Settling in
Moving
Organising your move to or from France, even remotely: we frame the project and connect you with a partner mover who quotes and carries out the work.
French Realty
Informs, guides and coordinates: a single contact who frames your file and follows the service through.
Specialist partner
Carries out the service under their own responsibility, quoted and billed by them.
The essentials in four sentences
A move to France from a country outside the European Union benefits from relief on duties and taxes for personal belongings, on three conditions set by community regulation 1186/2009: genuinely transferring your normal residence, having owned the goods for at least six months before departure, and not disposing of them during the twelve months that follow. The relief is not automatic, it requires a declaration of transfer of residence and a valued inventory presented to customs. From another Member State there is neither customs nor relief to claim, but an imported vehicle must be registered within the month and a tax clearance is required beforehand. A pet travels with electronic identification and a European passport. On the carrier side, what protects you is not the quote but the declaration of value, and the reservations recorded on delivery, confirmed by registered letter within ten days. French Realty frames that timetable and directs you to the professionals; it carries nothing and files no customs declaration in your place.
What is an international move, in customs terms?
A transfer of normal residence, not a mere transport of boxes. The distinction is not one of vocabulary: it is what opens or closes the relief on duties and taxes for your personal belongings. Shipping furniture to a second home is not a move in customs terms, and that furniture is taxable.
| Your situation | The treatment | What to produce |
|---|---|---|
| You transfer your residence from a third country | Relief from duties and taxes on personal belongings | Declaration of transfer of residence and valued inventory |
| You come from another Union Member State | No customs and no relief: free movement applies | Nothing for goods, a tax clearance for a vehicle |
| You equip a second home without settling | Ordinary importation, duties and value added tax due | A standard import declaration |
The third line surprises half our audience, and it is better known before shipping than when the container lands: a buyer keeping their residence abroad and furnishing their French house is not transferring residence, hence gets no relief. Buying the furniture in France is almost always simpler and cheaper than shipping it.
How does a move to France unfold?
In five stages, the first of which decides all the others: the inventory. It is the basis for the quote, the declaration of value, the customs declaration and, on the day of a dispute, the proof of what was shipped. A sloppy inventory is paid for at each of those four points.
- The technical survey and the inventory: volume, access, fragile or valuable items, and what will stay behind. Done on site or by video call, never on a phone estimate.
- The quote and the declaration of value: the quote states the price, the declaration of value states what the carrier owes if everything disappears. The two are read together.
- The customs file, from a third country: valued inventory, declaration of transfer of residence, evidence of the former and the new address.
- Collection and transport: packing, loading, carriage, with a lead time that depends on the mode chosen far more than on distance.
- Delivery: item-by-item check against the inventory, written and precise reservations on the delivery document, and confirmation by registered letter within ten days.
The fifth stage is the only one where your rights vanish in a few days. A reservation must be precise to count: "box 14 crushed, crockery broken" protects, "subject to unpacking" protects nothing and has been held insufficient. And it is confirmed by registered letter within ten days of delivery, under article L133-3 of the Commercial Code.
On what conditions do you obtain relief from duties and taxes?
Three, set by community regulation 1186/2009, and all three are checked: meeting two is not enough. They bear on you, on how long you have owned the goods, and on what you will do with them after arrival.
| The condition | What it requires | What evidences it |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer of normal residence | Genuinely leaving your country to settle in France | Deregistration or consular certificate, lease or deed, employment contract |
| Prior ownership of the goods | Having owned them at least six months before departure | The valued inventory, and invoices for recent items |
| Non-disposal after arrival | Not selling or lending them for twelve months | A signed undertaking, and a possible check during that period |
Some goods stay outside the relief whatever your situation, and the list deserves reading before loading: alcohol and tobacco, commercial vehicles, professional equipment, and goods acquired in the six months before departure. A sofa bought the month before will therefore travel taxable, even inside a move that is otherwise entirely relieved.
What does the cost of a move depend on, and what doubles it?
