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Accredited Relocation Specialists
France is the single most popular international relocation destination for British movers. The Channel Tunnel makes it the fastest major international route from the UK, and the scale of British property ownership and residency across Normandy, Brittany, the Dordogne, Charente, Provence, the Languedoc and the Côte d'Azur means UK to France generates more removal enquiries than any other European route.
It is also the route with the widest gap between a good mover and a poor one, because France covers everything from a Paris apartment with a narrow stairwell to a farmhouse down a track in the Dordogne. What follows is the ten checks that separate the two. The companies that carry out our France moves are named further down this page.
International Removals Companies is a free enquiry matching service operated by Darren Benjamin since 2010. We match each enquiry with one suitable accredited removal company based on your origin, French destination, timeline and volume. Your details are not passed to several firms at once. One contact. One quote.
Prices vary by service type, origin and destination in France. These are indicative guides only. The matched removal company gives the confirmed price before you book. The matching service is free.
Road freight via Channel Tunnel
Part Load: from approx. £750 to £1,400
Dedicated Vehicle: from approx. £1,600 to £3,200
Container-based sea or air freight
Sea Freight: from approx. £2,800 to £5,200
Air Freight: from approx. £4,500 to £8,000
Container-based sea or air freight
Sea Freight: from approx. £3,500 to £6,000
Air Freight: from approx. £6,000 to £10,000
Typically included: Professional packing, origin collection, Channel Tunnel or sea crossing, international transport, French customs clearance, delivery to your French address and goods-in-transit insurance. Remote rural deliveries in France may carry an access supplement. Confirm exact inclusions with your matched removal company before booking.
All prices are indicative planning guides only. The matched removal company confirms the actual price after surveying your goods, origin and French delivery address.
A list of firm names is easy to write and tells you almost nothing about how your move will actually run. These ten checks do. France is the route where the destination matters most: a Paris fifth floor and a Dordogne farmhouse are completely different jobs, and a firm that is good at one may never have done the other.
FIDI FAIM involves more than 200 independent quality checks and an EY audit every three years. BAR Overseas is the UK trade standard, and fewer than 100 firms qualify for that section. They are not the same thing and a firm may hold one, both or neither. Ask for the certificate number and the legal entity, then check it on the FIDI register at fidi.org or with BAR.
A good answer: the certificate number and the entity name, offered without hesitation.
Since Brexit you need a visa de long séjour or titre de séjour in hand before your goods reach French customs. Without it the franchise douanière cannot be granted and the load waits, with storage charged daily. A firm that has not raised this before you ask has not done many France moves since 2021.
A good answer: raises it first, and asks where you are in the visa process.
The franchise declaration goes to la douane with your numbered inventory, and French customs will not accept vague entries like "box of kitchen things". Some firms complete it with you against the inventory. Others send you the form. That difference does not always show up in the price.
A good answer: confirms they complete and lodge it, and says what detail the inventory needs.
This is the question that matters most on France. Rural properties are frequently down a single-track lane with a low bridge, a tight gateway or an overhanging tree, and a 40-tonne lorry cannot get near. The answer is usually a shuttle in a smaller van, which costs money. Send photographs of the approach, not just the house.
A good answer: asks about lane width, gateways and turning space before quoting, not after.
Parisian apartments are often upper-floor with a stairwell built for one person and a lift that will not take a wardrobe, so furniture goes up the outside on a monte-meubles. That needs booking, and so does the street occupation permit from the mairie, usually days ahead. Both cost money and both get forgotten.
A good answer: says who applies, how far ahead, and whether it is in your quote.
French conveyancing runs 2 to 4 months from compromis to acte authentique, and completion dates move. Ask what the firm does if yours moves after the lorry is booked: whether goods hold in a UK depot, go into a French garde-meubles, and what each costs per week.
A good answer: offers both options with a price on each, before you book.
Since Brexit there is no duty-free allowance on a UK to France move and all alcohol must be declared, in every quantity. People move a cellar without thinking about it and find the whole load held. If you have wine or spirits, say so at the survey and get the answer in writing.
A good answer: asks about alcohol unprompted and explains how it goes on the declaration.
