
Tools
CMR Claim Deadlines Calculator
Calculate the reservation and limitation deadlines of a road transport claim under the CMR Convention (arts. 30 and 32): from the delivery date, with configurable non-working days, auditable math and calendar export of every deadline.
Deadlines
Legal notice
Informational tool based on the public text of the CMR Convention (Geneva, 1956). Not legal advice: the exact count (applicable holidays, competent court’s interpretation, supplementary national law) may vary. For claims of significant value, consult a professional. No data leaves your browser.
Legal sources verified on · Official source: UNECE — CMR Convention (1956) ↗
The CMR Convention deadlines
The CMR Convention governs the contract for international carriage of goods by road and sets very short deadlines protecting the right to claim. The first filter is the Article 30 reservations: if loss or damage is apparent, reservations must reach the carrier at the latest at the time of delivery; if not apparent, there are 7 days — Sundays and public holidays excluded — and always in writing.
Delay has its own regime: compensation is only payable if a written reservation was sent to the carrier within 21 days from the time the goods were placed at the disposal of the consignee.
The limitation of the action (Article 32) is one year — or three in case of wilful misconduct or default the court treats as equivalent. Where the period starts depends on the case: for damage, partial loss or delay, from delivery; for total loss, from 30 days after expiry of the agreed time-limit or, failing one, from 60 days after the carrier took over the goods; in all other cases, from 3 months after the contract. The starting day is not counted.
Which days are public holidays depends on the jurisdiction — that is why this tool lets you configure which weekdays and which specific dates are excluded from the 7-day count, and shows exactly which days the count skipped.
Frequently asked questions
- What happens if I miss the reservation deadlines?
- For apparent damage, delivery without reservations creates the presumption that the goods were received in the condition described in the consignment note; the same applies to non-apparent damage if written reservations don’t arrive within 7 days. For delay, without a written reservation within 21 days the right to compensation is lost outright.
- Do the 7 days count Saturdays?
- The CMR text excludes "Sundays and public holidays". Whether Saturday counts as a holiday under the applicable jurisdiction is a local question — that is why the tool lets you mark which weekdays are excluded.
- When is the limitation 3 years?
- When there is wilful misconduct by the carrier, or default which the law of the court seised treats as equivalent (Art. 32.1). That is a legal question for the court — the tool simply shows both scenarios.
- Does a written claim stop the clock?
- Yes: a written claim suspends the limitation period until the carrier rejects it in writing and returns the documents (Art. 32.2). This tool computes the deadline without suspensions: if claims have been exchanged, the real period may be longer.