If you are a LOCOG-approved Olympic and Paralympic family member, and you want to bring goods or sporting equipment into the UK for temporary use at, or in connection with the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, there is a Temporary Admission procedure. Using this procedure means that you won’t have to pay customs charges on Games-related goods temporarily imported to the UK from outside the EU.
LOCOG is the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games - the body responsible for preparing and staging the 2012 Games.
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Temporary Admission (TA) is a customs procedure that allows you to claim relief from customs charges on goods temporarily imported for use from countries outside the EU. It's known as 'entering goods for TA'. Under the TA procedure, any customs charges usually due on importation will not need to be paid, provided the goods are intended to be re-exported outside the EU after use. The maximum period of use is 24 months. Goods that are not intended to be re-exported after use should not be entered for TA.
If goods entered for TA are not re-exported you will have to pay customs charges on them. See the section in this guide 'Goods brought in under TA that will remain in the UK / EU after the Games' for more information.
Check which countries are in the EU on the Directgov website (Opens new window)
The Temporary Admission procedure has been simplified for use in connection with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The amended procedure can only be used by LOCOG-approved Olympic and Paralympic Family members bringing goods from outside the EU for temporary use at or in connection with the 2012 Games. For the purposes of relief under Temporary Admission this includes:
International Olympic or Paralympic Committee, a National Olympic or Paralymic Committee, or an individual who is a holder of Games accreditation issued by LOCOG and is:
LOCOG is the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games - the body responsible for preparing and staging the 2012 Games.
A Rights Holding Broadcaster is an organisation who has been granted exclusive television, internet or radio rights to broadcast the Games by LOCOG or the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
The TA procedure for the Games is explained in detail in the LOCOG Customs and Freight Forwarding Guide (referred to here as the LOCOG Guide)
The LOCOG guide includes procedures for importing and exporting equipment and supplies for use in connection with the Games. You can find information on the TA procedure in the section on 'Freight - customs information'.
Examples of Games-related goods you can import using this procedure includes personal effects, sports goods, professional equipment for the press, sound and television broadcasting equipment and equipment necessary for doctors, surgeons, vets and entertainers, an illustrative list in given at Appendix 6 of the LOCOG guide.
You can't use this procedure to bring in goods that will not be exported after use at the Games. However, for goods that will be given away or remain the UK after the Games, it may be possible to use the Community System of Duty Reliefs arrangements (CSDR).
Under CSDR, certain goods for use at or in connection with the 2012 Games can be imported without paying customs duty, and in some circumstances, Import VAT. Find out more about using CSDR to bring goods in for the Games in the guide below.
Importing goods that will remain in the UK after the Games
LOCOG Customs and Freight Forwarding Guide (PDF 3MB) (Opens new window)
Giveaway goods are goods which are distributed free to the public at Olympic and Paralympic events. You can't use the TA procedure to bring these goods into the UK for this purpose - but it may be possible to use the Community System of Duty Reliefs arrangements (CSDR), Find out more about using CSDR in given the guide below.
Importing goods that will remain in the UK after the Games
If TA goods are not re-exported outside the EU after the Games, you will need to pay the customs charges due on them unless an alternative customs relief is available and they are declared for that relief. Guidance on what you need to do is given in the Export and Re-export Section in the LOCOG Guide and summarised in the table below.
If the goods are |
You need to |
|---|---|
to be destroyed |
Contact the: If they approve destruction they will send
you an 'approval to destroy goods letter' to explain what
you need to send to them. |
Lost |
Contact the Temporary Admissions Team above and complete a C88 form to pay any customs charges due |
Entering into free circulation in the UK/EU |
Contact the Temporary Admissions Team above and complete a C88 form to move the goods into free circulation and pay the customs charges due |
Moving into a customs warehouse for storage or to another customs relief procedure where you can suspend payment of customs duties and other charges |
Contact the Temporary Admissions Team above and complete a C88 to enter the goods to the customs procedure concerned |
Find out more about customs procedures on the Businesslink website (Opens new window)
