Move Home to France: A Removals Guide

Start with the date you get the keys

Everything in a removal hangs on one date: the day you can legally take possession. If you are buying, that is the day you sign the acte de vente, the final deed, at the notaire's office. Until that signature you have no right to move anything into the house, however friendly the seller. If you are renting, it is the start date of the lease and the check-in inventory (the état des lieux).

The trouble is that completion dates in France can slip. The compromis de vente sets a target date, but the notaire's searches, a mortgage offer or a missing document can push it back by days or weeks. So:

• Do not book a fixed delivery date until completion is firm. Agree a provisional window with your remover and confirm it once the notaire has fixed the signing appointment.
• Ask about storage. Most international removers can hold your goods in a warehouse for a few days or weeks if the dates do not line up. Know the cost before you need it.
• Leave slack at the other end. If you are selling a home, try not to complete your sale and your French purchase on the same day. A gap of a week or two, with a short rental or family to stay with, takes most of the stress out of the move.

Choosing how to move

There are three broad options, and the right one depends on how much you are bringing and how much time you have.

A full load

A dedicated vehicle carries only your goods, collected on one day and delivered on an agreed day, usually two to four days later from the UK, the Netherlands or Belgium. It is the fastest and most secure option and the most expensive. It makes sense for a full household, or when your dates are fixed.

A part load (groupage)

Your goods share a vehicle with other customers' moves on a similar route. The cost is lower, sometimes much lower, but the timing is less precise: collection and delivery fall within windows that can stretch to a couple of weeks or more while the vehicle fills up. Part loads suit smaller moves and flexible timetables, and they combine well with storage.

Doing it yourself

Hiring a van or a trailer and driving it yourself can work for a small move or a top-up after the main removal. Remember that one-way international van hire is often expensive or unavailable, that a full van takes a long time to load properly, and that the drive from a Channel port to the southwest is a full day. It is rarely the bargain it first appears for a whole household.

Getting quotes and choosing a remover

Ask at least three firms to quote, and make sure they are quoting on the same basis.

A proper survey. A good remover will want to see what you are moving, either in person or by video call, and will estimate the volume in cubic metres. Be honest and thorough, including the loft, the garage, the shed and the garden furniture. Under-estimating leads to a second van on the day, at a price you no longer control.

What the quote includes. Check whether it covers packing materials, packing by the remover's team, dismantling and reassembling furniture, delivery into each room, unpacking, and removal of empty boxes. Packing is a large part of the cost, and doing some of it yourself, particularly books and non-fragile items, can make a real difference.

Access at both ends. Rural properties in southwest France are often down narrow lanes, over small bridges or up steep drives that a large lorry cannot use. Tell the remover exactly where the house is, ideally with a map and photographs of the approach. If a large vehicle cannot reach the door, they will need to transfer your goods to a smaller shuttle vehicle, which adds time and cost. It is far better to price that in from the start than to discover it at the end of the lane.

Membership and experience. Look for firms that belong to a recognised trade association in your country, such as BAR in the UK, and that regularly do the route you need. A firm that moves people to France every week knows the customs paperwork, the ferry or tunnel timings and the realities of rural deliveries.

Insurance. Goods in transit should be insured, and the detail matters. Check whether cover is for full replacement value or a depreciated value, what the excess is, how fragile items packed by you are treated, and how and when you must report damage. Most policies require you to note visible damage on the delivery paperwork on the day and to report anything else within a short period. Photograph valuable items before they are packed.

Get it in writing. The final quote should list volume, dates or date windows, services included, insurance, payment terms and the cancellation policy.

Customs: who needs to think about it

Moving from another EU country

If you are moving from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany or any other EU country, there are no customs formalities for your household goods. You may still want an inventory for insurance, but nothing needs declaring at the border.

Moving from the UK or another non-EU country

Since Brexit, a move from the UK to France is an import from outside the EU. That sounds alarming, but France, like the rest of the EU, offers relief from duty and VAT for personal belongings brought in as part of a genuine change of residence. The broad conditions are:

• you have lived outside the EU for at least twelve months before the move;
• the goods are your own used personal and household belongings, and you have owned and used them for at least six months;
• they are for your own use in your new home, and you bring them within a set period of moving;
• you do not sell, lend or hire them out for a period after import.