Limited liability pays by the kilogram, typically £40 to £60. A 40kg armoire is worth 40kg, not what you paid. All-risks pays declared replacement value. Limited liability is often the default unless you ask, which is why two France quotes can look alike and protect you very differently.
A good answer: states which level is in the price and quotes the upgrade.
A firm running France weekly can put you on a shared load and pass on the saving. A firm running it occasionally sells you a dedicated vehicle or waits for the load to fill. Ask about August as well: the French removal trade largely shuts down for the holiday period and dates go early.
A good answer: gives a real frequency and the next few departure dates, not "regularly".
Ask for the claim window in days, who you notify, and whether the firm falls under an independent dispute service. BAR Overseas members come under the Furniture Ombudsman scheme. Ask specifically who owns the problem if the damage appears at the French end: the UK firm, or their local agent.
A good answer: names the claim window, the form and who handles it in France.
Stage 1: Collection from your UK or European address (Day 1)
Stage 2: Road to Folkestone and Channel Tunnel crossing to Calais in 35 minutes. Alternatively, Dover to Calais or Newhaven to Dieppe by ferry.
Stage 3: French motorway network south to destination. Long-distance routes incur péage toll costs, which are included in the removal price.
Stage 4: French customs clearance, 1 to 2 days. Delivery to your French address.
The moving companies in our network cover every French city and region: Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Nantes, Rennes, Grenoble, Montpellier, Aix-en-Provence, Cannes, Antibes, Cognac, Périgueux, the Dordogne, Charente, Normandy, Brittany, the Loire Valley, Provence and the French Alps including Val d'Isère and Chamonix.
France is generally pet-friendly and well-equipped for dogs and cats. Since the UK left the EU, however, the documentation process changed significantly: EU pet passports no longer cover UK pets entering France. Every trip now requires a fresh Animal Health Certificate.
Quarantine: France does not require quarantine for dogs and cats from the UK, provided all documentation is correct and the AHC is valid on the date of entry.
Category 1 dogs, prohibited from entry into France: Includes pit bull terriers not registered with the Société Centrale Canine, Boerbulls, Tosas not registered, and Filas Brasileiros. These breeds are banned from French territory.
Category 2 dogs, restricted in France: Includes American Staffordshire Terrier and Rottweiler where not registered. These dogs require a muzzle and lead in all public places, an owner permit from the préfecture, neutering, and a brevet d'aptitude. If your dog is a Category 2 breed, apply for the permit before travel.
The AHC is valid for only 10 days from issue. Book your Official Veterinarian appointment no earlier than 10 days before your travel date and allow time for APHA endorsement. Pets can travel with you through the Channel Tunnel in your vehicle or by air freight. On the shuttle, pets remain in the car for the 35-minute crossing. Eurostar does not permit pets. For a removal by lorry your pet travels separately, so plan the logistics of both journeys together.
France uses the Euro (EUR). Your removal is quoted in GBP. Any property purchase, rental deposit, savings transfer or ongoing French living costs are in EUR. Most people treat the move and the money as two separate jobs, and end up paying more than they need to on both.
Currency exchange is part of what we help with. We have helped customers exchange currency in any currency through trusted partners for many years, alongside arranging the move itself. Tell us at the enquiry stage that you have money to transfer and our partners can help with that side of it. There is no extra charge for the introduction.
Experts in currency exchange
No hidden fees
5-star consumer ratings
Competitive exchange rate
At typical exchange levels, a 5% movement in the GBP/EUR rate on a €300,000 French property changes the sterling cost by approximately £13,000 to £15,000. French conveyancing runs from the compromis de vente, with its statutory 10-day cooling-off period, to the acte authentique signed before a notaire. That process typically takes 2 to 4 months, during which the rate can move materially. The full purchase price is transferred through the notaire's client account at completion.
A forward contract locks in today's GBP/EUR rate for the transfer you will need at the acte authentique stage, removing rate risk between signing the compromis and making the final payment. That matters most for buyers who could not absorb a rate movement partway through.
Currency specialists typically offer materially better exchange rates and significantly lower transfer fees than high street banks for GBP to EUR transfers of property-purchase size. The saving on a €250,000 transfer can run to over a thousand pounds.
To receive EUR in France and to transact with the French notaire, you need a French bank account. Most French banks now allow non-residents to open an account before moving, which is useful for depositing funds ahead of the acte authentique. You will need your French address, passport and proof of income. Several banks have English-speaking teams for British customers.
