ATA Carnet Issuance to Be Fully Digitalized Soon - "Passport for Goods" to Speed Up Business Operations

The Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS) has announced that, starting next year, the issuance and use of ATA carnets - passports for goods - will be fully digitalized to enable faster and more cost-effective business operations.

Serbia Among the Best

According to a PKS statement, with over 300 digital transactions completed in just one month, Serbia ranks among the leading countries issuing combined paper and digital ATA carnets for the temporary import of goods into 30 European countries operating a digital system, as confirmed by data from the International Chamber of Commerce's ATA Carnet Core platform.

As stated, the full digitalization of the issuance and use of ATA carnets - the international customs document for the temporary import and export of goods - will be enabled by a cooperation agreement signed today between representatives of PKS and the Republic Secretariat for Public Policies (RSJP). The agreement covers the development of a new electronic system for issuing and using ATA carnets.

The agreement was signed at PKS by Mihailo Vesovic, Deputy President of PKS for International Cooperation and Development, and Ninoslav Kekic, Deputy Director of RSJP.

PKS stated that this cooperation will provide the conditions for developing the "e-ATA" software solution, which will connect businesses and the Chamber with domestic and foreign customs authorities through the International Chamber of Commerce's ATA Carnet System platform.

The objective, PKS emphasized, is to make public services available electronically at any time while meeting the highest security and international standards.

More Than 5,100 ATA Carnets Issued

The new software solution will enable a fully electronic process, from submitting applications and documentation to obtaining the identification number and PIN code for a digital ATA carnet.

Users will no longer need to visit PKS offices to collect their carnet, saving them additional time and money.

Digital transformation will bring faster and simpler cross-border business operations to the Serbian economy. Eliminating paperwork will accelerate document issuance, while direct integration with customs authorities will reduce goods' waiting times at border terminals - Vesovic said.

He added that for companies this means lower costs and greater security, as the electronic system eliminates the risk of documents being lost, damaged, or forged.

According to Vesovic, Serbia issued 5,107 ATA carnets during 2025, while the value of goods temporarily exported using them exceeded RSD 6.5 billion.

More than 10,000 trips were completed using the issued carnets.

Transition Period Until 2027

The International Chamber of Commerce launched the digitalization of ATA carnets in 2017. The transition period will last until the end of 2027, while a complete transition from paper to digital carnets and transactions is expected from January 1, 2028, the PKS statement said.

Since June 1 of this year, digital ATA carnets have been mandatory for the first group of 30 countries, including EU member states, Switzerland, Norway, and the United Kingdom. PKS currently issues combined paper and digital ATA carnets.

According to the Chamber of Commerce, users receive an identification number and PIN code together with the paper document, allowing them to download the digital carnet via the ATA Carnet app on their mobile phone or ATA Carnet Desktop on their computer, independently create trips, and present QR codes to customs authorities.

Digital processing of ATA transactions by the Serbian Customs Administration is expected no later than the end of the first quarter of 2027, while the launch of the "e-ATA" system is planned by January 15, 2027.

The ATA carnet is valid in more than 80 countries worldwide and serves as a "passport for goods," with a validity period of up to one year.

The digitalization of ATA carnets is being implemented as part of the "Digitalization of the Business Environment in Serbia – D4BE" project, which aims to improve the business environment in Serbia.

Within this project, a number of administrative procedures across various sectors are being digitalized according to the business episode principle in order to simplify these procedures and make them faster, easier, and less expensive for businesses.

The project is implemented by RSJP with financial support from the European Union.

Privredna komora Srbije

Uprava Carina Beograd

Republički sekretarijat za javne politike

SCC

PKS

ATA Carnet Core

International Chamber of Commerce

Digitization of the business environment in Serbia D4BE

Mihailo Vesovic

Ninoslav Kekic

ATA carnets

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