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Moving from the foreigner to settle in France: what customs duties?
Verified 29 June 2022 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
In the sense of customs, a country which does not belong to the European Union
Exemption from customs duties for goods entering France
What are the formalities and customs duties when you move your personal property in Metropolitan France from a foreigner country?
If you come from a EU Member State, you do not have to pay anything or any formality to perform during the customs clearance. If you come from a third country, you have duty-free allowance in 3 cases : transfer of principal residence, marriage in France, studies (education).
You pay taxes on: alcohol, tobacco, professional goods and vehicles.
What applies to you ?
You transfer your principal residence to France
These are the physical assets, personal effects, objects and furniture that make up your principal place of residence.
This is also your personal vehicle.
The quantities of these goods must be for personal use and not for commercial (professional) use.
Warning
You can't bring everything back, some goods require prior authorizations. This is the case for works of art and cultural goods, arms and ammunition, animals, plants and medicines
To benefit from the exemption of customs duties for goods entering France, you must complete the following conditions :
- You reside in a non-EU country since 1 year minimum
- You transfer your principal residence (called "normal" by customs) in France. Your property must not enter France to furnish a second home.
- You've owned these assets since 6 months minimum
- You import your goods into 12 months that follow your installation in France
- You commit to do not sell or rent your property for 1 year after entering France
For any information you can contact the French Embassy of the country from which you are moving:
Who shall I contact
You can also contact the Customs Personal Information Service by telephone:
Who shall I contact
Customs Service Info
To obtain customs information concerning export, import, customs forms, transport and border crossing, exemptions...
By telephone
0 800 94 40 40
Open from Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 6pm
Toll-free number, local call price
Outside metropolis or from the foreigner, dial +33 1 72 40 78 50
By E-mail
Access to contact form
Documents to be provided to customs
When entering France, you must present the following documents :
- Detailed Inventory, estimated, dated and signed (in 2 copies) of the goods and movable objects that you intend to transfer to France
- If you are importing your personal vehicle, certificate of registration or any other equivalent document
- Any document proving that you have your principal residence in a country outside the EU and you settle in France (invoices, property tax returns or notices, etc.). Before leaving the foreigner, you can request a certificate of change of residence from the French consulate on which you depend.
Who shall I contact
FYI
Importing your goods can be done in 1 or more times. If you transfer your goods in several installments, you must show all of them on the inventory handed over to customs on 1er transfer.
Form to fill out
You must present to customs the following form (cerfa n°10070) completed and signed.
Who shall I contact
The customs services give you in return :
- 1 certified copy of the inventory of your assets
- Clearance certificate n°846 A for the registration of your vehicle in a normal series in France
- On your request, a free movement card
You must pay customs duties on the following products:
- Alcohol
- Tobacco
- Furnishing a second home in France
- Commercial vehicles, mixed-use vehicles (personal and professional)
- Portable housing (mobile home, caravan, tiny-house)
- Equipment for professional use (except small professional equipment such as stethoscopes or musical instruments)
- Stocks of raw materials and manufactured products
How to declare your property?
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
Transfer by car or plane
You declare your goods in customs
If you transfer the goods with you (by car or plane), you must present to the customs office.
Customs officers guide you to to make the declaration.
They tell you the amount of duty to be paid.
You can pay by check, credit card or cash.
Who can help you?
The Customs Individual Telephone Intelligence Service answers all your questions:
Who shall I contact
Customs Service Info
To obtain customs information concerning export, import, customs forms, transport and border crossing, exemptions...
By telephone
0 800 94 40 40
Open from Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 6pm
Toll-free number, local call price
Outside metropolis or from the foreigner, dial +33 1 72 40 78 50
By E-mail
Access to contact form
The Economic Action Hub Advisory Cells can also provide information on:
Who shall I contact
Transfer by container
It's the customs officials making the declaration.
It's an electronic declaration.
Who can help you?
The Economic Action Pole (EAP) advisory cells can provide information on:
Who shall I contact
You get married and settle in France
You are going to get married in France and settle your main residence there.
You can then benefit from duty-free allowance on personal property and gifts which you will receive on this occasion.
What goods are we talking about?
It is the physical property, personal effects, car, objects and furniture that constitute your place of residence and that you share with your spouse.
It is also about the gifts that you will receive during the celebration of the wedding.
Warning
You can't bring everything back, some goods require prior authorization. This is the case for works of art and cultural goods, weapons and ammunition, certain protected animals or plants, medicines.
