MetEx House, 496a Great West Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW5 0TE  ·  Shipping since 1998
0800 096 38 39
🗻 & ✈ Shipping to France • UK’s France specialists • Since 1998

Shipping to France from the UK
Luggage, personal effects & household goods — by air, road or sea

Everything you need to ship to France in one place. We collect from your door anywhere in the UK, handle the post-Brexit Transfer of Residence customs paperwork, and deliver to Paris, Lyon, Nice, Bordeaux and beyond. Air freight in 2–4 working days, or economical road and sea groupage in roughly 1 week, subject to space and flight availability with the carriers. Shipping to France since 1998.

Get a quote 📞 0800 096 38 39

France has been one of our steady routes for years — from a few boxes for a student to a full household relocating for good. Since Brexit, shipping to France means a proper customs import, and the single thing that decides whether it clears cleanly and duty-free is your Transfer of Residence paperwork and a matching inventory. This guide brings together everything that actually matters, drawn from our Heathrow-side operation and the thousands of France shipments we’ve handled since 1998.

Every way we ship to France

Not sure which service you need? Start here — each links to full details, transit times and what’s included.

How shipping to France works, step by step

1
Quote & book

Tell us what you’re sending and where. We’ll give you a clear quote up front.

2
Door collection

We collect from your address anywhere in the UK. No depot or airport drop-off needed.

3
Pack & document

Goods are export-packed and we prepare your itemised inventory and the Transfer of Residence customs paperwork.

4
Ship by air, road or sea

Air freight from Heathrow, or consolidated road and sea groupage to your part of France.

5
Customs clearance

French customs (Douanes) assess your Transfer of Residence claim and inventory. We prepare everything to clear cleanly.

6
Delivery

Your goods are delivered to your France address, or ready to collect from the arrival depot.

Transfer of Residence — how to ship duty-free

Since Brexit, shipping to France is a full customs import. The good news: if you’re genuinely moving your home, your used belongings can clear free of customs duty and 20% TVA (VAT) under Transfer of Residence relief.

The relief: used personal and household effects enter free of duty and 20% TVA (VAT) if you are moving your main home to France, have lived in the UK for at least 12 months, and have owned and used the goods for at least 6 months.
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A detailed inventory is essential. Customs need a full itemised list — it doubles as your packing list and is the single biggest factor in a fast, duty-free clearance.
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Proof of the move: you’ll typically need a certificate of change of residence (certificat de changement de résidence) or consular radiation, your passport, and a French-language inventory. We’ll guide you to the right documents.
Timing rules: import within 12 months of establishing residence, and don’t sell or lend the goods for 12 months after import, or the duty and tax become payable.
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What’s still taxed: brand-new items, anything bought for the move, and goods owned under 6 months don’t qualify — they’re assessed for duty and 20% TVA (VAT).

Moving-to-France shipping guide ›

What you can’t ship — and what slows shipments down

Whether by air, road or sea, some items are prohibited and others invite a customs hold. Packing sensibly and declaring honestly keeps your clearance quick.

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Prohibited in freight: aerosols and pressurised cans (deodorants, hairspray), perfumes and aftershaves (flammable), loose batteries, and tobacco. These four are the ones we see most often — leave them out.
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Alcohol doesn’t travel duty-free with a household move and is best left behind.
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List what everything is. Vague box contents invite inspection; a clear, itemised inventory clears faster. Number your boxes to match the list.
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When in doubt, declare it. Everything is subject to customs inspection, and declaring is free.

What we see most often — and how to avoid it

Most UK–France shipments clear without drama. The ones that don’t nearly always come down to the same short list:

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Leaving the Transfer of Residence paperwork too late. Get the inventory and proof of relocation ready before the goods ship — scrambling after arrival causes storage costs and delays.
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Missing local registration. French customs want proof you’re moving your home — a change-of-residence certificate and new French address. Sort it early.
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A vague inventory. “Box of assorted” invites an inspection; “books, kitchenware, cotton bedding” does not.
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Packing the banned four. Aerosols, perfumes, loose batteries and tobacco are the items most often pulled — leave them out.

What a move to France actually looks like

An illustrative example of a common scenario — your quote is always to your exact shipment.

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A family relocating to Lyon with a two-bed flat’s contents would typically go by road groupage, with us collecting from their UK door, export-packing, and preparing the Transfer of Residence paperwork and a French-language inventory. Transit is usually around a week, and with the paperwork clean the goods clear duty-free. Urgent items go ahead by air.

Door-to-door across France

We deliver to every region. Here are our most popular destinations — each with local delivery detail and transit times:

Which is right for your move?

Air freight suits a few boxes or anything urgent — 2–4 working days, priced on weight and size. Road & sea groupage suits volume — a room or a whole home — at a fraction of the per-kilo cost, over roughly 1 week door-to-door. Many customers split the two: air for the essentials, groupage for the rest.

Shipping to France — your questions answered

Should I ship or pay the airline for extra bags? +
For more than a bag or two, shipping is usually cheaper than airline excess-baggage fees — and you’re not carrying the weight through the airport. We collect from your door and deliver across France.
How long does it take? +
Air freight is typically 2–4 working days. Road & sea groupage is typically around 1 week door-to-door, plus customs clearance.
Will I pay duty or tax? +
Used household and personal effects can clear free of duty and 20% TVA (VAT) under Transfer of Residence relief, if you’re genuinely moving your main home, lived in the UK 12+ months and owned the goods 6+ months. New items are assessed for duty and tax.
What paperwork do I need? +
A detailed inventory plus a certificate of change of residence, your passport and a French-language inventory. We prepare the Transfer of Residence paperwork with you.
Can I send electrical items and furniture? +
Yes — furniture, appliances and electricals are all fine to ship. France uses 230V and European plugs, so UK items may need plug adapters.
Is my shipment insured? +
We offer transit cover — we’ll explain the options and cost when we quote, and we always recommend cover for a full relocation.
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Lak Kharod, Director
Excess Luggage Co. • overseeing UK–France shipping since 1998 • MetEx House, Hounslow, next to Heathrow

Excess Luggage Co. has shipped personal effects, luggage and household goods from the UK to France for over 28 years — through our own Heathrow-side warehouse and collection fleet. We know this route and exactly what France customs looks for since Brexit. For a quote or advice on your Transfer of Residence paperwork, call us on 0800 096 38 39.

Ready to ship to France?

Tell us what you’re sending and where it’s going. We’ll come back with a quote and a realistic transit-time estimate — before you commit to anything.