Moving from France to Australia
A long sea haul from the French coast to the far side of the world, landing at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Fremantle. Your effects clear free of duty if owned long enough, but biosecurity is the real gate. Here is the honest brief.
Moving from France to Australia is one of the longest moves you can make, a sea voyage of roughly six to nine weeks from a French port such as Le Havre, Marseille or Fos to an Australian gateway like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Fremantle. Australia is far outside the European Union, so this is a full customs import handled by the Australian Border Force, alongside a biosecurity check that is stricter than almost anywhere else. A shipping container does the heavy lifting, and air freight is reserved for the few things you cannot wait three months for.
The detail that catches French movers out is biosecurity. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry inspects incoming household goods for soil, seeds, plant material, wood pests and food residues, and anything that fails can be cleaned, treated or destroyed at your cost. Used personal and household effects you have owned and used for twelve months or more are normally free of duty and goods and services tax, declared on the Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement, form B534. On arrival your tax file number and Medicare enrolment are the first practical steps in settling in.
What it costs to move from France to Australia.
What it really costs to move a household from France to Australia in 2026, as indicative ranges by home size and method. Sea freight from a French port is the standard, with shared container groupage the budget route and a sole use container faster and better protected.
Indicative ranges for 2026 in euros, before full packing, marine insurance, Australian port and clearance fees, biosecurity charges, and delivery beyond the arrival port. Air freight is far higher and suits essentials only. These are not binding figures.
Volume is the main driver on a haul this long, so a serious declutter before the survey pays off, since a shared container charges only for the cubic space you use. Biosecurity is a cost as well as a delay risk, because a container flagged for inspection or fumigation adds fees, so packing clean, dry goods matters. Australian delivery distance counts too, since reaching Perth, Adelaide or a regional town from the arrival port adds road haulage, and the European summer is the busy departure window.
A realistic schedule for a move to Australia.
The visa leads the timeline, because Australia has no free movement arrangement, then the long sea freight, then the prompt settling tasks once you land.
Secure the visa
Australia has no free movement with France, so your visa comes first. Skilled, employer sponsored, partner and working holiday routes each have their own lead time, and your visa should be granted before you ship and travel.
Book sailing and survey
Have movers run a video or in home survey for an accurate volume, then compare shared container groupage with a sole use container from a French port on a like for like basis. Fix collection around the vessel schedule to your Australian port.
Prepare the customs and biosecurity file
Prepare a detailed valued inventory and your Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement, form B534. Clean all goods of soil, plant material and food residue, because biosecurity inspects used effects closely on arrival in Australia.
Load and sail
The packing crew attends one to two days before collection in France. The container is sealed and sails roughly six to nine weeks to the Australian port, where it awaits customs clearance and a possible biosecurity inspection.
Register and settle
Apply for your tax file number, enrol in Medicare if eligible, open an Australian bank account and set up superannuation through your employer, then take delivery of your cleared and inspected goods.
Bringing your effects into Australia, customs and biosecurity.
Australia is far outside the European Union, so moving from France is a full customs import handled by the Australian Border Force. Used personal and household effects that you have owned and used for twelve months or more before the move are normally admitted free of duty and free of the goods and services tax, because they are treated as the belongings of a person relocating rather than commercial imports. You declare them on the Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement, form B534.
The step that defines this corridor is biosecurity, run by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Australia protects its agriculture and environment fiercely, so incoming household goods are screened for soil, seeds, plant and timber material, animal products and food residues. Outdoor gear, garden tools, wooden items, bicycles and shoes are common triggers, and anything that fails can be cleaned, fumigated, treated or in the worst case destroyed, with the charges passed to you. Packing clean, dry and declared goods is the single best way to keep costs and delays down.
Some categories are restricted or prohibited outright, including certain foods, plant and seed products, weapons and specific timber and wildlife items, so check before you pack rather than after. A vehicle can be imported but faces an import approval, compliance and the relevant duties and taxes, which makes it impractical for most movers from France. Pets enter under Australia strict animal import rules, which require a long lead time including vaccinations, testing and quarantine on arrival, so start that process many months ahead.
How people actually move from France to Australia.
Australia has no free movement arrangement, so people moving from France need a visa before they go. These are the realistic routes for a typical mover on this corridor, in summary only.
The skilled independent, skilled nominated and skilled work regional routes score you on age, English, qualifications and work experience, and a qualifying invitation leads to permanent or provisional residence. They suit professionals whose occupation is in demand.
- Basis
- Points and skills
- Need
- Skills assessment
- Sponsor
- State or none
- Grants
- Residence
With an Australian employer sponsoring you, the temporary skill shortage and employer nomination routes grant work rights and, in the right stream, a path to permanent residence in a nominated occupation.
- Basis
- Employment
- Need
- Sponsor
- Sponsor
- Employer
- Grants
- Work and residence
Partners of Australian citizens or permanent residents can apply for a partner visa, which grants residence and work rights and moves through a provisional then permanent stage over time.
- Basis
- Relationship
- Sponsor
- Partner
- Grants
- Residence
- Work
- Permitted
France and Australia run a working holiday arrangement, so younger French nationals within the age limit can live in Australia for up to a year, with work rights and the option to extend in some cases.
- Basis
- Youth mobility
- Age
- Capped
- Length
- Up to a year
- Work
- Permitted
How to choose a mover for this route, with no names attached.
This site never names, ranks, or recommends a moving company. Instead, here is the neutral checklist that separates a safe international mover from a risky one. Apply it to every quote you receive on the France to Australia lane.
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Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from France to Australia?
As indicative ranges for 2026, a 2 to 3 bedroom home runs roughly 4,800 to 11,500 euros by sea from a French port, with shared container groupage cheapest and a sole use container more, before packing, marine insurance, Australian clearance, biosecurity and delivery. Get a binding quote from a survey.
How long does shipping from France to Australia take?
Plan on about ten to fourteen weeks door to door. The sea voyage from a French port to an Australian gateway is roughly six to nine weeks, with collection, consolidation, Australian customs clearance, a possible biosecurity inspection and delivery on either side.
Do I pay duty on my belongings moving from France to Australia?
Normally no. Used personal and household effects you have owned and used for twelve months or more are admitted free of duty and goods and services tax, declared on the Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement, form B534. Newer items, alcohol, tobacco and controlled goods are treated separately.
What is the biosecurity inspection?
Australia screens incoming household goods for soil, seeds, plant and timber material, animal products and food residue, run by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Items that fail can be cleaned, fumigated, treated or destroyed at your cost, so pack clean, dry, declared goods to avoid delay and fees.
Do French citizens need a visa to move to Australia?
Yes. Australia has no free movement arrangement, so French nationals arrange a visa before moving, most often a skilled, employer sponsored or partner visa, with the working holiday route open to younger French within the age limit. The visa should be granted before you ship and travel.
Can I bring my car from France to Australia?
It is possible but rarely worth it. A vehicle needs an import approval, must meet compliance requirements and attracts duty and taxes, which together make importing a car from France impractical for most movers. Confirm the current rules before you plan around bringing one.