Paris & Île-de-France
2–3 days dedicated · 4–8 part load
Apartment buildings, narrow streets and the low emission zone. Furniture lifts are the norm above the second floor, and a parking suspension from the mairie is applied for days in advance.
Moving to France by road
France is the closest of our European routes and the one we drive most often. One crew loads at your door in Britain, crosses by tunnel or ferry, and unloads at your door in Paris, Normandy or the Var, usually within the week.
Last reviewed:
The route at a glance
- Collected from
- Any UK address
- Crossing via
- Eurotunnel or Dover–Calais
- Typical transit
- 2–12 days door to door
- Departures
- Weekly, north and south
- Book by
- 3–4 weeks before you move
35 kmFolkestone to Calais by tunnel
Long-stay visaWhat most British movers now need to live in France
Monte-meublesThe furniture lift that serves most city flats
One crewThe people who load are the people who deliver
The shortest crossing, and the busiest route
More British households move to France than to anywhere else in Europe, and the route reflects it. Our vehicles cross the Channel every week, which is what keeps part loads affordable and dedicated vehicles easy to schedule.
The journey is rarely the difficult part. Since Brexit, a move to France means an export declaration in the UK, an import declaration in France, and evidence that you really are moving your home there. Get that right and your household goods enter free of duty and VAT.
Loaded at your door · Across the Channel · Unloaded at the other
Where we deliver in France
Door-to-door transit times from UK collection, with what to expect at the delivery end. Dedicated vehicles are at the quick end; part loads wait for a scheduled departure and share the journey.
Normandy, Brittany & the Loire
2–4 days dedicated · 4–9 part load
Farmhouses, longères and village houses, often down lanes with soft verges. We check access by satellite and photograph before deciding the vehicle size.
Dordogne, Charente & the south-west
3–5 days dedicated · 5–10 part load
Long-established British communities and regular part-load departures. Rural properties sometimes need a smaller shuttle vehicle for the final stretch.
Lyon, the Alps & Burgundy
3–4 days dedicated · 5–10 part load
Chalets and ski apartments come with mountain roads, winter tyre rules from November and access that changes with the snow.
Provence, the Côte d’Azur & Languedoc
3–6 days dedicated · 6–12 part load
Hill villages closed to heavy vehicles, steep drives and summer traffic. A shuttle from the lorry is usually priced in from the start.
Corsica
By arrangement
Served by ferry from Marseille, Toulon or Nice. Allow additional time and ask us for a specific quotation.
| Region | Dedicated vehicle | Part load |
|---|---|---|
| Paris & Île-de-France | 2–3 days | 4–8 days |
| Normandy, Brittany & the Loire | 2–4 days | 4–9 days |
| Dordogne, Charente & the south-west | 3–5 days | 5–10 days |
| Lyon, the Alps & Burgundy | 3–4 days | 5–10 days |
| Provence, the Côte d’Azur & Languedoc | 3–6 days | 6–12 days |
| Corsica | By arrangement | |
Transit times are typical, not guaranteed. Drivers' hours are regulated, so longer runs include mandatory rest, and customs clearance is usually a matter of hours when the paperwork is right.
Dedicated vehicle or part load
Road freight is priced on the space you occupy in a vehicle and the distance it drives. Volume decides which makes sense.
Dedicated vehicle
A full house · your load only
The vehicle carries nothing but your belongings and drives straight to your new address in France. Fastest, with fixed dates for loading and delivery. Usually the right answer for a three-bedroom house or larger.
Part load
A flat or part of a house · shared vehicle
You pay for the space you use and share the journey with other consignments heading the same way. Considerably cheaper, with a delivery window of a few days rather than a fixed date.
Small consignments
A few boxes or a single room
Students, second homes, a room of furniture for a relative. We consolidate these onto our scheduled French runs.
Storage at either end
When the dates don't line up
Completion dates and visa appointments rarely line up with a UK moving date. We hold goods in containerised storage in the UK and deliver when you are ready.
Customs and documents for France
France applies the EU transfer of residence relief through the douane. The core requirement is the same as everywhere in the EU; these are the French specifics.
What you will need
We prepare the export and import declarations and the valued inventory. Several of the documents below can only be issued to you personally, so start them early.
