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24 October 2026 · Updated at 07:47 GMT FR EN ES Member area Log in
Certification

Import and export licence

Authorisation for the cross-border movement of a work, in conformity with the 1970 UNESCO and 1995 UNIDROIT conventions.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 3 min read

Pages in this section

Ferry Slip, Edwin Kaufman (1927)RequestDocuments, course and conditions of issue of an import or export licence.› Bridge of Shops, Srinagar, Kashmir, Samuel Bourne (1864)Countries concernedThe regimes for recognising the OIMAP licence by State: direct recognition, prior notification or additional national authorisation.› Landscape with Saint John the Baptist, Herri met de Bles (c. 1540)Special casesRecent works, archaeological objects, regulated materials, transit and loans: situations that fall outside the ordinary framework.›

Making a work travel in compliance

Nuova pianta di Roma data in luce da Giambattista Nolli l’anno MDCCXLVII, known as La Pianta Grande di Roma, Giovanni Battista Nolli (1748)
Nuova pianta di Roma data in luce da Giambattista Nolli l’anno MDCCXLVII, known as La Pianta Grande di Roma, Giovanni Battista Nolli (1748)

The OIMAP licence attests that a work may cross a border in conformity with international conventions: its origin is established, it is neither stolen nor unlawfully exported, and its owner is identified.

It is of interest to collectors who move, galleries that exhibit abroad, auction houses that organise international sales and museums that borrow or lend works.

It is issued in 10 to 20 days for an indicative €260 excl. VAT and remains valid for six months. It complements, without replacing, the national export authorisation that many States still require.

  • Circulation
  • UNESCO 1970
  • UNIDROIT 1995
  • Customs

The licence in figures

10 to 20days timeframe
€260indicative price excl. VAT
6 monthsvalidity
67States that recognise it

Source: Certification Department, 2024.

Three pages to prepare your application

S. Giorgio Maggiore, Michele Marieschi (1741)ProcedureRequest

Documents, course and conditions of issue of the licence.

›Carnet (1863–1865)DestinationsCountries concerned

Regimes for recognising the licence by State.

›Whitby Harbor, Frank Meadow Sutcliffe (c. 1885)ExceptionsSpecial cases

Recent works, archaeology, regulated materials, transit, loans.

›

What the licence is for

Customs and heritage services must be able to verify, within minutes, that a work crossing their border is not the product of looting or theft. The licence gives them this assurance: it is tied to the Registry, consultable by QR code, and states the work, its owner, the route and the period of validity.

For the owner, it avoids customs holds, protective seizures and repeated requests for supporting documents. A carrier presenting a valid licence is handled under a simplified procedure in States that fully recognise it.

Nuova pianta di Roma data in luce da Giambattista Nolli l’anno MDCCXLVII, known as La Pianta Grande di Roma, Giovanni Battista Nolli (1748)
Nuova pianta di Roma data in luce da Giambattista Nolli l’anno MDCCXLVII, known as La Pianta Grande di Roma, Giovanni Battista Nolli (1748)
Ships near the Trieux River, Paul Signac (1925)
Ships near the Trieux River, Paul Signac (1925)
Plaque (1500s–1600s)
Plaque (1500s–1600s)

The three types of licence

Choosing the right licence
TypeUseValidity
FinalChange of the work's country (sale, move)6 months
TemporaryLoan, exhibition, restoration abroad6 months, renewable once
TransitPassage through a State without extended stay30 days

From application to crossing

  1. Register the work

    The work must have an OIMAP number and a work passport.

  2. Submit the application

    Statement of the route, dates, carrier and insurance.

  3. Processing

    Check that there is no BIOP alert and that the documents are consistent.

  4. Issuance

    Licence signed, sealed, given a QR code.

  5. Crossing

    Presentation of the licence to customs, with the work passport.

Do not confuse licence and national authorisation

Final licence or temporary licence

Fishing Boats along the Beach, Eugène Isabey (c. 1830)

Final

The work changes country
  • Sale or move
  • Update of the address in the Registry
  • Valid once, six months

To be requested before any final transport.

Nuova pianta di Roma data in luce da Giambattista Nolli l’anno MDCCXLVII, known as La Pianta Grande di Roma, Giovanni Battista Nolli (1748)

Temporary

The work comes back
  • Loan or exhibition
  • Follow-up of the return in the Registry
  • Renewable once

Guarantees the return of the work to its country.

Licences issued in 2024, by type

Final58%
Temporary34%
Transit8%

Source: Certification Department (indicative).

Typical timeline

  1. Submission

    Complete file and payment.

  2. BIOP check

    No alert, work identified.

  3. Opinion

    Opinion of the licensing department.

  4. Issuance

    Licence signed with QR code.

  5. Crossing

    Crossing of the border under licence.

Return of the Fishing Boats at Collioure, near the Spanish Border, Adolphe Appian (1878)
Return of the Fishing Boats at Collioure, near the Spanish Border, Adolphe Appian (1878)
Seal Color Box (1662–1722)
Seal Color Box (1662–1722)
Sketchbook, The Dells, N° 127, page 090 & 91: Harbor with a Road, Maurice Prendergast (c. 1919–1921)
Sketchbook, The Dells, N° 127, page 090 & 91: Harbor with a Road, Maurice Prendergast (c. 1919–1921)

Case study: a loan to Singapore

A six-month exhibition

Situation

A French museum lends a sculpture to a museum in Singapore for six months.

Actions
  1. Application for a temporary licence with the exhibition dates.
  2. Conservation report before packing.
  3. Licence presented to customs on the outward and return journeys.
Outcome

The loan is followed in the Registry; the return of the work is time-stamped.

A principle of simplicity

Dune Scene with Peasant Figures, Willem van de Velde (mid-1650s)
« A work that travels must carry with it the means to prove it has the right to travel. »
Certification Department, OIMAP

Vocabulary of movement

Export licence
Authorisation for a cultural property to leave a State.
Import licence
Authorisation for a cultural property to enter a State.
Transit
Passage through a State without staying there.
Door to door
Insurance cover from door to door.

Frequently asked questions

Is the licence mandatory?

It is required by Member States for registered works; it is recommended for all others.

How long is the licence valid?

Six months for a final or temporary licence, thirty days for transit.

What if my transport is delayed?

An extension of three months is possible if the request is made before expiry.

Can a licence be obtained for an uncertified work?

Yes, if the work is registered and its origin established; a provenance certificate simplifies the procedure.

Useful documents

Contacts

The Old Market, Cleveland, Frank Wilcox (1920)
The Old Market, Cleveland, Frank Wilcox (1920)
Certification DepartmentParis — Headquarters+33 1 00 00 00 00certification@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Request a licence

The Triumph of Mordecai, Lucas van Leyden (1515)

First see the documents and conditions.

See the application
Image credits (22)
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