Once resident in France, you are assigned a numéro fiscal, the French tax number, by the public finances directorate. You need it for French tax returns and for certain property-related transactions.
Regular French costs (loyer/rent, charges/utilities, taxe foncière property tax, taxe d'habitation on second homes, and charges de copropriété) are all in EUR. A standing EUR payment facility typically costs less than repeated international bank transfers.
Right-hand drive UK vehicles are legal to drive in France. French law requires that headlights do not dazzle oncoming drivers, so headlight beam deflectors must be fitted before driving on French roads. They are inexpensive and available at UK ferry and Channel Tunnel terminals and at French petrol stations.
Paris, Lyon, Grenoble, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Rouen, Toulouse and other French cities operate low-emission zones. A Crit'Air sticker is required to drive in them. UK vehicles can apply through the official French government service. The sticker category, 1 to 6, is based on the vehicle's Euro emissions standard. If your French home is in one of these cities, confirm your vehicle's category before shipping.
UK vehicles driven regularly in France must be registered in France within one year of establishing residency. Registration is handled through the national secure documents agency online. You will need your passport, French residency document, proof of insurance with a French insurer, and the UK V5C logbook. French number plates replace the UK plates and the UK registration document is surrendered to DVLA.
France requires a contrôle technique, the French MOT equivalent, for vehicles over four years old. A valid certificate is required for registration. If the vehicle does not have EU type approval, an individual approval may be needed before the inspection can be carried out.
Most UK cars move to France by road transporter via the Channel Tunnel or ferry, alongside or separately from household goods. Transit to northern France is 1 to 2 days. Some removal companies handle vehicles directly and others refer to a specialist agent, so tell us at the enquiry stage if you have a vehicle to ship.
UK storage is needed when your French purchase is delayed between the compromis and acte authentique stages, or when your UK sale completes before the French purchase. Options include:
Indicative UK container storage cost: from approximately £80 to £150 per container equivalent per month. Confirm with your matched removal company.
French storage, garde-meubles, is needed when the property is not yet ready, when renovation work is under way, or when customs clearance runs beyond the standard timeline. Options include:
Indicative French garde-meubles cost beyond the free period: approximately €15 to €28 per cubic metre per month. Confirm with your matched removal company.
Storage charges are separate from the removal price. Confirm inclusions, free storage period and additional costs with your matched removal company before booking.
International removal companies typically offer two levels of goods-in-transit insurance:
1. Limited liability: Cover based on the weight of your goods, typically £40 to £60 per kilogram. For a 2-bedroom household at around 2,000 kg this gives approximately £80,000 to £120,000 of cover, typically below the replacement value of most households. This is the default level if you do not specify otherwise.
2. All-risks cover (full replacement value): Cover based on the declared replacement value of your goods. If a £2,000 item is damaged, it is replaced at £2,000. All-risks is the recommended level for moves to France, where goods pass through customs, multiple handling points and often a shuttle transfer at the delivery end.
You declare the replacement value of your goods at the outset. Under-declaring saves on premium but leads to under-payment on any claim. A room-by-room inventory with replacement values for major items is required. International removal insurance typically costs 2% to 4% of the declared replacement value.
Since Brexit, goods leaving the UK for France are exports to the EU and require French customs clearance on arrival. The franchise douanière de transfert de résidence can remove 20% TVA and import duty on household goods owned and used for at least 6 months, provided qualifying conditions are met. Your matched removal company France confirms what applies for your specific origin and route.
Conditions to qualify for the franchise:
Restricted and prohibited items:
International Removals Companies was founded by Darren Benjamin in 2010, with more than 20 years in international logistics behind it. The company is registered in England and Wales and can be checked on Companies House. Firms used on the UK to France route are assessed against the three criteria below. Accreditations are verified independently on a rolling basis. We do not accept payment for placement, because there is no placement to buy.
British Association of Removers Overseas membership. Independent quality checks, Furniture Ombudsman dispute resolution and adherence to published industry service standards. Fewer than 100 UK firms meet the criteria for this section of the BAR.
The international quality standard for removal companies. More than 200 independent quality checks. Audited every three years by Ernst and Young for operational excellence, financial stability and customer service. Certificates are held by named legal entities and can be checked on the FIDI register.
