Moving to France

France is the most visited country on Earth, and a surprising number of those visitors decide to stay. The draw is a high quality of life at a price that, outside Paris, is gentler than many newcomers expect: serious public healthcare, fast trains, excellent food at every budget, and a culture that still protects long lunches and long holidays.

It suits people who value public services and are willing to engage with French in daily life, families who want strong state schools, and remote or pension funded movers who can live in the regions where housing is genuinely affordable. It suits you less well if you expect everything in English or want light bureaucracy, because French administration is thorough and paper heavy, and if you want to live centrally in Paris, where rents rival London and New York.

The honest split is Paris versus the rest. A two bedroom flat in central Paris can cost more than three times the same flat in Lyon, Nantes, Montpellier or rural Dordogne, where a large community of foreign residents has already settled.

France applies the EU transfer of residence relief, known locally as the franchise for a changement de residence. Used household goods moving from outside the EU can enter free of customs duty and VAT if you have owned and used them for at least six months, you lived outside the EU for at least twelve months, and you import them within twelve months of transferring your home. Goods from another EU country move with no customs formality.

You declare to the French customs service, the Douane. The key document is the certificate of change of residence issued by the French consulate at your origin, together with a dated and valued inventory, ideally in French, and proof of your new address. A common mistake is shipping before the consular certificate is in hand, which can stall clearance.

The main sea gateways are Le Havre on the Channel and Marseille and Fos on the Mediterranean, with Dunkirk also handling household freight. Alcohol, tobacco, weapons and some food and plant products are restricted or watched. Vehicles can be imported but require a quitus fiscal and re registration, so many movers sell at origin. Pets travel under EU rules with a microchip, rabies vaccination and pet passport or health certificate.

We never name or rank movers, so judge them on evidence. Look first for membership of FIDI or IAM, which means audited standards and financial vetting. Then test genuine experience on your route into France: a mover who regularly clears household goods through Le Havre or Marseille will produce the certificate of change of residence and the French inventory without fuss.

Always get a binding pre move survey, by video if needed, so the volume is accurate and quotes are comparable. Scrutinise the insurance: the basis of valuation, the exclusions and the claims process. Weight independent reviews toward how claims and delays were handled. Ask every mover the same questions when you request quotes here so you can compare like for like.