Moving to Paris from the UK is exciting, but since Brexit there is more paperwork than a simple house move. You need the right visa, a customs inventory for your belongings and a plan for Paris’s narrow streets and small lifts. Here are seven practical tips to help your move go smoothly.
1. Sort your long-stay visa before you travel
UK nationals who want to live in France for more than 90 days need a long-stay visa or residence permit before arrival. The official France-Visas website has a visa wizard for work, study, family and retirement routes. Once you arrive, you must validate your long-stay visa or apply for a residence permit. Without residence documents, the 90/180-day rule applies across the Schengen area, and the EU Entry/Exit System now records your entries and exits electronically. See the GOV.UK guide to living in France for the latest official information.
2. Use the customs relief for your household goods
Moving your main home to France from outside the EU means your belongings go through French customs, but you can usually bring them in free of duty and VAT. According to French customs (douane.gouv.fr), you must have lived outside the EU for at least 12 months, and the items must have been in your personal use for at least 6 months. You will need a detailed, dated and signed inventory (two copies), customs form CERFA 10070 and proof of your UK residence and your move to France. Goods can arrive in several loads within 12 months, but everything must be on the first inventory, and you cannot sell or rent out the items for 12 months. Alcohol, tobacco and commercial vehicles are excluded.
MoveDay Removals handles the customs paperwork for you through our customs removals service, so your belongings cross the Channel without delays.
3. Book a parking permit for the removal lorry
Paris streets are narrow and parking is tightly controlled. To park a removal vehicle outside your new building, you normally need a temporary parking authorisation from the city, requested well in advance (allow at least two to three weeks). Tell your removal company your exact address early so they can plan the right vehicle and the permit.
4. Measure lifts, stairs and doorways
Many Parisian flats are in older buildings with tiny lifts or none at all. Measure your large furniture, the stairwell and the lift before moving day. If sofas or wardrobes will not fit, an external furniture lift (monte-meuble) through the window is common in Paris. Let your mover know in advance, because it changes the crew size and the equipment.
5. Register for healthcare
Once you are resident, you can join the French state healthcare system. If you receive a UK State Pension, you may be eligible for an S1 form from the NHS, which gives you French healthcare paid for by the UK. Until you are registered, keep private health insurance in place.
6. Exchange your driving licence
If your UK licence was issued after 1 January 2021, you must exchange it for a French licence within 12 months of becoming resident. Get a check code from the DVLA and apply online through ANTS. You receive a receipt that lets you keep driving while the exchange is processed.
7. Declare foreign bank accounts and plan your taxes
French residents must declare bank accounts and assets held outside France, separately from the annual tax return. The UK and France have a double taxation agreement, but it is worth speaking to a cross-border tax adviser before you move.
Moving to Paris with MoveDay Removals
MoveDay Removals is a family-run company moving people across the whole UK and Europe, with regular routes to France. We collect from anywhere in the UK, prepare your customs inventory and paperwork, and deliver to your new home in Paris, narrow streets included. Planning another destination? Read our Barcelona moving tips, or see our international removals service.
Get your free quote for moving to Paris: https://movedayremovals.com/contact-form-europe/
Website: https://movedayremovals.com
Phone: 07378 626882
Email: office@movedayremovals.co.uk