What is an ATR Certificate? How to Obtain an ATR Certificate?

The ATR movement certificate is a very important document for companies participating in trade fairs abroad or sending samples. What is the ATR certificate, which offers financial benefits in many aspects, and how is it obtained? Keep reading for the answers to all your questions.

What is an ATR Certificate?

The Admission Temporaire Roulette (ATR) certificate is a document used in temporary importation procedures. This certificate is used for products temporarily imported from one country to another. It entered into force on 03.09.2002 after being signed by Turkey and the European Union.

ATR is used for products temporarily imported from one country to another. For example, if a company temporarily imports a machine from one country to another for an exhibition, this transaction is considered as ATR, i.e., Admission Temporaire Roulette.

The ATR certificate is only valid in the European Union and is not valid for other countries. The certificate is obtained from the Chamber of Commerce or the Exporters' Association in Turkey.

What are the Benefits of an ATR Certificate?

The ATR certificate is a method that facilitates customs and tax procedures for businesses during temporary importation processes. Thanks to this document, businesses can cover customs duties and other liabilities for the products they import temporarily.

The ATR certificate also assists customs authorities in organizing and managing temporary importation procedures, thereby ensuring that transactions are carried out faster and more efficiently.

What Information Should Be Included in the ATR Certificate?

When issuing an ATR Certificate, it is mandatory to fill in certain information. This information includes:

• Information of the relevant person or organization,

• Consignment note (waybill) number,

• Consignee details (name, address),

• Exporting country,

• Importing country,

• Item number related to the product,

• Description, brand, number, quantity, and packaging type of the product,

• Measurements of the product (kg, etc.)

In Which Countries is the ATR Certificate Valid?

The ATR certificate is generally used by European Union (EU) countries and is valid for temporary importation procedures in these countries. However, the validity of the ATR certificate may vary for each country, and therefore, businesses need to be careful in this regard.

If a business wants to use the ATR certificate in temporary importation procedures, it should apply to the customs authorities of the relevant country to obtain detailed information on the validity and usage of this certificate.

The European Union countries where the ATR certificate is valid are as follows:

Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Croatia, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Greece are among the countries for which an A.TR certificate can be issued.

How Long Does the Approval and Endorsement Process of the ATR Certificate Take?

The person performing the transaction for the ATR approval and endorsement process must be the exporter or an authorized customs broker. The relevant person purchases and fills in five copies of the ATR certificate from the chamber of commerce or one of the exporters' associations, with one copy being green and four being white.

It is submitted to the chamber of commerce or export associations for approval. The conformity of the document is verified and approved by the submitting institution. The white copies are signed and the stamps are approved by the relevant officer.

It is then delivered to the exporter or the authorized customs broker. The green copy remains with the approving institution. The 4 delivered copies are presented to the customs office where the transactions will take place. Necessary checks are made by the customs office, approval is given, and the document is endorsed. After the export process is finished, a green copy and 1 white copy are delivered to the exporter or the authorized customs broker to be submitted to the customs administration.

The customs administration retains one of these 2 copies it receives, and the other is delivered to the exporter or the authorized customs broker to be sent to the chamber of commerce or exporters' association where the document application was made.

Thus, the exporter or the authorized customs broker is left with two copies, one green and one white. While the green of these last two copies is sent to the importer's customs, the white copy remains with the exporter.

What is the Function of the Free Circulation Certificate in the ATR Document?

It provides customs exemptions for processed agricultural products or industrial products in free circulation. When a product is sold from Turkey to the European Union, the buyer in Europe only pays the VAT.

Similarly, for a product purchased from the European Union, the buyer in Turkey only pays the VAT. If the product is transported without the document, it will be subject to the taxes applied to 3rd countries.