Your remover will normally handle the declaration on your behalf, but you will need to provide the paperwork. That usually includes a detailed inventory, a copy of your passport, and evidence that you are moving your main residence to France, such as the purchase deed or an attestation from the notaire, a lease, or proof that you have given up your home in the UK. Start gathering these early, because the notaire's attestation in particular comes at the end of the purchase.

Some things do not qualify for relief or are restricted, whatever the circumstances. Alcohol and tobacco above the normal traveller allowances are taxable. Firearms need permits. Plants, seeds, meat and dairy products are tightly controlled. Items made from protected species, such as antique ivory, may need special documents. If you are bringing a wine cellar, a gun collection, valuable art or a garden full of plants in pots, discuss it with the remover in detail before the quote is agreed.

Your inventory

A good inventory is the single most useful document of the move. It serves the customs declaration, the insurance policy and your own sanity when you are looking for the kettle.

• Number every box and list what is in it, in plain terms. For customs purposes, a bilingual list or one your remover can translate is helpful.
• Note values for anything significant, for insurance.
• Mark the destination room on each box, using the room names you will use in the new house.
• Keep an essentials box that travels with you, not in the lorry: documents, medicines, chargers, a kettle, mugs, toilet roll, basic tools, bedding for the first night and anything the pets need.

What to bring, and what to leave

Not everything is worth shipping. Removal costs are driven by volume, and some things are simply better bought in France.

Furniture. Old French houses often have narrow staircases, low beams and small doors, so large sofas and wardrobes do not always fit where you imagine. Measure the rooms and the routes into them if you can. Conversely, rural farmhouses have large rooms, and big pieces that dominated a modern house may look right at last.

Beds and linen. French bed sizes differ from British ones. A standard French double is 140 cm wide, and larger sizes are common in metric widths, so your existing sheets and duvet covers may not fit French beds, and the other way round. If you are bringing your beds, bring their linen too.

Electrical goods. France uses the same 230-volt supply as the UK and the rest of Europe, so most appliances work. UK plugs need adapters or replacement plugs, which is easy for lamps and small appliances. Large appliances are a judgement call; some people prefer to buy French washing machines and fridges with local warranties and local repair services.

Garden and garage. Lawnmowers, tools and garden furniture are bulky and cheap to replace, but quality tools you know are worth bringing. Clean all garden equipment thoroughly, since soil can attract attention at customs.

Paperwork. Bring originals of birth and marriage certificates, pension documents, medical records and anything you might need to prove your history. Obtaining them from abroad later is slow.

Bringing your pets

Pets travel well to France, but the rules must be followed exactly.

From the UK, a dog, cat or ferret needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days before travel, and an animal health certificate issued by an official veterinarian within ten days of travel. The old UK-issued EU pet passport is no longer accepted. Check the current rules with your vet well ahead, because the timings matter.

From another EU country, an EU pet passport with a valid rabies vaccination is generally enough.

Once you are settled, register with a local vet, who can record your pet on the French national identification register and issue a French EU pet passport, which makes future travel simpler. Many people bring their pets by car on the ferry or through the tunnel, a day or two ahead of or behind the removal, so that the animals are not in an empty house on moving day.

Bringing your car

If you are bringing a car permanently, it will eventually need French registration. The steps for a UK car generally include a certificate of conformity from the manufacturer, a tax clearance certificate (the quitus fiscal) from the French tax office, a French roadworthiness test (the contrôle technique) for cars over four years old, adjustments to the headlights for driving on the right, and an online application for a French registration certificate (the carte grise). The rules on how long a resident can keep driving on foreign plates are not generous, so start early.

Right-hand-drive cars are legal in France, though many people find a left-hand-drive car easier for overtaking on country roads and decide to sell the British car and buy locally. Whichever you choose, tell your insurer you are moving, because a UK policy may not cover a vehicle kept in France by a French resident. Your driving licence is a separate matter; our guide to driving in France and exchanging a UK licence explains it.

