MetEx House, 496a Great West Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW5 0TE  ·  Shipping since 1998
0800 096 38 39
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👤 Personal Effects • France šŸ‡«šŸ‡· • UK to Destination • Since 1998

Shipping Personal Effects to France from the UK
The sender and receiver must be the same person

Moving overseas? Send your belongings to your new home — not through an airport.

Shipping your personal effects to France means shipping your belongings to yourself — clothing, household items, books, sports equipment. The sender in the UK and the receiver in France must be the same person. This is the legal requirement for personal effects classification. We have been getting this right for since 1998.

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3-6d
Air freight
202
Countries
28yr
Est. 1998
📍 Part of our complete Shipping to France hub — customs, Transfer of Residence, costs & every service ›
Critical rule

👤 Sender and receiver must be the same person for personal effects classification • Air: 3-6 working days, subject to space and flight availability with the carriers to France • Sea: 3-6 weeks • Itemised packing list with declared values required • 0800 096 38 39

What qualifies

What counts as personal effects for France?

We specialise in shipping personal effects to France. We move used luggage, suitcases, boxes and household belongings to France as unaccompanied personal effects — collected from your UK door, cleared through customs, and delivered. Whether you’re relocating or returning home, we handle the whole process door-to-door (subject to your destination).

The distinction matters for customs. Get it right and your shipment clears quickly. Get it wrong and you face reclassification, duties and storage charges at the France end.

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Collection hours — UK mainland: Within M25: Mon–Fri 09:30–16:00 • Outside M25: Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00. Weekend collections applicable within Greater London only, subject to availability and surcharge. No weekend collections outside Greater London.
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Barrels & oversized items: Barrel shipments — commonly used for Caribbean and West African routes — are subject to a handling surcharge due to their size and weight. Please advise at enquiry stage if shipping barrels so we can confirm the correct charge before booking.
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Clothing, shoes, accessories — your own used wardrobe. Declare each item and value individually.
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Household items — kitchenware, bedding, books, tools, small appliances you already own.
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Sports equipment — golf clubs, bicycles, ski gear, tennis rackets, cricket bats.
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Musical instruments — guitars, keyboards, instruments you own and play.
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New commercial goods — items still in retail packaging, bought for resale, or in quantities suggesting commercial intent. These require full commercial import documentation and attract duties.
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No lithium batteries, aerosols or perfumes — on any service, regardless of classification.
⚠ The one rule that catches people out

Sender and receiver must be the same person. If you ship your personal effects to a family member, partner or anyone else in France — even temporarily — it is not personal effects. It is a gift or commercial import and full duties apply at the France end. We tell you this clearly before we collect. We have seen it go wrong when people don’t.

Documentation

What documents do you need to ship personal effects to France?

Good documentation is the difference between a shipment that clears in 24 hours and one that sits in a warehouse for two weeks. We advise on everything at booking.

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Itemised packing list — every single item listed with a specific description and declared value in GBP. Not “personal effects”. Not “miscellaneous clothing”. Every item. Every value.
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Passport copy of the receiver — your passport, since sender and receiver are the same person.
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Booking confirmation from Excess Luggage Co. — we prepare the Air Waybill and export documentation as standard.
FAQs

