Moving goods temporarily to the UK | Arts Infopoint UK

If you are moving goods to the UK, and those goods will also be leaving the UK – this is often called temporary movement of goods.

Some examples include:

A theatre company working at a festival and bringing over set and equipment needed for the performance, which will then return across UK border.
An artist sending artwork to the UK for an exhibition, which will then return across the UK border

Read about how to apply for authorisation for the temporary admission of imported goods on the UK Government website here.

Some things you should consider when temporarily moving goods to and from the UK are:

Will you be moving those goods between Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland?

There are additional processes in place for moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and you will need to apply for authorisation for both territories separately.

Find more information on these processes on the UK Government website here.

Do you qualify for import duty relief?

There are a list of items that qualify for import duty relief – meaning you would pay less or no import duty on items on this list. This list includes portable musical instruments, whereby musicians may be able to bring their instruments without declaring them at the border. Simply, they can go through the ‘Nothing to Declare’ route - this is referred to as ‘Declaration by Conduct’.

See the full list of qualifying items on the UK Government website here.

Would an ATA Carnet be a better option?

ATA Carnet is another way to move professional equipment temporarily across borders. It simplifies the customs process as you enter and exit countries. It is a well-established process and is used by touring artists in particular, but can also be used to move other items like artworks for exhibition.

See the full list of goods covered by an ATA Carnet on the UK Government website here.

It's important to ensure that the items listed on your Carnet does not change between each border crossing. When meeting a custom officer at your entry point, there will also be procedures you need to follow, and you may need to travel through specific UK points of entry that allow ATA Carnet processing.