UK to France
Removals from the UK to France
The shortest crossing in Europe and, once you are past it, some of the longest drives. Here is how a French move actually runs, stage by stage.
Six stages, in order
No durations here, and that is deliberate. Route, vehicle type and clearance at the far end all move the dates, and your written quote sets out the expected window for your move rather than a number chosen to sound reassuring.
- 01
Survey, wherever you are
Video for most jobs, in person where access or volume makes it worth doing. This is where the inventory gets written, and the inventory is what the customs declaration is built from.
- 02
Paperwork lodged
Your tax reference, proof of the French address, evidence you are transferring residence. We compile the declaration and hold the load until every piece of it is in.
- 03
Load in the UK
Blankets and covers go on in the room. Everything is checked against the inventory as it goes on the vehicle, because that list has to match what arrives.
- 04
The crossing
Tunnel or ferry, depending on the vehicle and the route. This is the shortest leg of a French move and rarely the part that decides anything.
- 05
The drive south
Nord and Normandy are barely past the crossing. Brittany, the Loire, the Dordogne, Occitanie and Provence are real distances on the autoroute, and they are planned as such.
- 06
Delivery and placement
Into the rooms, not onto the drive. Beds rebuilt, the dresser put back together, packing materials taken away with us.
Where in France
- Nord, Pas-de-Calais, Normandy
- The closest destinations in Europe. Straightforward runs, often a part load, and the leg where a shared vehicle makes the most obvious sense.
- Brittany and the Loire
- Longhouses and stone cottages with doorways built for smaller furniture than we make now. Measurements matter more here than distance does.
- Dordogne, Lot and the south-west
- The classic British move. Rural addresses, long gravel approaches and the occasional bridge or lane that a full-size vehicle simply will not take — which is why we ask about the approach, not just the postcode.
- Occitanie and Provence
- Village houses with stairs and no lift, and town centres where unloading needs a plan made in advance rather than found on the day.
- Paris and the Île-de-France
- Apartment moves. Lift dimensions, courtyard access and permission to park are the whole job; the drive is the easy half.
If France is the only country you are interested in, our sister site france-removals.co.uk is built around that corridor alone and goes deeper on the regions than a page like this can. We would rather point you at it than pretend this is the fullest thing we have.
UK to France — common questions
What do I need before the vehicle can travel?
A French tax or identification reference, proof of your address in France, evidence you are transferring your residence rather than importing goods to sell, and identification. We tell you exactly what each one looks like and chase whatever is outstanding.
Will I pay duty on my own furniture?
Transfer-of-residence relief exists precisely so that people moving home do not pay duty on their own used household goods. It has conditions — ownership, prior use, the move being genuine — and the relief has to be claimed properly on the declaration. That is our side of it.
Full load or shared?
A whole house usually wants its own vehicle. A flat, a second home or a part-furnished property is often better as a part load sharing the route: less cost, less flexibility on dates. We quote both so you can see the trade-off rather than being told which one you want.
Can you collect from more than one address?
Yes — a house plus a storage unit, or two properties, is common on French moves. Tell us at survey so it is in the plan and in the price.
What about the car?
We move household goods, not vehicles. Plenty of people drive down and meet the load at the other end, and for anything else a dedicated vehicle transporter will do a better job than we would.
Moving to France?
Send the UK address, the French address and a rough idea of what is coming. We will come back about a survey.