Moving your home from the UK to France means your belongings cross a customs border twice: they leave the UK and they enter the EU. With the right paperwork, most people can bring their household goods into France without paying import duty or VAT. Without it, a load can be held at the border, or you can face a bill you weren’t expecting. Here is the customs paperwork for a UK to France removal, step by step, for 2026.
Step 1: Check you qualify for duty-free import
France lets you bring in your personal belongings free of duty and VAT when you transfer your main home there. According to Service-Public.fr, the main conditions are:
- You have lived outside the EU for at least 12 months.
- You have owned and used the goods for at least 6 months.
- You bring them into France within 12 months of settling there.
- You don’t sell, rent or lend them for 12 months after they arrive.
Goods for a second home in France do not qualify. If you are furnishing a holiday home, expect to pay import VAT and possibly duty, so ask us for a quote that includes customs clearance.
Step 2: Make a detailed, signed inventory
French customs need a dated and signed inventory of everything you are bringing, in two copies. List items room by room, with a short description and an approximate value. If you move in more than one load, the first inventory must already list everything you plan to bring, including what comes later. A clear inventory is the single best way to avoid delays.
Step 3: Prepare form Cerfa 10070 and your proofs
The duty-free entry is claimed on form Cerfa n°10070, the declaration for importing personal belongings. Keep these documents ready to go with it:
- Passport and your French visa or residence document.
- Proof you lived in the UK, for example council tax bills, a tenancy agreement or utility bills.
- Proof you are moving to France, for example a French lease, purchase deed or employment contract.
- The vehicle registration certificate, if you are bringing a car. Customs then issue certificate 846 A, which you need to register the car in France.
Step 4: The UK export side
When a removal company or haulier carries your belongings, the load is moved as freight, so it needs the right export and safety references. Each consignment gets an export reference, and the haulier links all references for the lorry into one Goods Movement Reference (GMR) in the UK’s Goods Vehicle Movement Service before arriving at Dover or the Eurotunnel. GOV.UK explains this in its guidance for hauliers. If anything is missing, check-in can be refused. Read our GMR and ENS guide for how it fits together.
Step 5: Arriving in France
Before the lorry crosses, an Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) is sent to the French import system. On arrival, the import is declared with your inventory and form 10070. Customs return a stamped copy of your inventory, so keep it safe. Some loads travel under transit (T1) to an inland customs office closer to your new home instead of clearing at the port.
Step 6: Check restricted items before you pack
Some goods need prior authorisation even when you are moving home: works of art and cultural goods, weapons and ammunition, certain animals, plants and medicines. Alcohol and tobacco have limits, and meat and dairy products cannot go into the EU. Our guide to what you can and can’t take on a removals lorry to the EU has the full list.
Step 7: Plan your timing
Get your proofs of address and your visa sorted before you fix the collection date, and allow time for the paperwork to be prepared before the lorry leaves. The day you set off can also make a difference: see our tips on the best day to move between the UK and France. Moving to a big city? Read our tips for Paris and Lyon, or download our free Moving Abroad Checklist.
Let us handle the customs paperwork
MoveDay Removals moves homes across the UK and Europe and takes care of the customs side for you: export and import declarations, ENS, GMR and T1, and customs barcodes from £130. See our moving to France page or get a free quote.
Website: https://movedayremovals.com
Phone: 07378 626882
Email: office@movedayremovals.co.uk
This article is general guidance, correct as of October 2026. Customs rules can change, so always check GOV.UK, Service-Public.fr and French customs (Douane, 0 800 94 40 40) before you move.