Demonstrated France route operations. Expertise in French customs procedures (franchise douanière, cerfa forms, la douane clearance), delivery logistics across all French regions including rural and Alpine access, and French-speaking support at the delivery end.
Valid UK passport, French long-stay visa (visa de long séjour) or titre de séjour, proof of prior UK residence for 12 or more months, the franchise douanière declaration form (cerfa 10070), and a detailed numbered inventory. Your matched removal company France confirms the full list for your specific route before you book.
UK to Paris and northern France by dedicated vehicle: 1 to 2 days. Bordeaux, Loire, Brittany: 1 to 3 days. Provence and the Côte d'Azur: 2 to 4 days. French Alps: 2 to 4 days. Part load or groupage: 5 to 10 days. France is the fastest major international destination from the UK because of the Channel Tunnel. North America: 21 to 35 days sea freight. Asia and Australia: 28 to 42 days. Air freight: 4 to 8 days.
Prohibited: firearms without permits, protected wildlife (CITES), counterfeit goods, plants or food without phytosanitary certificates. Restricted: all alcohol must be declared, with no duty-free allowance on UK to France moves since Brexit, plus prescription pharmaceuticals, cultural artefacts, and cash over €10,000. Your matched removal company France provides item-specific guidelines before your move.
Since Brexit, UK to France moves require customs clearance. Used personal household goods can enter France duty-free and TVA-free under the franchise douanière de transfert de résidence if goods were owned and used for 6 or more months, you permanently transfer your primary residence to France, and you hold a valid French residency document before goods arrive. New items or commercial goods may be subject to 20% TVA and import duty. Your matched removal company confirms what applies.
Yes. The car must be owned for at least 6 months and be for personal use. Right-hand drive is legal in France; fit headlight beam deflectors before driving. A Crit'Air sticker is required for driving in Paris, Lyon, Grenoble, Strasbourg and other cities with low-emission zones. Register the vehicle in France within 12 months of establishing residency. SORN the vehicle in the UK before export. Tell us at the enquiry stage if you have a vehicle to ship.
Yes. Dogs and cats need an ISO microchip, a valid rabies vaccination given after microchipping, and an Animal Health Certificate from an Official Veterinarian endorsed by APHA and valid for 10 days from issue. No quarantine is required if documents are correct. France bans Category 1 dogs, including certain pit bull types, Boerbulls and Fila Brasileiros. Category 2 dogs, including American Staffordshire Terrier and Rottweiler, require a préfecture permit, muzzle and lead. Pets enter via approved Border Inspection Posts including the Channel Tunnel. Mention your pets in your removal enquiry.
France uses EUR. Your removal is quoted in GBP. A 5% GBP/EUR rate movement on a €300,000 French property changes the sterling cost by approximately £13,000 to £15,000. French conveyancing runs 2 to 4 months from compromis de vente to acte authentique. A forward contract locks in today's rate for the notaire transfer. You need a French bank account before completion. Currency exchange is part of what we help with. We have arranged currency exchange in any currency through trusted partners for many years, alongside the move itself. Mention it at the enquiry stage and our partners can help with the money side. Your partner confirms the rate, the fees and the terms before any money moves.
The moving companies in our network cover every city and region: Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Nantes, Rennes, Grenoble, Montpellier, Aix-en-Provence, Cannes, Antibes, the Dordogne, Charente, Normandy, Brittany, the Loire Valley, Provence, the Côte d'Azur and the French Alps. See the France removals section for individual city and region pages.
International Removals Companies works within the AGM Group network. Anglo French Euro Removals, Bishop's Move, Abels Moving Services, Gerson Relocation and Gerson Moving Services are part of that group and handle a share of the France moves that come through this page. Anglo French has run UK to France as its main business since 1984, so on this route it takes a large share. We also work with independent firms outside the group where a route suits them better. Which one your enquiry goes to depends on your UK origin, your French destination, your volume and your dates. We do not rank firms or take payment for placement, and we do not send your details to several companies at once. One firm contacts you, confirms the scope and gives the price. The service is free.
Most sites in this trade will not tell you who turns up. You send your details, someone rings, and you find out on collection day. We would rather say it up front, because knowing which firm is coming is half of what people are worried about when they fill in a form.
