TIR Carnet vs Common Transit (CTC/NCTS) — which one, when, on non-EU routes

The TIR system in brief

TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers) is the oldest and only global system of customs road transit, based on the TIR Convention 1975 concluded under the auspices of UNECE in Geneva. It counts several dozen contracting parties across several continents. At its heart is the TIR Carnet — a document that combines the function of a transit declaration and a customs guarantee for the whole route, regardless of how many borders are crossed. The security is provided by the international IRU guarantee chain: national guaranteeing associations (in the United Kingdom these include RHA and Logistics UK), authorised by the customs administration, are liable for covering the charges should the goods not be properly discharged. Vehicles and containers must meet the TIR technical requirements and obtain a certificate of approval, and the carrier must hold authorised carnet holder status. After Brexit the United Kingdom remains an operational TIR country; UK hauliers apply for access through a guaranteeing association and HMRC. We cover this in more detail in our article on TIR in the UK after Brexit.

Common Transit (CTC) and the NCTS system

Common Transit (the Common Transit Convention, CTC) is a separate agreement, handled fully electronically through NCTS (the New Computerised Transit System). Its parties are the EU Member States, the EFTA countries (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein), the United Kingdom (in its own right since 1 January 2021) and a few other states (including Turkey, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine). Under the CTC, goods move under the T1 procedure (non-Union goods, with duty suspended) or T2 (goods with Union status moved through a country outside the EU customs territory). The declaration is lodged electronically at the office of departure, and the movement is discharged at the office of destination; at the borders of the common transit area you encounter offices of transit. The condition for placing goods under the procedure is a customs guarantee — in the UK usually a comprehensive guarantee (CCG) with a GRN and an access code. We describe how to configure the procedure in our article on setting up CTC transit in the UK.

Decision box: when CTC, and when TIR

This is the crux of the choice — and it is simpler than it looks. The starting point is the question: do all the countries on the route belong to the common transit area, or is one of them outside it but within the TIR system?

Use CTC/NCTS when…

• the whole route stays within the common transit area (EU + EFTA + UK + the other CTC parties, e.g. Turkey, Serbia, Ukraine);
• you want electronic handling (a single MRN for the whole route, with no paper carnet);
• you hold a comprehensive guarantee (CCG) — you avoid the cost of a single carnet for every journey;
• you run regularly on fixed European routes — then NCTS is simply cheaper and faster operationally.

Use a TIR Carnet when…

• the route passes through countries that are parties to TIR but not in the common transit area — including Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan), the Middle East (Iran, Iraq, the Gulf states), parts of North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia), the Caucasus (Azerbaijan);
• the operation is multimodal — part of the route by road, part by rail or ferry;
• the transit or destination country has no electronic system compatible with NCTS;
• the counterparty or the customs administration of the third country requires a physical TIR Carnet as the guarantee document.

Combining both systems on a single route

Both systems can appear on a single route — but not on the same leg at the same time. A typical setup is Common Transit (CTC/NCTS) within the EU and the CTC countries, and once you reach the border with a country outside that area — a switch to a TIR Carnet. The United Kingdom is a party to both systems, so the switching point is usually the external border of the common transit area. Bear in mind too that TIR within the EU itself applies only to international movements (starting or ending outside the EU, or passing through a non-EU country) — it does not replace the CTC on purely intra-EU legs.

Costs and guarantees — a comparison

The second axis of the decision is the economics of the security. The models differ:

• TIR — the security is the carnet together with the IRU guarantee chain (the limit is usually up to EUR 100,000 per carnet). The cost is essentially incurred per journey (the carnet fee plus membership of the guaranteeing association). The document is paper and is checked at the borders.
• CTC/NCTS — the security is a customs guarantee in NCTS. In the UK this is most often a comprehensive guarantee (CCG), covering many movements at once, with a GRN and an access code entered into the declaration. Once authorised, there is no “per declaration” cost, and eligible operators can obtain a reduction in the required guarantee amount (to 50%, to 30%, and with a full guarantee waiver to 0%) — gov.uk sets out the details and conditions.

