TIR is the name of the international customs convention of November 14, 1975. Transport International Routie concerned the transportation of goods by trucks and simplified procedures at border crossings and customs offices. Thanks to it, a guarantee document - the TIR carnet - was introduced for international transportation of goods by road vehicles.
The basic principles of the convention were exemption from:
- the collection of additional fees or security at customs offices when crossing the border,
- preparation of customs documentation when using the TIR carnet.
When the car is moving, such control can be carried out only in justified cases, such as suspicion of a crime, so transportation under the convention should be carried out in specially adapted vehicles marked with a plate with the word TIR.
Carriage under the TIR procedure can be carried out if:
- begins or ends outside the EU,
- is carried out from and to a location within the EU, but through the territory of a third country.
Vehicles that move under the TIR Carnet are sealed and inspected at the customs office or border of the exporting cargo country. They are then unsealed and inspected again in the cargo's destination country. Under this convention, international road transit passes successive transit countries with formalities reduced to a minimum.
The TIR Convention exempts from customs clearance provided:
- possession of a certificate of technical ability of the vehicle, which allows international carriage of goods,
- sealing of the cargo as a so-called customs consignment,
- movement of the vehicle only along a predetermined or customs-approved route,
- supplying the vehicle's cargo box with customs seals (by the customs authorities of the country of shipment of the goods).
A vehicle disposing of goods using a TIR Carnet must be provided with a plate - blue with a white letter abbreviation: TIR.