- A long-stay visa or residence cardSince 2021 British citizens need a long-stay visa to live in France, and residence status is part of the evidence that you are genuinely moving. Holders of a Withdrawal Agreement carte de séjour use that.
- Proof of your French addressA rental contract, a notarial act of purchase or an attestation from the notaire. A utility bill in your name in France helps.
- Evidence of leaving the UKCompletion of a sale, the end of a tenancy, or a letter from your employer. Customs want to see that you are moving, not acquiring a second home.
- A valued inventory in FrenchItemised and priced, prepared by us. We also prepare the declaration for importing personal goods free of duty, which you sign.
- Six months’ ownershipGoods must have been owned and used for at least six months before the move. New furniture bought for the move can be charged VAT.
- Second homes are treated differentlyFurnishing a holiday home does not qualify for transfer of residence relief in the same way. Tell us if that is the situation and we will explain the options.
Customs and immigration requirements change. We confirm the current position for France at survey and give you a written checklist before anything is packed.
The last hundred metres
France is easy to reach and occasionally hard to deliver into. Most of the planning goes into the final street.
- Furniture lifts are standardA monte-meubles raised to a fourth-floor window is routine in Paris, Lyon and Marseille, and often quicker and safer than the stairs.
- Parking permits from the mairieReserving the street outside the building means applying to the town hall, typically a week or more in advance. We handle the application.
- Weekend lorry bansHeavy vehicles are banned from French roads on Sundays and public holidays, with extra summer Saturday restrictions. It shapes the schedule on longer runs.
- Low emission zonesParis, Lyon, Grenoble, Strasbourg and others restrict older vehicles. Ours comply, but the zone can still affect the routing and timing of delivery.
SealedYour vehicle is sealed at loading and not opened in transit
Secure parkingOvernight stops at guarded compounds, never a lay-by
Same crewThe people who load in Britain unload at your new home
No portGoods are never containerised, craned or double-handled
What a Halo move to France includes
Quoted as one price, delivered as one service. Anything not on this list is named in your quotation rather than discovered later.
- Pre-move survey by video call or in person, with a written volume assessment
- Export-standard packing and materials, or cartons delivered if you're packing yourself
- A numbered, valued inventory in the format French customs expect
- Collection from any UK address, including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- UK export declaration and French import declaration, both prepared and filed
- Your transfer of residence relief claim, with a checklist of the documents you need
- The sea or tunnel crossing and all road tolls, permits and vignettes
- A sealed vehicle and secure overnight parking throughout the journey
- Access assessment at destination, including parking permits and furniture lifts
- Delivery into the rooms you choose, with furniture reassembled
- Removal of packing debris on the day
- One named consultant, contactable directly, from survey through to final delivery
Moving to France: common questions
How long does a move to France take?
Northern France and Paris are usually two to three days with a dedicated vehicle. Provence and the south-west take three to six. Part loads add a few days while the vehicle collects and delivers other consignments on the same route.
Can I bring wine and food?
Meat and dairy products from the UK cannot be imported into the EU, including the opened packets in the cupboard. Alcohol can travel but sits outside the relief, so it must be declared and duty is payable.
Do I need a visa before the goods travel?
In most cases you should have your long-stay visa or residence card before we file the import declaration, because it is part of the evidence of residence. If the timing is tight, we can hold the goods in storage until it arrives.
Can you bring my car to France?
We arrange vehicle transport alongside the move. Registering a UK car in France means a customs certificate (846A), a certificate of conformity and a carte grise application. Right-hand drive cars are legal but the headlights must be adjusted.
Can you deliver to a property I am still renovating?
Often, yes. We can deliver part of the load and hold the rest in storage, or store everything until the work is finished. Tell us early and we will plan around it.
What does a move to France cost?
Volume first, then distance, then whether you need a dedicated vehicle or can share one. Use the volume estimator on our home page for a sense of scale, then let us survey and quote in writing. Our prices page explains what goes into the figure.
Get a quotation for France
Tell us where you're heading and roughly when. A consultant will come back within one working day to arrange a survey.
- European desk
- 07749 924755
- europe@halointernationalrelocations.com
- Not sure of your volume?
- Use the move estimator for an indicative figure in about thirty seconds, then send it through with your enquiry.
- Elsewhere in Europe?
- See our road freight guides to Spain, Portugal, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany and the Republic of Ireland, or the overview of European removals.