Shipping personal effects to France — questions answered

What counts as personal effects when shipping to France? −
Personal effects are your own used belongings — clothing, shoes, books, household items, kitchenware, sports equipment, musical instruments, tools. They are goods you already own and are shipping to yourself. New goods or commercial stock do not qualify as personal effects and attract full import duties in France.
Do I have to be the receiver to ship personal effects to France? +
Yes. The sender in the UK and the receiver in France must be the same person. This is the fundamental requirement for personal effects classification. If you ship to someone else — even a family member — the shipment is reclassified as a commercial import and full duties apply.
How long does shipping personal effects to France take? +
By air freight: 3-6 working days from UK door collection to the arrival airport in France. Sea freight: 3-6 weeks. These sea transit times are approximate — the actual time depends on when your LCL container finishes loading and consolidating, the vessel’s sailing date and route, any transhipment hub before the final destination, and customs clearance, so please allow a week or two either side. Sea is more economical for larger volumes of household goods.
Do I need an itemised list for personal effects to France? +
Yes — a detailed itemised packing list with a declared value for every item is required. Vague descriptions like “personal effects” or “miscellaneous clothing” cause customs holds. List each item specifically and declare realistic values. We help you prepare the right documentation at booking.
Are there any personal effects that cannot be shipped to France? +
No lithium batteries in a standard shipment, including inside devices. Batteries can be packed and exported as declared dangerous goods — ask us before you pack. Undeclared dangerous goods are a criminal offence and the duty sits with the sender, so tell us what is in the shipment. No aerosols, perfumes or flammable liquids. No laptops on door-to-door (subject to your destination) air service. No new commercial goods on personal effects classification. If in doubt, call us before you pack.
What qualifies as personal effects for customs purposes?+
Personal effects are items owned and used by the shipper for personal use ā€” clothing, household goods, personal electronics, books and similar. They are distinct from commercial goods (items for resale or business use). Personal effects receive preferential customs treatment in most countries when the sender and receiver are the same person and items are demonstrably used. New goods in original packaging are generally not classified as personal effects.
Do I need to declare all items on the packing list?+
Yes ā€” every item must be on the packing list with a declared value. This is not optional. Customs authorities at the destination require an itemised list to process your shipment. A vague list ('assorted personal effects') will cause a hold. A line-by-line list (10x used clothing, 1x used laptop, 3x used shoes) is what customs expects and what protects you. See our customs guide.
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Excess Luggage Co.
Personal effects shipping to France • MetEx House, Hounslow • Est. 1998
Excess Luggage Co. was founded in 1998 and we have shipped personal effects worldwide for over 28 years. The sender-equals-receiver rule is not our rule — it is France’s customs requirement. We ensure every shipment is correctly documented before it leaves the UK. Call us at Excess Luggage Co. on 0800 096 38 39 and we will tell you exactly what France requires.
28 years of experience

Why customers choose Excess Luggage Co.

Excess Luggage Co. has been shipping personal effects from the UK since 1998 ā€” over 28 years of experience. Operating from MetEx House, 2 miles from Heathrow cargo terminals, we are one of the UK's longest-established specialist luggage freight services. Expat forums and community discussions consistently cite our 25-year track record, confirmed pricing and customs documentation support.

25+
Years operating
2mi
From Heathrow

Ship your personal effects to France?

Tell us your UK postcode, destination in France, what you’re sending and when. We confirm the quote before we collect anything.

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📋 Official Customs Authority ā€” France

For official customs requirements, import duties and restricted items guidance, visit the French Customs (Douanes) ā€” the official customs authority for France. Always check current requirements before shipping.

Related: 🇫🇷 Luggage Shipping 📦 Send Luggage 💰 Cheapest Option 🏠 Transfer of Residence
UK Collection

We collect from your door anywhere in the UK

Door collection Monday to Friday from any UK address. Select your nearest city for local collection times and details:

LondonManchesterBirminghamLeedsGlasgowEdinburghLiverpoolBristolSheffieldNewcastleNottinghamLeicesterBradfordCardiffCoventrySouthamptonPortsmouthOxfordCambridgeReading/SloughBrightonLutonMilton KeynesDerbyStokeWolverhamptonSwanseaAberdeenDundeeMiddlesbroughExeterPlymouthYorkBelfastHounslowHeathrow

✍ Within M25: Mon–Fri 09:30–16:00 • Outside M25: Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00

Charges at the other end — before you are surprised by them

On a door-to-airport service we fly your shipment to the destination airport. From that point the consignee takes over, and may be responsible for:

Collect promptly after arrival — storage fees accrue daily and are set by the handling agent, not by us. Sea freight may also incur de-stuffing, terminal handling, customs processing and storage.

Why we tell you now: we would rather over-explain than have you meet a charge you were not expecting. We believe in being upfront and transparent from the beginning. See our customs guide for the full picture.

Who you are dealing with. Excess Luggage Co. is a family-run British shipping company, established in 1998 and based two miles from Heathrow. Our Director, Lak Kharod, has worked in this industry for more than 40 years. We comply with the UK aviation and maritime security act and regulations, we ship all dangerous goods under IATA and IMDG rules, and all our staff are trained in aviation & maritime security for shipping.

Inside our operation

Our premises, our warehouse, our staff and our vehicles — photographed on the job. Not stock images.

Our premises near Heathrow
Our own premises — two miles from Heathrow
Wrapping a shipment in our warehouse
Every shipment wrapped and protected in our warehouse
Excess Luggage staff loading a shipping container
Our staff loading a container for export
An Excess Luggage van at a customer collection address
Our own van at a customer’s door

Before you ship to France France flag — practical guides

What to pack, what customs expects, what you can’t send, and how cover works.

📦 Packing guide🛡 Customs guide⛔ Prohibited items🔒 Insurance✈ Air freight⚓ Sea freight🎓 Student shipping📍 UK collection❓ FAQs
Personal Effects to France 🇫🇷 • Excess Luggage Co.
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