Moving to France, handled from door to door

Where we move clients to France from

Dedicated corridor pages

• United Kingdom → France
• United States → France

Other origins we cover

• Belgium → France
• Netherlands → France
• Luxembourg → France
• Germany → France
• Austria → France
• Switzerland → France
• Ireland → France
• Spain → France
• Portugal → France
• Italy → France
• Greece → France
• Slovenia → France

Customs & paperwork into France

Moving from another EU country

Moving to France from another EU country involves no customs formalities and no import duty on your belongings. This applies to moves from Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and every other EU member state.

Once settled, you will register your new residence locally, and EU citizens staying longer than three months may need to show they meet residence conditions.

Moving from outside the EU (UK, Switzerland, Norway, USA, and others)

From outside the EU — including the United Kingdom since Brexit, Switzerland and Norway — your belongings are imported into France. If you are moving your main residence, you can bring them in free of duty and VAT under the change of residence exemption. To qualify:

• you have lived outside the EU for at least 12 consecutive months;
• you have owned and used your belongings for at least 6 months before the move;
• you are transferring your main residence to France;
• your goods are imported within 12 months of settling in France.

Goods intended to furnish a second home are no longer exempt: duties and VAT apply to the whole shipment.

Belongings admitted under the exemption should not be sold, lent or hired out during the first 12 months.

Documents usually required for customs clearance

• Valid passport or ID card
• A detailed inventory of your belongings, with an estimated value for each item, dated and signed, in two copies
• Proof of your residence outside the EU (for example, a change of residence certificate from the French consulate, or tenancy and tax documents)
• Proof that you are settling in France (residence permit, work contract, posting order, tenancy agreement or property deed)
• The French customs declaration form for duty-free personal belongings (Cerfa 10070), required for vehicles and valuable items

French customs returns a stamped copy of your inventory and, for vehicles, the certificate needed to register them in France. We prepare the file with you before shipping.

Special territories

France's overseas departments and territories — Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion, Mayotte, as well as French Polynesia and New Caledonia — have their own tax rules, including dock dues. A move there involves specific formalities, even from mainland France. Corsica follows mainland rules.

Vehicles and restricted items

• Vehicles Vehicles can be imported duty-free with your household goods if you have owned and used them for at least 6 months and they appear on your inventory. Customs then issues the certificate required for French registration. Vehicles built to non-EU specifications may need technical approval first.
• Alcohol and tobacco Excluded from the exemption when shipped from outside the EU, and subject to duties and taxes.
• Plants and food Plants and most animal products are prohibited in shipments from outside the EU.
• Pets Pets travel separately from household goods. They need a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport or an official health certificate, depending on the country of origin.

How a move to France works

1. Free quote. Share your origin, your delivery address in France and roughly how much you are moving. A written quote lands in your inbox within 24 hours.
2. Survey and planning. We validate the volume with you, pick the transport mode and go through the customs rules that apply on this route to France.
3. Packing and collection. Our local team packs, inventories and loads your belongings at your home in France.
4. Transport. By road across Europe, or by sea container between continents — whichever best fits your route to France.
5. Customs clearance (where required). We prepare and file the documents for clearance in France (French customs file (inventory, Cerfa 10070) for non-EU moves).
6. Delivery and set-up. Final-mile delivery to your door; unpacking and reassembly are added when your quote includes them.

One coordinator follows your move to France from the first call to the final delivery.

Transport options and transit times

Expect the figures below as indicative door-to-door windows; season, addresses and customs clearance can all shift them.

Door-to-door transit times are indicative and depend on the season, the exact addresses and, for non-EU moves, customs clearance.

How the price of your move to France is calculated

We price every move to France with the same ingredients — nothing hidden, nothing improvised:

• Volume — the single biggest lever on the price, in m³. The online calculator walks you through it one room at a time.
• Distance and route — from your origin address to your new home in France.
• Transport mode — shared road load, a truck booked only for you, FCL or LCL by sea, or air for very small cargo.
• Services — everything beyond pure transport: packing, dismantling, crating, short-term storage, extra legs by ferry.
• Access — top-floor flats with no lift, narrow lanes, long carries, external hoists when the stairs will not do.
• Customs — declaration fees and port or airport handling, when the route to France crosses a customs border.
• Insurance — a small percentage of the declared value — scalable to what you want covered.

Typical volumes, as a guide:

Our online estimator gives you a starting price for road moves within Europe in two minutes. For sea and air freight, and for any move with customs, you receive a detailed written quote — reply within 24 hours.

Frequently asked questions

Do I pay customs duties when moving to France from the UK?

Not if you qualify for the change of residence exemption: at least 12 months living outside the EU, belongings owned for at least 6 months, a move of your main residence, and import within 12 months of settling in France.

Is there any customs paperwork when moving from another EU country?

No. Moves between EU countries involve no customs formalities and no import duty.

Why do I need an inventory with values?

French customs uses it to check that your belongings are used personal goods covered by the exemption. It must be detailed, with estimated values, dated, signed and provided in two copies.

Can I furnish a holiday home in France duty-free?

Not from outside the EU. The exemption applies only to your main residence; a shipment to a second home is taxed in full.

Can I bring my car to France?

Yes, if you have owned and used it for at least 6 months and it is listed on your inventory. Customs then issues the certificate needed to register it in France.

How long does a move to France take?

From neighbouring countries, a dedicated truck usually delivers within a few days. A shared load takes one to four weeks. From North America, allow six to twelve weeks by sea container.