In practice, for regular European routes the CTC with a comprehensive guarantee is cheaper and more convenient; for single, long-haul journeys outside the common transit area, TIR is the natural choice.

Quick reference table — typical routes

Route	Recommended system
UK ↔ EU (DE, PL, FR…)	CTC / T1
UK ↔ Switzerland / Norway	CTC
UK ↔ Turkey (via the EU)	CTC
UK / EU ↔ Morocco, Tunisia	TIR
UK / EU ↔ Central Asia (Kazakhstan…)	TIR
EU → eastern border → country outside the CTC	CTC to the border, then TIR

The lists of contracting parties to both conventions are updated from time to time (accessions, changes of status), so before planning a route always check the current membership in the official lists held by UNECE (TIR) and the European Commission (CTC).

The role of the customs broker

Choosing the procedure is only the beginning — you still have to open it correctly, put the guarantee in place, identify the offices of transit and discharge the movement properly to release the security. Easy Clearance helps carriers and freight forwarders match the procedure to the specific route and handle the transit documentation on the UK side — get in touch if you are planning a route that leaves the common transit area.

What the current rules mean

TIR and Common Transit (CTC/NCTS) are two separate systems of customs transit. TIR is based on the TIR Convention 1975, the carnet and the IRU guarantee chain and works globally; the CTC is handled electronically in NCTS and covers the EU, EFTA, the United Kingdom and a few other states. The choice is driven by the geography of the route: CTC when all the countries belong to the common transit area; TIR when the route passes through countries that are parties to TIR but outside that area, or is multimodal. Both systems can be combined on a single route, but not on the same leg. After Brexit the United Kingdom is a party to both. This article reflects the position as at 2026-06-13 — check the lists of contracting parties against UNECE and European Commission sources. Speak to a customs broker before taking any action.

FAQ — frequently asked questions

How does TIR differ from Common Transit (CTC)?

TIR is based on the TIR Convention 1975 (UNECE) and a paper carnet backed by the IRU guarantee chain — it works globally. The CTC is a separate convention handled electronically in NCTS (T1/T2), covering the EU, EFTA, the United Kingdom and a few other states. The choice depends on the course of the route.

When is CTC/NCTS the better choice, and when a TIR Carnet?

CTC/NCTS — when the whole route stays within the common transit area (EU, EFTA, UK and the other CTC parties). TIR — when the route passes through countries that are parties to TIR but outside the common transit area (e.g. Central Asia, the Middle East, parts of North Africa) or when the operation is multimodal.

Is the United Kingdom a party to both systems after Brexit?

Yes. Since 1 January 2021 the UK has been an independent party to the Common Transit Convention (CTC) and remains an operational TIR country. UK hauliers apply for TIR access through authorised guaranteeing associations (e.g. RHA, Logistics UK) and HMRC approval.

Can TIR and CTC be combined on a single route?

Yes, but not on the same leg at the same time. A typical setup is Common Transit (CTC/NCTS) within the EU and the CTC countries, and once you reach the border with a country outside that area — a switch to a TIR Carnet.

How do the guarantees differ in TIR and CTC?

Under TIR the security is the carnet with the IRU guarantee chain (the limit is usually up to EUR 100,000 per carnet), with the cost essentially per journey. Under CTC the security is a customs guarantee in NCTS — in the UK a comprehensive guarantee (CCG) with a GRN and an access code, with possible reductions for eligible operators.

Official sources

• Konwencja TIR z 1975 r. — UNECE — UNECE
• Strony umawiające się Konwencji TIR — UNECE — UNECE
• System TIR i łańcuch gwarancyjny — IRU — IRU
• Union and Common Transit (CTC, strony, NCTS) — Komisja Europejska — European Commission
• Apply to use the TIR system — gov.uk — GOV.UK
• Transit Manual Supplement — gwarancje (CCG) — gov.uk — GOV.UK