remove consumable items that will not return.
- Confirm every country the equipment will enter or pass through.
- Check who will be authorised to carry and present the carnet.
Before travelling
- Download the official ATA Carnet app.
- Load the carnet using its ID and PIN.
- Synchronise the app while connected to a reliable network.
- Read the issuing instructions for every country on the route.
- Prepare the first Travel and check the selected goods.
- Save the QR code in the supported format.
- Carry any paper backup and authorisation documents supplied.
- Identify the customs location and its opening arrangements.
- Build additional customs time into the travel plan.
At customs
- Present the carnet before passing through the point of no return.
- Show the correct QR code for that movement.
- Have the equipment available for inspection.
- Wait for confirmation that customs has processed it.
- Check that the transaction appears correctly in the app.
During the return journey
- Repeat the process for re-export and re-import.
- Do not assume the outbound record covers the return.
- Check the final transaction before leaving customs.
- Keep the carnet information until the issuing process has been formally completed.
Allow more time while the system is new
The long-term aim of eATA is to make temporary exports more efficient, but a new digital system is not automatically a faster one on its first use.
Customs officers may have different levels of experience with the app and QR-code workflow. There may also be a need to compare digital and paper records during the transition.
For that reason, I would allow at least as much time as I would have allowed for a traditional carnet. Arriving early is far easier than trying to solve a customs issue while a flight is boarding.
I would also make sure the production team knows that clearing the carnet is part of the travel schedule. It should not be treated as a personal errand for whoever happens to be carrying the camera cases.
A useful step forward for international productions
My first experience of the digital ATA carnet showed that the system is moving in the right direction. Having the carnet and its transaction history available digitally is clearer than relying entirely on a physical booklet, and the QR-code approach has the potential to make border processing more consistent.
The technology does not remove the responsibility from the traveller, however. The success of the process still depends on an accurate inventory, the correct declaration and making sure every customs movement has been validated.
For DOPs and production companies, the best way to approach eATA is as part of pre-production. The carnet, equipment plan, flight, baggage arrangements and travel schedule all need to work together.
The app may be new, but the principle remains familiar: know exactly what equipment is travelling, document it properly and make sure it comes home with a complete customs record.
If you are planning an overseas corporate, branded-content or event production and need a UK DOP experienced in travelling with professional camera equipment, get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
What is a digital ATA carnet?
A digital ATA carnet, also called an eATA carnet, is the electronic version of the international customs document used for temporarily moving professional equipment and other eligible goods between participating customs territories. It is held in an app, with individual movements declared using QR codes.
Is the digital carnet just one QR code?
No. The user creates a Travel for each relevant customs movement. Each Travel has its own declaration and QR code for customs to process.
Do I still need to visit customs?
Yes. The digital carnet does not process itself automatically when you cross a border. It must be presented to customs at each required export, import, re-export and re-import stage.
Can I use a screenshot of the QR code?
Current issuer guidance may require the live QR code to be saved to a supported phone wallet rather than shown as a screenshot. Follow the instructions supplied with the specific carnet.
Should I carry a paper copy as well?
During the international transition to eATA, paper backup documentation may still be issued or required for parts of a journey. Present the format specified by the issuing chamber for each customs office.
Can I add equipment after the carnet has been issued?
The general list should be treated as final once the carnet is issued. Equipment not included on it will need to be covered by the appropriate alternative procedure or another carnet.