AGM Group network
Anglo French has run UK to France as its main business since 1984, not as one route among fifty. On the busiest cross-Channel removal route in the country that specialism shows up in the practical things: known crossing timings, familiarity with rural French access and narrow village streets, and crews who have talked their way down a single-track lane before.
Suited to: any UK to France move, and particularly rural properties where access, road width and delivery timing need someone who already knows the route.
Holds: British Association of Removers member. Guild of Removers and Storers member. Running UK to France removals since 1984, and part of the AGM Group network since November 2024.
AGM Group network
A nationwide relocation company running 24 branch locations across the UK. That branch depth matters on France because the survey, the packing crew and the collection all come from a local team who know your roads and building types, while the French leg runs on the group's international operation.
Suited to: households anywhere in the UK, and especially outside London and the South East.
Holds: Founding member of the British Association of Removers. BAR Overseas Group. BAR Advance Payment Guarantee. BAR Commercial Moving Group, certified to BS 8522. EUROMOVERS International. Movers Trading Club, an NVOCC registered with the US Federal Maritime Commission. ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 27001.
AGM Group network
Abels handles residential moving for private customers going from the UK to Europe and further afield. The work is aimed at households rather than corporate mobility programmes, which fits most France moves: one point of contact, a proper pre-move survey, export packing by their own crews, and a delivery plan agreed with you.
Suited to: private households paying for the France move themselves.
Holds: FIDI FAIM Plus, listed on the FIDI affiliate register. BAR member number A001. BAR Overseas Group, a section fewer than 100 UK firms qualify for. BAR Advance Payment Guarantee. International Association of Movers. Movers Trading Club. ISO 9001:2015. Royal Warrant for removals and storage services.
AGM Group network
Gerson runs as two arms of one business. Gerson Relocation supports large multinational employers and manages mobility programmes end to end, which is the shape most Paris postings take. Gerson Moving Services handles individuals and families moving privately, which is most of the rest of France.
Suited to: employees posted to Paris or Lyon on a company programme, and separately, families moving privately.
Holds: FIDI FAIM Plus, with operations and management systems independently audited by EY. BAR Overseas Group. OMNI, the Overseas Moving Network International. EuRA, the European Relocation Association. Employee Relocation Council.
No commercial relationship. Listed because they are good on the France route.
Started in 1977 as a fine art and antiques mover and kept that specialism while growing into full international removals. It has its own operational offices in Paris as well as London, which is unusual: most UK firms hand the French end to an agent.
Holds: FIDI FAIM. BAR Overseas Group. IAM.
Founded in 1884 and working on international moves only, so surveyors and packers deal with export standards every day. France is one of its longest-running European routes, with both part-load and dedicated services covering all regions.
Holds: FIDI FAIM. BAR Overseas Group. BAR Advance Payment Guarantee. OMNI. IAM Trusted. Movers Trading Club.
Trading since 1871 and one of the largest privately owned removal firms in the country, with its own containerised storage in 19 UK locations. That storage matters on France, where completion dates slip between the compromis and the acte more often than not.
Holds: Founder member of FIDI, operating to the FAIM standard. Founder member of OMNI. BAR member with Advanced Payment Guarantee. BS EN 12522.
Moving households since 1895, with scheduled European road freight as its strength and France among its busiest destinations. Offers a choice between a dedicated vehicle on a fixed date and a shared load at lower cost with a delivery window.
Holds: FIDI FAIM, independently audited by EY. BAR Overseas Group with Advanced Payment Guarantee. Founder member of OMNI.
Founded in 1929, with branches across England and Scotland and its own international packing teams rather than subcontracted crews. Covers European road freight to all French regions and handles office moves as well as households.
Holds: FIDI affiliate, FAIM accredited, listed on the FIDI register. IAM. BAR Commercial Moving Group.
Formed in 1978, working from London, Manchester and Glasgow. Its depth is in long-haul sea freight, so on a France page it comes into play mainly for goods arriving from outside Europe through Le Havre or Marseille rather than for a UK road move.
Holds: IAM member. FIDI accredited.
Tell us your origin country and French destination. We match you with one accredited removal company from our network. One contact. One confirmed quote. The service is free.
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