You are exempt if you complete the following conditions :
- You are staying in a country out EU (EU) since 1 year minimum
- You bring your goods to France in the 2 months before the date of your marriage and at the latest 4 months after its celebration
- You commit to do not sell or rent these goods (personal and gifts) for at least 1 year after their entry into France
- Each gift offered by persons residing abroad (excluding EU: titleContent) must be less than €1,000
- Moved goods must be pooled with your wife or husband
Documents to be provided to customs
When entering France, you must provide the following documents to customs:
- Marriage certificate (or family booklet) or documents justifying your marriage
- Detailed Inventoryestimated, dated and signed in 2 copies of the transferred property
- If you import your vehicle, certificate of registration or any other equivalent document
You can bring your goods in one time or in several times.
If you transfer your goods in several installments, you must show all of them on the inventory handed over to customs on 1er transfer.
Please note
If the goods enter France before the wedding, the customs can ask you for a security deposit.
Form to fill out
You must present to customs the following form (cerfa n°10070) completed and signed.
Who shall I contact
The customs services give you in return :
- 1 endorsed copy of the inventory,
- On your request, a free movement card
Some goods do not benefit from the duty-free allowance.
You have to pay customs duties for their entry into France during customs clearance.
This applies to the following products:
How to declare your property?
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
Transfer by car or plane
You declare your goods in customs
If you transfer the goods with you (by car or plane), you must present to the customs office.
Customs officers guide you to to make the declaration.
They tell you the amount of duty to be paid.
You can pay by check, credit card or cash.
Who can help you?
The Customs Individual Telephone Intelligence Service answers all your questions:
Who shall I contact
Customs Service Info
To obtain customs information concerning export, import, customs forms, transport and border crossing, exemptions...
By telephone
0 800 94 40 40
Open from Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 6pm
Toll-free number, local call price
Outside metropolis or from the foreigner, dial +33 1 72 40 78 50
By E-mail
Access to contact form
The Economic Action Hub Advisory Cells can also provide information on:
Who shall I contact
Transfer by container
It's the customs officials making the declaration.
It's an electronic declaration.
Who can help you?
The Economic Action Pole (EAP) advisory cells can provide information on:
Who shall I contact
You settle in France to study
If you come to study in France and you come from a country out European Union, you can benefit from a duty free allowance at least once per school year.
These are the material goods, personal effects, objects and furniture which correspond to the needs normal of a student.
Example : furniture must match that of a student room.
The quantities transported must correspond to that personal and non-commercial (professional) use.
For customs, the following objects are defined as personal effects :
- Linen, clothing (same new), user furniture, small decoration, equipment (telephone, computer, calculator, camera, small household appliance, etc.).
- Books, textbooks
- Bicycle
- Car
- Household provisions (e.g. food reserves, cleaning products)
- Apartment pet
- Portable mechanical or liberal art instrument necessary for the exercise of your future profession
Example: stethoscope if you are a medical student, physical therapy table if you are a physical therapy student, musical instrument if you are a music student
Inquiries can be made by telephone with the Customs Information Service for Individuals:
Who shall I contact
Customs Service Info
To obtain customs information concerning export, import, customs forms, transport and border crossing, exemptions...
By telephone
0 800 94 40 40
Open from Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 6pm
Toll-free number, local call price
Outside metropolis or from the foreigner, dial +33 1 72 40 78 50
By E-mail
Access to contact form
Documents to be provided to customs
When entering France, you must provide the documents at customs:
- Certificate of education
- Detailed Inventory, estimated, dated and signed (in 2 copies) of the goods and movable objects that you import into France for your studies
- If you are importing your vehicle, the certificate of registration or any other equivalent document
Form to fill out
You must present to customs the following form (cerfa n°10070) completed and signed.
Who shall I contact
The customs services give you in return :
- 1 endorsed copy of the inventory
- On your request, a free movement card
Some of your property is excluded from the duty-free allowance.
You must to pay duties during your customs clearance.
These goods are:
Customs officers explain how to report and pay if you exceed the authorized quantities.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
Customs Service Info
To obtain customs information concerning export, import, customs forms, transport and border crossing, exemptions...
By telephone
0 800 94 40 40
Open from Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 6pm
Toll-free number, local call price
Outside metropolis or from the foreigner, dial +33 1 72 40 78 50
By E-mail
Access to contact form
- Embassies and consulates of France abroad
For professional goods
Companies Advisory Units (Customs - Economic Action Poles)
FAQ
Service-Public.fr
Service-Public.fr
Service-Public.fr
Directorate General of Customs and Indirect Taxes
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Finance