I thought I had my removals all sorted out. I’m using a firm that has been recommended by SF folk - Matthew James Global Relocations
I now find out they expect me to pay customs charges based on the volume of my goods. I was expecting to only pay on items I had acquired less than six months ago. They will actually hold my things in their expensive storage facility for some months until we have a property so probably zero charges.
I’d be interested to hear of SF member experiences.
I must admit I’m surprised by what the removers are telling you. We followed the advice in the link below, and paid no duty, when we moved here over several months…I suppose there might be an argument that you are not (yet) moving to a main residence if renting for a few months, but provided it’s all within a year etc before you finally move into a new main residence in France, I would have thought you were within the letter and spirit of the legislation.
The one aspect that was unnecessary was any requirement to obtain a certificate from the French Consulate evidencing our prior UK residence. Our removals people were insisting on it, but we showed them the extract from the Consulate website proving that the French authorities had dropped that requirement.
Where you live is your main residence whether it’s rented on owned. For years I owned my house in France and rented elsewhere where I worked. My French house was always considered a maison secondaire while the rented accommodation was my principal residence.
Are they talking about customs admin charges, or import duty?
I haven’t done my move to France yet so can’t be specific but in terms of buying stuff from the EU I’ve been charged “customs processing fees” even when no duty was payable (e.g. buying a motorcycle crash helmet from Germany).
If the fee is based on the volume of the goods not their value I would have thought it was a charge for doing the paperwork / admin not French import duty??
I went back to company I had contacted in October. The lady I spoke to this morning said it is just plain wrong to be charging on volume. She is a font of knowledge. Waiting for their quote based on the survey carried out by the other company . They are scrutinising this before providing the quotation. Their storage charges are half those of the other company and I have complete confidence in them.
I asked about the car. She told me some companies will not include it on the manifest but her company does.
Chris - this was customs duty and not admin charges and amounted to £1500
They must be basing it on not being personal items when moving countries then I would imagine!
Sounds like you are better off with the other shippers!
This was a misunderstanding. I checked. They responded.
You’d only be required to pay duty/tax if your personal situation does not allow you to qualify for duty/tax free import. Provided that you have all the required documentation as proof of permanent residency in France, I don’t see any reason why you would not qualify.
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I will however almost certainly use the other company.
I used Cranburys removal company and so far I’m very happy with them. They have our things in storage in the UK. They partner with a customs handling firm who did the car import docs and will do same for the rest of our things when we’ve found a house. I was still anxious when we stopped at the immigration kiosk in Caen. The official smiled at my wife and thanked her in Polish.
Insurance quotes for the car from Fab are twice the cost of our policy with LV. Apparently the choice of insurers is more limited for vehicles still on UK plates. We’re going to try a couple of local offices for quotes tomorrow. Can’t wait till car is registered as LV only gave me two weeks continuation of cover. Car failed CT too on dipped headlight orientation. Looks like the switchable led headlights aren’t changing the beams correctly. Waiting to get car checked at nearest Skoda garage who are taking their time to reply to my emails. Deflectors on order from UK as backup. CT tech gave us two months to sort it out. Never been flashed here.
I’ve found all our vehicle insurance policies to be far more expensive than the UK, easily twice as much if not more.
We’re moving from a UK provincial town with on-street parking to a rural location with a small fraction of the traffic and a place with our own drive and probably a garage when we find somewhere. Is this a reflection of French driving ability? Apologies to good French drivers here on SF but poor driving is much in evidence.
Thank you George1 for this helpful link to the service public. In my case in Dec. 2024 I bought a house in France (and have utility bills, the notaire’s attestation of ownership, but no tax declaration as yet) and I want to move to France fulltime in 2025 if I manage to sell my GB home. I know I need to synchronise the 6 month Visa for retirees to the date I transport my belongings, but the intention to make the French house ones main home and hence become French resident, is that really enough to satisfy the French customs?
Right now they could consider the French house as second home and it would be only my expressed wish to become French resident to the customs officials that might allow a removal van through with no duties, VAT etc. To my mind it is a chicken and egg (Catch 22) situation, you can’t realistically become a French resident unless you live in France for which you need your furniture and belongings. But you can’t get them over from UK duty free until you are a French resident.
All the while you know the UK house needs to be presentable for sale - ie with no excess clobber, an accessible, empty attic space etc, but you can’t take the stuff to France whilst UK resident and facing a huge customs bill. What is a solution? It would be nice if customs bills (paid if the destination home is a second home) could be refunded when proof within a year of French residency - hence the French home is the main or only home - is shown to the customs authorities.
Thanks for any advice, RMH
I can totally see the problem.
I’m not clear whether you are using professional removers or not? If you are, isn’t this something you’d reasonably expect them to know about/be able to find out for you, assuming they’re experienced cross channel removers? If you’re planning on doing your own removals, is your French up to a conversation with the French Customs helpline?
+33 1 72 40 78 50
Failing that hopefully someone here on SF has experienced this scenario and can comment.
Hi, just to explain tings further. I had hoped to make a clear path for professional removers by taking over to my French home smaller, loose items in my car or a hire van. Then removers would take a part load (including furniture) over to France so making my British home more presentable for sale. A final removal would happen at the point of sale. So a discussion with French customs would be had both by me - I have reasonable French - and by the removers too. I have messaged the French customs in French outlining the problem, and that I have to be on hand for the estate agent and for the sale. I doubt possession of a 6 month VLS-TS Visa, proof of French home (notaire’s attestation, EDF bill, proof of 12 months in GB home etc) will be enough to escape the customs bill. None of my stuff is new, most is old and inherited so should not attract VAT. And of course one’s application for residency could always be denied, so it would never be a principal home. It does seem that everything is stacked against you.
I’m not sure it’s poor driving as much as different driving. Each nation seems to breed its own special race of lunatic drivers. In the UK it’s lane hoggers and light jumpers. In France it’s tailgaters. I find that as you adapt to expecting and accommodating French driving habits from your fellow automobilistes then the safer it all seems.
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The proof you have should be enough for customs. As long as all the forms are filled correctly you shouldn’t have an issue. Just know you can only do 1 declaration for a duty free move but it can be done in different shipments.
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Thanks George1 and TFJWM for the replies and reassurance.
I am slightly relieved now I have registered - as I hadn’t properly before - that the move of belongings either by oneself or by professional removals people is by way of TRANSFERRING one’s residence. I had thought that to get the duty exemption one already had to be French resident which usually means tax-resident and hence having paid one’s first French tax declaration. If my reading of the online Douane material is correct, proof of French residency (ie possession of a Carte de Séjour or similar) is not necessary at Customs - though it would probably speed things up.
The 'Service publi’c website (as in George1’s link) mentions a certificate from the French consulate “Avant votre départ de l’étranger, vous pouvez demander un certificat de changement de résidence auprès du consulat français dont vous dépendez.” Is this, George1, the paper you said seems no longer to be necessary or even available? If still available - is it a good idea to have one as a sort of belt and braces? The same goes for the “Carte de Libre Circulation des Marchandises” available on request from Customs in person?
Finally has anyone ever had an inventory refused on grounds of not complete enough, the value estimations not reasonable enough, weight too approximate even, etc?
Many thanks, RMH
Categorically -and happily - no longer required! See link.
https://uk.ambafrance.org/Certificat-de-changement-de-residence-Ce
Haven’t heard of anyone turned away. If stuff is wrong or no receipts for stuff they think are new you will be charged. I guess if you don’t pay you will be denied.