On volume and mode of transport, in that order, and far less on distance than people think. Two items escape that logic, however, and blow budgets: access, which appears on no quote drawn without a survey, and the packing formula chosen.
| The factor | Its effect | What controls it |
|---|---|---|
| The volume carried | The first factor, proportional | Sorting before getting a quote, never after |
| The mode: shared sea, dedicated sea, road, air | From single to multiple, and it governs the lead time | Deciding early between cost and arrival date |
| Access at both ends | The most underestimated item: no lift, narrow street, furniture hoist | The technical survey, on site or by video call |
| The packing formula | From plain carriage to full packing of fragile items | Choosing full packing only for the items that deserve it |
| The declaration of value | It raises the price and sets the compensation | Calibrating it on real value, neither above nor below |
A simple calculation often avoids the biggest expense: comparing the cost of shipping a batch of furniture with that of rebuying it in France. On ordinary furniture coming from another continent, the second almost always wins. Shipping is reserved for what cannot be rebought, and that sorting is done BEFORE the technical survey, since it is the volume that gets quoted.
How long does it take, and what stretches the transit?
From a few days to several months depending on the mode chosen, and the mode is chosen well before collection. Shared sea freight, the cheapest, is also the one with the least firm arrival date: the container leaves when it is full.
| The mode | Usual lead time | What stretches it |
|---|---|---|
| Road, from within Europe | A few days to two weeks | Access, and the summer peak season |
| Air | One to two weeks | The cost, which confines it to small volumes |
| Sea, dedicated container | Four to eight weeks depending on origin | Customs clearance on arrival if the file is incomplete |
| Shared sea freight | Six weeks to three months | Waiting for the container to fill, beyond control |
Plan for living through the transit, and that is the most concrete advice on this page: a shared sea container can land two months after you settle. What you carry as accompanied baggage is therefore not a detail, it is your real equipment for weeks. Documents, bedding and minimal crockery travel with you, never in the container.
What changes depending on whether you come from the Union or elsewhere?
The whole customs side, and nothing of the transport side. From another Member State there is no declaration, no relief to claim and no valued inventory to produce: free movement of goods applies and your furniture travels as if it were changing region. From a third country, the entire customs file is added to the move.
| The point | From the Union | From a third country |
|---|---|---|
| Customs declaration | None | Compulsory, with a valued inventory |
| Relief from duties and taxes | Not applicable: nothing is due | To be claimed, under the regulation's three conditions |
| Personal vehicle | Tax clearance then registration within the month | Customs clearance, then clearance and registration |
| Pet | Electronic identification and European passport | Same rules, plus the origin country's health requirements |
A mistake of order is paid for here, and it is common: the tax clearance is requested BEFORE registration, not after, and registration must occur within the month following the vehicle's acquisition or import under article R322-1 of the Highway Code. Starting the process when the container lands is already being late.
What should be checked in a moving quote?
Not the price first, but what the price covers, because two quotes at the same amount can carry very different commitments. Five lines decide what happens in case of breakage, delay or impossible access, and none of the five is the total at the bottom.
| To read | What to look for |
|---|---|
| The declaration of value | The real compensation ceiling, and the per-item ceiling, often much lower |
| The packing formula | Who packs what: an item packed by you is almost never covered |
| The access conditions allowed for | Floor, lift, carrying distance, hoist: what is missing will be charged extra |
| The lead time and its nature | A firm date or an indicative range, which do not commit alike |
| Any storage | Who charges it, from when, and who insures during that time |
The most misleading line is the per-item ceiling. A comfortable overall declaration of value can come with a low individual ceiling, which will never cover the one piece you cared about. Valuable items are declared by name on an attached list, or they are not covered at their worth.
What risks does an international move carry?
Three, and none of them is breakage, the only one people think of. Breakage is anticipated, priced and compensable. The three real risks are a refused customs file, compensation capped well below value, and an expired claim period.
| The risk | What it costs | What holds it |
|---|---|---|
| Relief refused on arrival | Duties and value added tax on the whole load, plus storage charges | A complete file BEFORE shipping, never during |
| Capped compensation | The gap between real value and the ceiling, at your expense | A calibrated declaration of value, and valuables listed |
| Late or vague claim | No remedy, even on obvious damage | Precise reservations on delivery, confirmed within ten days |
A fourth risk only shows twelve months later, and it is specific to the relief: goods admitted duty-free may be neither sold nor lent for a year. Reselling an imported piece within that period exposes you to paying the duties avoided. The rule is rarely explained at loading, and yet it outlives the container's arrival.
