As long as you move them over within 12 months of becoming resident.
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Hi Amanda,
Iām in the process of preparing to retire to France next year. Iām struggling to find information for taking my stuff over, even from the removal guy. I have some wood furniture which Iāve had for years. Not antique, of very little value, but Iāve been told they have to be analysed for pests. Do you have any knowledge of this?
Raw wood, like pallets, can only be brought in if it has been certified. And plant material is banned (including soil, and bark) and there are some controls on exotic woods. But Iāve never heard of anything about old furniture!
what about a 3.5T long wheelbase high top Mercedes Sprinter, it probably has more room that a Luton type 3.5T.
P.S. it probably has less wind resistance and better stability as well. and better fuel consumption as a result.
Hi we have just moved over and had a selection of wood furniture with no issues from removal company
Thanks for that. I have just received e mail confirmation from the French Ministry of Agriculture, to that effect. I suppose the problem is that everything is so new, that unless youāve been through it, trying to get the right information is like wading through treacle.
I will be back! I do have other questions!
I know exactly what you mean - particularly difficult in France where there is often a polite diffidence not to volunteer information unless itās asked for - difficult when you donāt know what to ask in the first place.
Good luck with all of this.
Can I ask which removal company you used?
I donāt think that he will be the only one looking for workers this summer.
Horticulturists need people to pick their fruit, people who really work hard and know what they are doing and how to operate any machinery needed.
I can imagine the vast swathes of missing fruit and veg on UK supermarket shelves this summer if not enough Eastern European workers are allowed in, or if they want to come.
The looming trade war with the EU might very well cut off supplies from Spain and Holland too.
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Iām delighted to notice that arch Brexit bell-ringer Gisela Stuart has started to notice Brexitā¦ , Well, implications, rather than benefits.
I wonder if she knows what āschadenfreudeā means? 
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Hi Amanda, when you said you canāt get a friend to help, is that just because of Covid?
Yes, restrictions are now looser I believe.
Thankfully they are. Iām not moving over until next April, so hopefully by that time things will be a little more relaxed, but itās such a minefield without having Covid to worry about. Removal companies are so expensive now and many have stopped doing international trips altogether. Iām weighing up the options of doing it myself, but itās essential to get it right.
Cheers for that. 
Yes. During lockdown in France.
Oldbird, you can do it yourself; especially if there isnāt much to move - but the paperwork is pretty daunting if you are not familiar with the usual French Beaurocracy. We did a combination of both with a company called Wottons of Tiverton who do around two or three trips a week to Europe and are possibly the best company I have dealt with.
In not sure by a combination of both, but Iāll give them a ring. I am aware that the French will never use one word when 10 will do. Itās not so much that Iām daunted by the paperwork, Iām just not entirely sure what I need, which is the worrying part. I know everything needs to be itemized, so Iāve got a Master List and every box has a label with the box number, the contents list and the value of the contents, the dimensions of the box, the weight of the box. I know I need the Cerfa form, but Im so scared of missing something, then getting to customs and being turned around.
By your description of your approach, it sounds as if youāre on the right track! One thing it might be worth including is sales invoices for any high value items that may interest customs. Items such as computers, or other high-value goods (expensive camera kit is the example that springs to my mind) especially of they look as if they are of professional quiality.
I think one of the biggest problems at the moment is that the regulations are still very new and relatively untested so no-one is sure of precisely what is required.
However, by early next year, there will be more people who have made the move and thus more real-world experience on which to draw.
Good luck with the move,
Brian
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and just to add to what Brian has saidā¦ with that amount of detail in the manifest, they may just wave things through and turn their attention elsewhere.
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Unfortunately Iām a pauper, so high value items are not something I need to worry about. I do apparently need receipts for electrical items, which is not an issue for more recent purchases, but impossible for older ones. Iāve kept the receipts in a separate wallet and the ones I no longer have receipts for, Iāve found similar items on e bay and printed off the item summaries, so they have a value comparison. Iām trying to be ludicrously organised, which is a pain now, but Iām hoping it will pay off on the day. It is helpful though, to get input from people whoāve already done this post Brexit.
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