Moving from Australia to France
One of the longest household routes on Earth, from Australia all the way to Western Europe. Here is the honest brief on sea freight costs in Australian dollars, the change of residence paperwork that keeps your goods duty free, the visa routes, and a timeline you can plan around.
A very long sea haul where the change of residence file does the heavy lifting.
A household move from Australia to France is almost always by sea. Goods leave a port such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, or Fremantle and sail to Le Havre, Marseille, or Fos, and door to door you should plan for seven to twelve weeks. It is one of the longest moves you can make, so ship what you can wait two months for and carry or replace the things you need straight away.
The thing that surprises Australians is the paperwork rather than the duty. France lets you import used household goods free of duty and value added tax when you are transferring your main residence, but you need to prove it, usually with a change of residence certificate and the Cerfa 10070 declaration with a dated, signed inventory. Get that file right and clearance is calm. Get it wrong and your goods wait at the port.
Prices below are in Australian dollars and indicative for 2026. France uses the euro, so budget for currency on the far side, from a rental deposit to the cost of replacing bulky items you decide not to ship across the world.
What it costs in 2026, by home size and method.
Because Australia and France are about as far apart as two countries get, the choice that drives your bill is a shared container versus a full container. The figures below are indicative ranges for 2026 in Australian dollars.
Indicative 2026 ranges in Australian dollars, door to door by sea. Volume, season, port pair, and final delivery distance move the figure. A summer move in the European peak tends to cost more.
- +Best value for a typical home, you pay for the space you use
- +Operators run the Australia to Europe lane regularly
- −Longest transit, schedules flex around the box
- +Your goods only, faster to load and to clear
- +Worth it for larger homes and four bedroom moves
- −More space than a small household needs
- +Fastest way to get the essentials you need on arrival
- +Useful for a small load while the rest sails
- −Rarely sensible for a full home over this distance
Get moving quotes for Australia to France.
Tell us your size and timing. We pass your request to vetted movers who run the long sea route from Australia to France, and you compare them on your own terms.
A realistic schedule for this route.
Working back from the sailing date, here is a realistic schedule for a move from Australia to France by sea.
Confirm your visa
Lock down your French long stay visa before you book freight, because it governs when you can travel and your transfer of residence relief. Talent and work routes can take months.
Get surveys and quotes
Have movers do a video or in home survey for an accurate volume and a binding price. Compare a shared container against a full container for your size and timing.
Build the change of residence file
Prepare a dated, signed inventory in duplicate and obtain a change of residence certificate, often through the French consulate, so the duty free relief applies cleanly.
Pack and load the container
The crew packs and loads your goods for sea. Keep your passport, visa, inventory, and the Cerfa 10070 declaration ready for clearance.
Sea transit and clearance
Your goods sail and clear French customs as a transfer of residence. Validate your long stay visa with the immigration office, then arrange your residence card with the prefecture.
Clearing your goods into France.
France generally lets you import used household goods free of duty and value added tax when you are transferring your main residence from outside the European Union, provided you lived outside the Union for at least twelve months and owned and used the goods for at least six months before the move. You declare with the Cerfa 10070 form and a dated, signed inventory in two copies. The French customs authority, the Douane, processes the relief.
If you are not moving for work, you will usually need a change of residence certificate, which the French consulate in Australia can issue, alongside proof you are settling in France such as a residence card or long stay visa. You must keep the exempt goods and not sell or lend them within twelve months of entry, so this relief is for genuine movers, not for importing goods to trade.
Vehicles can be brought but the process is involved, with the certificate of conformity and French registration through the carte grise system, and right hand drive cars can be impractical day to day. For many movers it is simpler to sell in Australia and buy again in France.
The routes in for this corridor.
There is no automatic right of entry for Australian citizens, who come from outside the European Union. Most people moving from Australia to France arrive on a long stay visa for work, talent, family, or remote work.
A French employer sponsors a long stay visa that serves as a residence permit for the role. It is the common path for people moving with or for a job in France.
A multi year residence route for qualifying employees, founders, investors, and skilled professionals, designed to attract talent to France with fewer renewals.
The spouse or family member of a French national or settled resident can apply to live in France, subject to meeting the relationship and resource conditions.
A long stay visitor visa suits those with independent income who will not work locally. Confirm whether your remote work for an Australian employer is permitted under its terms.
How to pick a mover for this route, without the guesswork.
We do not rank or recommend individual companies. We teach you the criteria that separate a safe international move from an expensive mistake, then put your request in front of vetted movers who run this lane.
Check the trade affiliation. Membership of FIDI or IAM is the clearest signal a mover is financially screened and held to industry standards for international household goods. For this route, ask whether the company ships the Australia to France lane regularly and understands the transfer of residence file and the Cerfa 10070 declaration, because a packer who knows the paperwork keeps your goods moving through Le Havre or Marseille.
Insist on a binding pre move survey. A real video or in home survey of your volume is the only honest basis for a price. A quote given without one is a guess that tends to grow on moving day.
Compare like for like. Read what each quote includes: packing, materials, customs clearance, destination delivery, stair or long carry charges, and insurance. The cheapest headline number is rarely the cheapest move.
Understand the insurance terms. Ask whether cover is full replacement value or depreciated, what the excess is, and how claims are handled. Read the valuation clause before you sign.
Read recent reviews for this corridor. A mover can be strong on domestic Australian moves and weak on a long sea shipment into Europe. Look for verified reviews that mention the actual France route, the port of arrival, and how the customs clearance and final delivery were handled.
Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from Australia to France?
For a two to three bedroom home in a shared container, plan on roughly 7,500 to 15,000 Australian dollars door to door in 2026, with a full container higher and a studio lower. These are indicative ranges, not a quote.
How long does shipping take from Australia to France?
By sea, plan for about seven to twelve weeks door to door depending on the port pair, the sailing schedule, and customs clearance. Air freight is one to two weeks but is rarely sensible for a full home over this distance.
Do I pay duty on my household goods moving to France?
When you transfer your main residence from outside the European Union and meet the conditions, used household goods generally enter free of duty and value added tax, declared on the Cerfa 10070 form. Verify the current rules with the Douane before you move.
What paperwork proves my transfer of residence?
Usually a change of residence certificate from the French consulate, a dated and signed inventory in duplicate, and proof you are settling in France such as a long stay visa or residence card.
Can I bring my car from Australia to France?
You can, but registration through the carte grise system and a certificate of conformity make it involved, and right hand drive can be impractical. Many movers sell in Australia and buy again in France.
What should I do first when I arrive in France?
Validate your long stay visa with the immigration office, apply for a French tax number, register for social security and a carte Vitale, and open a bank account. Those steps unlock daily life.
Last reviewed: 10 May 2026. We refresh this guide as costs, customs, and visa rules change.