France grants relief on household goods for a transfer of residence, and the application is documentary in the way French administration usually is. Get the file right and it is straightforward. Get it partial and it is not.
One vetted mover from our network handles the shipment. International movers working France will ask for paperwork earlier than feels necessary, because French clearance rewards a complete dossier and stalls on an incomplete one.
Movers who run this relocation regularly will book the hoist before the sailing. Le Havre and Marseille take most Chinese container traffic, serving the north and the south respectively. Which one depends on the service and on where you are heading.
The principle. Used personal and household goods generally enter free of duty and value added tax where you are transferring your normal residence to France from outside the European Union. China qualifies as outside.
Conditions. Generally you need to have been resident outside the EU for a qualifying period, to be establishing your normal residence in France, and to have owned and used the goods beforehand. Restrictions usually apply on selling relieved goods for a period after arrival.
The dossier. Expect a detailed itemised inventory in French with values, evidence of your residence in China, proof of your new French address, passport and visa documentation, and a signed declaration. Your mover will confirm the exact list, which does vary.
Completeness is the point. French customs work from the file. A dossier with everything in it clears without conversation. One missing item stops the process, and restarting it takes longer than assembling it properly would have.
Excluded. Alcohol and tobacco, goods for business or resale, and items bought new for the move.
Timing. Have the dossier ready before the container arrives rather than after. Port storage at Le Havre and Marseille accrues in the usual way.
Confirm current requirements. French procedures are precise and they are updated, so work from what your mover confirms rather than general guidance.
Le Havre and Marseille are well served from China so freight is competitive. The figures that move a French quote are the domestic leg and, very often, the furniture lift.
£300 to £1,100
Personal effects, northern or southern arrival.
£1,200 to £4,000
The common shipment on this route.
£3,300 to £9,000
Family households, with the domestic leg on top.
Tell us the French city and the floor. Whether a hoist is needed changes a French quote more than the distance does.
We match you with your vetted mover, which means one team handles the whole relocation. It is free, with no obligation. Get a quote today and hold your dates.
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The furniture lift. French apartment buildings, particularly the older stock in city centres, commonly have stairwells too narrow and turns too tight for furniture. An external lift mounted on the street raises goods to a window or balcony. It is normal equipment rather than an exception, it needs booking, and it needs a permit to occupy the street.
Street permits. Reserving parking space for the vehicle and the hoist requires an application to the local authority, usually days in advance. Your mover arranges it. It takes lead time and it carries a fee.
Haussmann era buildings are handsome and difficult. High ceilings, wide rooms, narrow spiral stairs. The hoist exists because of them.
Village and old town access. Rural and historic centre addresses have narrow lanes and low archways. Transhipment into a smaller vehicle is common and should be priced.
August. A great deal of France closes for the month. Local services, building syndics and administrative offices all thin out, and moving during it is harder than it needs to be. If your dates have any flexibility, avoid it.
The Chinese export side is unchanged. Anything made before 1949 needs a cultural relics certificate and appraisal takes weeks.
Germany and the Netherlands run on the same EU principle with their own national procedures and their own access quirks.
A move usually means moving money too, whether that is a deposit on a Chinese flat or funds coming back the other way. We have helped customers with currency exchange in any currency through trusted partners for many years, and our partners can help with the money side of your move. Mention it on the form and it gets included.
Experts in currency exchange
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Competitive exchange rate
Generally not on a transfer of residence from outside the EU. Used household goods normally enter free of duty and value added tax, subject to having lived outside the EU for a qualifying period and having owned and used the items.
An external hoist mounted on the street that raises goods to a window or balcony. French apartment buildings commonly have stairwells too narrow for furniture, so it is standard equipment rather than an exception, and it needs booking and a street permit.
Because French customs work from the file. A complete dossier clears without conversation. One missing document stops the process, and restarting takes longer than assembling it properly would have. Build it before the container sails.
Le Havre for the north and Marseille for the south, depending on the service and your destination. Both are well served from China, so sailing frequency is good and date planning is easier than on some European routes.
Usually, to reserve parking for the vehicle and to position a hoist. It is applied for through the local authority, generally days in advance, and it carries a fee. Your mover arranges it but it needs lead time.
Yes. A great deal of France closes for the month, including local services, building syndics and administrative offices. Moving during it is harder than it needs to be, so avoid it if your dates have any flexibility at all.
Not always. Rural and historic centre addresses have narrow lanes and low archways that a full size vehicle cannot pass. Transhipment into a smaller lorry is common and should be in the quote rather than a surprise on the day.
Alcohol and tobacco, goods for business or resale, items bought new for the move, and anything owned for less than the qualifying period. Anything you cannot evidence ownership of is also difficult to include.
Yes, unchanged by the destination. Anything made before 1949 needs a cultural relics export certificate from an authorised appraisal station, and that process takes weeks rather than days.
Send your collection address, your Chinese destination, a rough idea of the volume and your date. A vetted mover from our network checks the route, the paperwork and the access, then comes back to you with the price.
Send your move detailsWe match international moving enquiries with vetted moving companies in the AGM Group network, each holding FIDI FAIM certification and BAR Overseas membership.
We are not a removal firm ourselves. We find you the one that suits your route, and you deal with them directly from there.