Moving day in the countryside

On the day, be at the French house before the lorry arrives. Have the keys, and if the lane is narrow, be ready to guide the driver. Some practical tips:

• Clear the route. Move your own car out of the way, open gates, and warn neighbours if a large vehicle will block a shared lane for a few hours.
• Know where things go. Stick a plan of the rooms on the front door and label the rooms themselves.
• Check as you go. Tick off box numbers as they come in, and note any visible damage on the delivery paperwork before you sign it.
• Feed the crew. It is appreciated, and a long day goes better for everyone.

If the house is a long way from the road or up a steep track, discuss with the remover beforehand whether a smaller vehicle, extra crew or a longer day is needed, so that there are no surprises.

Utilities and services in the first fortnight

Many people arrive to find the lights on and the water running, because services were left connected at the sale. Even so, the accounts must be transferred into your name.

Electricity. The supply is managed by Enedis, and you can choose your supplier, including EDF on its regulated tariff. Read the meter on the day you take possession and photograph it. Most homes now have a Linky smart meter, which makes this simpler.

Water. Water is supplied by the commune or a local syndicate. The mairie or the notaire can tell you who to contact. Read and photograph the meter.

Heating. Rural houses often rely on heating oil (fioul), bottled or tank gas, or wood. Check the level in any oil or gas tank at handover, since it is common to pay the seller for what remains. Chimneys and flues must be swept regularly, and your insurer will usually want to see the certificate.

Internet and phone. Fibre has reached much of rural France, but not every house. Check availability at the exact address before you move, order early, and have a mobile data plan ready to bridge any gap. If you work from home, this deserves attention before you buy.

Insurance. Make sure home insurance starts the day you take possession. Tenants are legally required to insure; owners should do so regardless, and the notaire may ask for proof.

Rubbish. Collection arrangements vary by commune, and many have moved to individual bins, collection points or recycling centres (déchetteries) that need a resident's access card. Ask at the mairie.

Settling in

The first few weeks are when the administration arrives in waves. A short checklist:

• Visit the mairie. Introduce yourself. It is not compulsory to register, but the mairie is the source of local knowledge on everything from bins to building permission.
• Find a doctor. Register with a GP as your médecin traitant as soon as you can, since some rural practices are full.
• Validate your visa. If you arrived on a long-stay visa that serves as a residence permit (VLS-TS), validate it online within three months of arrival.
• Open a French bank account if you do not already have one, and keep your bank details slip (the RIB) handy, since utilities and insurers ask for it constantly.
• Redirect your post from your old address for several months, and update your address with banks, pensions and HMRC or your home tax authority.
• Join something. A walking club, a language exchange, a choir. Associations are the heart of rural French life, and the fastest way to feel at home.

Our guide to moving to France from the UK covers the visa, tax and healthcare side of the move in detail, and the guide to moving to France after Brexit explains what changed for British citizens.

A realistic timeline for the removal

• Three to four months before: get removal quotes, sort out pets' vaccinations, start decluttering.
• Two months before: book the remover on a provisional date window, gather customs documents, start packing what you will not need.
• One month before: confirm the completion date with the notaire, confirm the removal dates, arrange storage if needed, book your own crossing.
• The final fortnight: animal health certificate (within ten days of travel), essentials box, meter readings at the old home.
• Moving week: collection, the journey, the signing, delivery.
• The first fortnight: utilities, insurance, mairie, doctor, visa validation.

Booking early matters most in summer. Removers are busiest from late spring to the end of August, and the best firms fill their France runs well ahead.

Bringing it together

A removal to France is very manageable when it is planned around the completion date, priced on a realistic volume, and handled by a firm that knows the route and the paperwork. Most of the problems people meet come from compressing the timetable or underestimating access at the far end, and both are avoidable.

Our free relocation guide covers the whole move, from visas and healthcare to buying a home in the southwest. If you have a question about your own move, email hello@southwest-france.com.