How do you build the relief file, document by document?
Before shipping, never during. A container arriving with an incomplete file does not leave again: it waits in a warehouse, at the consignee's cost, until the missing documents are produced. This is the most avoidable expense of the whole move.
- The valued inventory, in French or translated, listing each lot with an honest value: it is the key document, and the one that also serves in a dispute with the carrier.
- Proof of the residence left behind: consular certificate, deregistration, or any official document from the country of departure.
- Proof of the residence taken up in France: title deed, lease, or employment contract depending on your situation.
- The undertaking not to dispose of the goods for twelve months, signed by your own hand.
- An identity document and, where applicable, the residence permit or visa on which your settling rests.
The inventory deserves more care than it gets, because it serves twice and in opposite directions: undervalued, it weakens your compensation in case of loss; overvalued, it draws customs attention to a load supposed to consist of used goods. An honest value, that of a second-hand item in its real condition, is the only tenable position.
How do you move a pet to France?
With three documents and a calendar, and it is the calendar that causes trouble: some health requirements involve a waiting period after vaccination, which can delay the animal's departure by weeks compared to yours. This step is started first, not last.
| The requirement | What it involves | When |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic identification | A chip meeting the international standard, readable in France | First: everything else attaches to it |
| Valid rabies vaccination | A first vaccination after identification, never before | Several weeks before departure |
| The passport or health certificate | A European passport from within the Union, a certificate from a third country | Once identification and vaccination are in order |
The order is a rule, not a convenience: a rabies vaccination given BEFORE identification is not recognised, and everything must start again, waiting period included. It is the most frequent mistake, and the only one that can make an animal travel weeks after its family.
Should you ship your car, and on what conditions?
Rarely, and the question turns on two points unrelated to transport: the vehicle's conformity with European standards, and which side the steering is on. A non-conforming vehicle must be modified, sometimes heavily, and that expense often exceeds its value.
| Rank | The step | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check European conformity | A certificate of conformity, or individual type approval |
| 2 | Clear customs, from a third country | The import declaration, with or without relief |
| 3 | Obtain the tax clearance | It precedes registration and cannot be obtained after |
| 4 | Register | Within the month of acquisition or import |
| 5 | Insure | No French insurer covers an unregistered vehicle for long |
The question usefully reverses: rather than asking what shipping costs, compare the total cost, transport plus conformity work plus registration, with that of an equivalent vehicle bought in France. On an ordinary vehicle from another continent, the second almost always wins. Shipping is justified for a classic car or a model unavailable here.
Which mistakes cost the most in a move?
They come down to two families: having built the customs file after shipping instead of before, and having read the quote on its total instead of its commitments. Both are corrected upstream and can no longer be corrected afterwards.
| The mistake | What it costs |
|---|---|
| Shipping before the relief file is complete | Duties and taxes on the whole load, plus storage while waiting |
| Getting a quote with no technical survey | A surcharge on collection day, for access never seen |
| Writing "subject to unpacking" on delivery | No remedy: the wording has been held insufficient |
| Missing the ten days to confirm reservations | The right to compensation lapses, even on obvious damage |
| Packing yourself what matters | An item packed by you is almost never covered by the carrier |
| Vaccinating the pet before identifying it | The vaccination is not recognised, and departure slips by weeks |
The seventh mistake is a calculation not made: shipping everything. A move is priced by volume, and volume is decided before the technical survey. Sorting once the quote is signed does not lower the price; sorting beforehand lowers it accordingly.
What does French Realty do on your move, and what does it not do?
It builds the timetable backwards, starting from the date you want to sleep in your own home, and works back to the first step to launch. Then it directs you to the professionals whose trade it is and holds the circulation of documents between them.
- The reverse timetable: the arrival date you want, the transport mode it imposes, and the deadline of every upstream step.
- Framing the volume: what deserves to travel and what is rebought locally, decided before the technical survey and not after.
