A move from France to Colombia is an ocean move. Your container is loaded near home, trucked to Le Havre or Marseille, and sailed across the Atlantic to Cartagena or Barranquilla, with inland haulage on to Bogota, Medellin, or Cali. Plan for a realistic door to door window of about eight to thirteen weeks once you count consolidation, the sailing, customs clearance, and final delivery.
The thing that catches people out is that Colombian customs ties your household goods import to your immigration status. To bring in your menaje, the household effects, free of duty, you generally need a visa valid for at least one year, and the rules allow one such shipment per family within a set window. Get the visa sorted first, because the shipping is the easy half of this move.
Prices below are in euros and indicative for 2026. France ships from a mature, competitive market, so quotes for the same volume can vary widely. The biggest lever is whether you fill a sole use container or share one, so the volume you actually ship decides most of the cost.
What it costs to move from France to Colombia.
What it really costs to move a household from France to Colombia by sea in 2026, shown as indicative ranges by home size and container use. Volume drives the number far more than the distance does.
Indicative 2026 ranges in euros, door to door by sea, before full packing, marine insurance, and any storage. Volume, the season, port access, and the inland distance from Cartagena to your Colombian city move the figure. Summer is the peak, so book early.
Four levers move the number. Volume is the biggest, since a shared container bills by the space you use, so a hard declutter saves the most. Shared versus sole use trades cost against control, with groupage cheaper but slower and a full container faster and exclusive. Season matters, because summer demand lifts both removal and freight prices. And inland delivery counts, since the road from the port up to Bogota or Medellin adds distance and cost.
A realistic schedule for a France to Colombia move.
Your timeline is driven by the visa, the sailing, and customs clearance, so start the immigration paperwork well before you book the ship.
Sort the visa and survey
Secure the Colombian visa that lets you import your menaje, then have movers run a video or in home survey for an accurate volume and a binding price. Compare shared and sole use container quotes like for like.
Book and prepare papers
Lock in your mover and sailing, and assemble the documents Colombian customs will want, including your passport, visa, and a detailed packing list in Spanish.
Declutter and pack
Run a hard declutter, since you pay for container space, then have the crew pack and load. Keep originals of key documents with you for the flight.
Atlantic crossing
The container sails from Le Havre or Marseille to Cartagena or Barranquilla, typically several weeks at sea depending on the service and any transhipment.
Clear customs and deliver
Your agent clears the shipment, which depends on your cedula and complete paperwork, then the goods are trucked inland to your home and unpacked.
Customs and import into Colombia, the part that needs care.
Colombia allows people moving their residence to import used household goods, the menaje doméstico, free of import duty, but the relief is tied to your immigration status. In practice you need a visa valid for at least one year, in a migrant or resident category, and the rules permit one menaje shipment per family within a defined period around your move, commonly a few months from your arrival or the visa issue date. New items and some electronics can attract duty and value added tax.
The paperwork is specific. Customs will expect your passport, your visa, your foreigner identity card, the cedula de extranjeria, issued after you register with Migracion Colombia, a detailed inventory of the menaje in Spanish, and the bill of lading. Restricted categories include firearms, plants, and foodstuffs, and importing a personal vehicle is effectively not an option for most individuals, so plan to sell the car in France.
Goods arrive through Cartagena, Barranquilla, or Buenaventura, then clear before inland delivery. Because clearance hinges on your status and complete documents, a customs broker who runs this lane regularly is worth having. Build a buffer into your dates so a held container does not leave you without your belongings for longer than you expect.
How the French actually move to Colombia.
Colombia is not an EU style free movement destination, so you need a visa, and the visa you choose also decides whether you can import your household goods.
The migrant (M) category covers work, a Colombian employer, or business activity. Held for at least a year, it lets you register for a cedula and import your menaje.
- Type
- Migrant M
- Term
- One year plus
- Work
- With sponsor
- Imports
- Menaje yes
Colombia offers a migrant visa for people with a qualifying pension or steady passive income, a popular route for retirees relocating from France.
- Type
- Pensionado
- Basis
- Pension income
- Term
- One year plus
- Imports
- Menaje yes
After qualifying time on migrant status, or through investment, you can move to the resident (R) visa, which gives the most settled status.
- Type
- Resident R
- Basis
- Time or investment
- Renews
- Long term
- Path
- To residency
The V category includes a digital nomad option for remote workers, useful for testing Colombia, though short visas do not unlock duty free menaje import.
- Type
- Visitor V
- Use
- Remote work
- Term
- Months
- Imports
- Limited
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Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from France to Colombia?
As indicative ranges for 2026, a 2 to 3 bedroom move runs roughly 3,600 to 6,800 euros in a shared container and 8,200 to 13,000 euros for a sole use 40ft, before packing, insurance, and storage. Volume is the biggest factor, so a hard declutter saves the most. Get a binding quote from a survey.
How long does it take to move from France to Colombia?
Expect about eight to thirteen weeks door to door. The container sails from Le Havre or Marseille across the Atlantic to Cartagena or Barranquilla, then clears customs and is trucked inland. Shared container groupage adds time because it waits for consolidation and other consignments.
Do I pay customs duty moving from France to Colombia?
If you hold a qualifying visa valid for at least a year, your used household goods, the menaje, can usually be imported free of duty as a transfer of residence, within the allowed window and one shipment per family. New items and some electronics may attract duty and value added tax. Verify with the DIAN and a broker.
Do I need a visa to move from France to Colombia?
Yes. France is outside Colombia's free movement arrangements, so you need a visa, typically a migrant or resident category. The same visa, valid for at least a year, is what lets you import your menaje free of duty, so sort it before you ship.
Can I bring my car from France to Colombia?
For most individuals, no. Colombia heavily restricts private vehicle imports and it is rarely practical or permitted as part of a household move, so plan to sell your car in France and buy locally. Confirm the current rules before assuming anything.
What should I do first when I arrive in Colombia?
Register with Migracion Colombia and obtain your cedula de extranjeria, the foreigner identity card. With it you can finalise customs clearance of your menaje, open a bank account, and set up health cover and a longer lease.