What both documents have in common
A TIR Carnet and a T1 are both customs transit documents. Both are opened after export clearance and closed once the goods are presented to customs at the destination, and both let a vehicle move under customs control through transit countries without the full import procedure at each internal border. Neither replaces the CMR consignment note, which travels with the shipment regardless of which transit document is used.
TIR Carnet: how it works
The TIR Carnet is issued under the 1975 TIR Convention, administered by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and guaranteed through a chain of national associations coordinated by the International Road Transport Union (IRU). It currently has close to 80 contracting parties, a wider geographic reach than the EU customs area. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Turkey are all TIR contracting parties, which is why a TIR Carnet is the document most commonly associated with road freight moving between Turkey and Central Asia.
T1: how it works
The T1 is a transit declaration used under the Common Transit Convention (CTC), which covers the EU as a single customs territory plus a defined list of non-EU contracting parties: the United Kingdom, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Turkey, North Macedonia, Serbia, Moldova and Ukraine. Turkey is itself a CTC contracting party, so a T1 can be opened for the parts of a movement that stay within the common transit area.
TIR vs T1: the practical difference
The two systems overlap in one country: Turkey belongs to both. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, by contrast, are TIR contracting parties but not CTC members, so a movement into Central Asia generally needs a TIR Carnet for that leg. A T1 becomes relevant where a route also touches CTC territory, for example a leg through the EU or another CTC member, rather than for the Central Asia leg itself. Which document is actually opened, and where, is a route-by-route customs decision, not a fixed rule; see Road Routes from Turkey to Central Asia for how Dealti's own corridors are structured.
| TIR Carnet | T1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | 1975 TIR Convention (UNECE) | Common Transit Convention (CTC) |
| Geographic coverage | Around 80 contracting parties worldwide | EU plus a defined list of CTC countries |
| Issued by | National road transport association, guaranteed through IRU | Departure customs office, within the CTC system |
| Typically used for | Legs through non-CTC countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia | Legs that stay within EU or CTC territory |
Why Turkey sits in both systems
Turkey's position, a TIR contracting party and a CTC member at the same time, is exactly why the choice cannot be generalised from the country of origin alone. A truck loaded in Turkey for a Central Asian destination may run under TIR for the entire journey, or under T1 for a European leg and TIR for the rest, depending on the specific route, the border posts used and the current customs arrangements at the time of shipment.
What this means for a shipper
A shipper does not choose the transit document; the freight forwarder or carrier does, based on the route and the countries it crosses, as part of coordinating the export declaration filed by the shipper or their customs broker. For where this sits in the overall shipment sequence, see How International Road Freight Works.
How Dealti Logistics handles it
Dealti Logistics opens the correct transit document, TIR Carnet or T1, for each route on the Turkey to Central Asia corridor, coordinating it with the export declaration and the CMR so the vehicle is ready to cross every border on schedule. To discuss the transit setup for a specific shipment, use the quote form.
Sources
- UNECE, TIR Convention (1975) and TIR Handbook, on contracting parties and the guarantee chain administered through the IRU.
- European Commission / EUR-Lex, Convention on a Common Transit Procedure, and the list of CTC contracting parties (EU, UK, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Turkey, North Macedonia, Serbia, Moldova, Ukraine).
Customs regimes and contracting-party lists change over time; this article reflects the position as of 2026 and is not a substitute for confirming requirements for a specific shipment and current border rules.