- The direction: an international mover for transport, a declarant for customs, a vet for the pet, never a single intermediary.
- The coordination: the circulation of documents between you, the mover, customs and the notary's practice when the keys date governs everything.
What it does not do: it carries nothing, packs nothing and files no customs declaration in your place. Those acts belong to professionals who answer for them, and that is precisely what makes their liability enforceable on the day of damage. Coordination does not take on the carrier's liability, and claiming otherwise would deprive you of a remedy.
Changing home from afar means juggling quotes, dates, access to both addresses and the unexpected. We frame your move (volume, schedule, building constraints) and connect you with a reliable partner mover, used to non-resident clients. The partner quotes, carries out the work under their own responsibility and bills you directly.
Benefits
- A single point of contact · Tell us where and when; we frame the project and find the right partner mover.
- Even from afar · The move is organised without you having to be at both addresses.
- Compared quotes · The partner prices the job fairly, based on volume and distance.
How it works
- 1. We frame your move: volume, addresses, dates and access constraints.
- 2. We introduce you to a partner mover used to non-resident clients.
- 3. The partner quotes, schedules and carries out the move.
- Cost: introduction is complimentary; the move is billed directly by the partner as quoted.
Frequently asked questions
Last updated: September 2026
Can you import your furniture into France without paying duties?
Yes, if you come from a country outside the European Union and three conditions of community regulation 1186/2009 are met together: genuinely transferring your normal residence to France, having owned the goods for at least six months before departure, and not disposing of them for the twelve months that follow. The relief is not automatic, it requires a declaration of transfer of residence and a valued inventory. From another Member State the question does not arise: free movement applies.
Does equipping a second home qualify for the relief?
No, and this is what most surprises buyers who keep their residence abroad. The relief supposes a transfer of normal residence; shipping furniture to a house you spend a few weeks a year in is an ordinary importation, subject to duties and value added tax. On ordinary furniture from another continent, buying it in France is almost always cheaper than shipping it.
What do you do if items arrive broken or missing?
Record written and PRECISE reservations on the delivery document, then confirm them by registered letter within ten days of delivery, under article L133-3 of the Commercial Code. Precision decides everything: "box 14 crushed, crockery broken" protects, "subject to unpacking" has been held insufficient and protects nothing. After ten days the right to compensation lapses, even on obvious damage.
How do you move a dog or a cat to France?
With three documents, and above all in the right order: electronic identification first, rabies vaccination next, European passport or health certificate last. The order is a rule and not a convenience, a vaccination given before identification not being recognised. It is the most frequent mistake, and the only one that can make an animal travel weeks after its family, since everything must start again, waiting period included.
How long does a sea container take to arrive?
Four to eight weeks in a dedicated container, six weeks to three months in shared freight, depending on origin. Shared freight is the cheapest and the least firm on dates, since the container leaves when it is full. So plan for living through the transit: documents, bedding and minimal crockery travel with you as accompanied baggage, never in the container, because they are your real equipment for weeks.
Do you organise international removals?
We scope your project end to end, then point you to a specialist partner remover: sea, air or road transport depending on volume and country, customs clearance, transit insurance and delivery to your French address. French Realty drives the calendar and reports at every step.
How does a removal work when I already live abroad?
Everything is managed remotely: a technical survey by video or through a local partner to assess volume, a written quote, dates aligned with your travel. On the day, one of our staff can attend delivery to receive on your behalf and check the condition of the furniture.
What about customs clearance for my furniture?
Moving home to France can qualify for duty relief on long-held personal belongings, with proof. The transport partner prepares the documents (detailed inventory, proof of residence) and handles customs formalities for you.
And for a purely French removal?
Same coordination: truck, carrying crew, optional packing and reassembly, insurance. For a flat in a co-owned building, we first check the building's rules: time slots, lift booking, management's authorisation.
How is the removal priced?
By quote, after the technical survey: volume, distance, access, packing services and insurance. French Realty compares the partners' proposals and presents you a clear figure before anything is committed.
Your personal study for your settling in
A concrete reading of your project in France: buying, financing, tax, coordinated by your dedicated French Realty contact.