Destination 01 · UK to France
International removals from the UK to France.
UK to France removals planned from the doorstep outwards: a survey of what you own, export and import paperwork prepared in your name, and delivery to the door in Paris, Provence, Brittany, the Dordogne or the Riviera.
FIG. 01 · Brief
Close to home, but a different system.
France is the nearest of our four destinations, and that proximity fools people. The drive is short; the formalities are not. Since the UK left the EU, a household moving to France is an export from one customs territory and an import into another, and French customs expect the paperwork to describe your belongings before the lorry reaches them.
Most of the work on a UK to France removal therefore happens before collection day: an inventory that matches what is actually packed, proof that you are changing your main residence, and a delivery plan that suits the street at the other end. Get those right and the move itself is the easy part.
This page explains how we run that sequence, what you will be asked for, and what tends to shape the quote.
FIG. 02 · The move
A UK to France removal, stage by stage.
- 01
Survey
A surveyor walks your UK home, notes volume, fragile and high-value items, and asks about the French address: floor, lift, street width, parking.
- 02
Written quote
One document that sets out the scope: packing, paperwork, the crossing, delivery, and anything you have asked us to leave out.
- 03
Packing and inventory
Export packing ahead of collection. Every carton is numbered and listed, because that list becomes the customs inventory.
- 04
Export declaration
The goods leave the UK on an export declaration lodged for you. You sign; we prepare.
- 05
Crossing and road journey
Your load crosses the Channel by ferry or shuttle and continues by road to the region you are moving to.
- 06
Import clearance
French customs process the import under the change-of-residence rules, using your inventory and supporting documents.
- 07
Delivery
The crew carries goods into the rooms you choose, reassembles furniture they took apart and takes the packing away if you want it gone.
FIG. 03 · Packing
Packing and the inventory French customs will read.
Packing for a cross-border move is not the same as packing for a local one. Cartons may be handled more than once, and the inventory that describes them has a second job as a customs document. We number each piece and record what is inside in plain terms, with a value where customs want one.
Tell the surveyor early about anything that falls outside ordinary household contents. Some goods carry their own rules in France regardless of how long you have owned them.
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Wine and spirits
Alcohol is subject to excise rules and is treated separately from furniture and personal effects. List bottles at survey so the right declaration goes with them.
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Antiques and artwork
Crated or soft-wrapped to suit the piece, and described on the inventory so the entry matches what is in the crate.
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New purchases
Items bought shortly before the move may not qualify for residence relief. Flag them so they can be declared correctly.
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Garden and outdoor items
Tools, furniture and pots should be clean of soil before packing.
FIG. 04 · Paperwork
Customs and documents for removals to France.
People moving their main home to France can usually import personal belongings free of duty and VAT under the change-of-residence relief, provided the goods have been owned and used for the qualifying period and stay with you after the move. The relief is claimed at import, and French customs decide what evidence they need. In general terms, expect to provide:
- Valued inventory · Inventaire détaillé et estimatif
- A dated, signed list of what is being moved, with approximate values. We draft it from the packing record; you check and sign it.
- Identity · Passport
- A copy for the customs file, in the name of the person claiming the relief.
- Proof of your UK residence · Evidence of former main home
- Typically documents such as utility bills or a tenancy that show you lived in the UK before the move.
- Proof of your French address · Evidence of new main home
- A purchase deed, notaire attestation or lease for the property you are moving into.
- Right to stay · Visa or residence document
- Your own immigration route to France is separate from the removal and is arranged by you; we schedule delivery around it.
Rules and forms change. Treat this as an outline, not legal advice, and check your own situation with French customs (douane) or the French consulate before you commit to dates.
FIG. 05 · Access
Access at both ends.
At the UK address
Parking outside the UK property is often the first problem. Many councils, London boroughs especially, issue parking bay suspensions for removal vehicles, and they need applying for in advance.
Flats need a lift booking and sometimes the managing agent’s permission; houses on narrow roads may need a smaller vehicle to shuttle to a larger one.
At the address in France
In Paris and other dense centres, parking a removal vehicle usually needs a permit from the local authority, and upper-floor flats are often served with an external furniture lift through a window or balcony rather than the stairwell.
Older villages in Provence and the south-west can have narrow lanes and weight limits on roads and bridges. Where a full-size vehicle cannot reach the door, goods are transferred to a smaller one nearby. We ask about this at survey so it is in the quote, not a surprise on the day.
FIG. 06 · Regions
Where in France.
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Paris and Île-de-France
Apartment buildings, courtyards, gardiens and parking permits. Lift and stair access is measured before anything else is planned.
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Provence
Aix-en-Provence, Avignon and the Luberon villages. Stone stairs, narrow lanes and summer heat shape the delivery plan.
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The Dordogne and south-west
Rural houses on long tracks, often some distance from the nearest wide road. A smaller vehicle may handle the last stretch.
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Brittany and Normandy
The regions nearest the Channel ports. Farmhouses and longères often sit at the end of narrow farm lanes.
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The Riviera
Nice, Cannes and Antibes. Hillside access, residence managers and building rules on when removals can use the lift.
FIG. 07 · Quotes
How a France quote is put together.
We do not quote a France move from a room count over the phone. The figure depends on what you own and on two addresses, and both need looking at. After the survey you receive one written quote that lists what is included: packing, materials, paperwork, the crossing, delivery and any storage.
If your completion date in France is not fixed yet, say so. Goods can be held in storage and delivered when you have the keys, and the quote will show that as its own line.
What shapes the figure
- The volume of goods, measured at survey
- How far into France the delivery address is
- Access at the UK and French addresses
- Packing: full, fragile-only or none
- Whether your dates allow your load to share a vehicle with others on the route
- Storage at either end, if dates do not line up
FIG. 08 · Common questions
Questions about moving to France.
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It depends on where in France you are going, how much is moving, how customs clearance goes and whether your load travels on its own or shares a vehicle. Your written quote includes an estimated delivery window for your move.
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Usually not, if you are moving your main home and the goods have been owned and used for the qualifying period. The change-of-residence relief is claimed at import with your inventory and supporting documents. Recently bought items and alcohol can be treated differently, which is why we ask about them at survey.
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Yes. We prepare the export declaration on the UK side and the import paperwork for French customs, using the inventory you sign. You supply the personal documents only you can provide, such as proof of address.
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No. Your right to live in France is your own application to the French authorities. We plan collection and delivery around the dates you have.
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Usually, by transferring the load to a smaller vehicle close to the property. Tell us the address at survey and we will plan the final stretch before quoting.
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Alcohol is subject to excise rules and is declared separately from household goods. List what you plan to take at survey and we will tell you what paperwork it needs.
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Your goods can go into storage and be delivered once you have access. Storage is quoted as a separate line so you can see exactly what it adds.
UK to France removals, surveyed and quoted in writing.
Get your France quote