Many people choose to move to France from the UK for a change of lifestyle, after all, France is famous for fine food, wine and, in many of its regions, a slower pace of life. If you are considering moving to France for work you will find it a much easier process than moving to some other countries because of laws that allow EU nationals to work there without needing a work permit. The logistics of moving to France from UK are also made easier by Cadogan Tate’s dedicated removals and storage depots in Paris and the South of France, as well as regular shipments from the UK to France.

Importing a car

The first step for registering your car for use in France is to contact your local (to your destination in France) DRIRE office (Direction Régionale de L’Industrie, de la Recherche et de l’Environnement), as each region has a slightly different process and set of rules for importing and registering a car. They will be able to provide you with a list of documents that you will need to complete the process. One of the documents that you will need to provide is a ‘Manufacturers Certificate of Conformity’, which can be acquired from your car dealer or manufacturer. This certificate will state that your car conforms to French road standards. However, you should expect to make some changes to your car, such as modifying the direction of the headlights.
Near the time of the move you will also be required to send off the maroon section of the car’s British DVLA Registration Certificate (with your new address) to the DVLA to say that you are exporting the car, and will no longer to liable to pay British road tax.

Importing other items

When moving to France from the UK there are very few restrictions on what you can take with you and there are no set limits on the amount of tobacco and alcohol that you can take for your own usage, however, customs officials are likely to ask questions when you exceed these guidelines:
800 cigarettes
200 cigars
1kg smoking tobacco
110 litres of beer
10 litres of spirits over 22% volume
20 litres of spirits under 22% volume
France is a member of the CITES treaty, which prevents the importing of animal products on the endangered and protected species list, which includes ivory, tortoise shell, coral, reptile skin and wood from Amazonian forests.
For more information about CITES, please click here.
If you would like a more detailed guide to customs and the logistical process of moving to France, click here for our Guide to Moving.

Moving to France with your pet

With a little bit of planning, moving to France from UK with your pet is relatively straight forward. Because of changes in European legislation in May 2013, moving with your pet is easier now than it ever has been. This is great news. It is very important to take pets with you because they are, after all, a part of your family as well as being a proven way to relax, reduce stress and a good excuse to go for ‘walkies’ and explore your new surroundings. When moving a cat or dog to France they will need a microchip, a rabies vaccination and a pet passport. Dogs will also require recent tapeworm treatment. It is important to keep in mind that your pet must be micro-chipped before it is vaccinated against rabies and that from April 2016 it will be compulsory for all dogs to have a microchip. For more details about moving to Europe with your pet, click here.

Moving to France with children

According to the 2013 HSBC Expat Explorer Survey, France has very high quality affordable childcare and education, and ranked it 1st in the ‘cost of education available to your children’ and 3rd overall for Raising Children Abroad in a survey of 24 of the top expat destinations across the world. Many children in France start learning English at the age of 11, so it is quite likely that your child will be able to speak with other children in English if they are not quite fluent in French before arriving.
When moving to France from the UK with Cadogan Tate you will be assigned a Move Co-ordinator who will assist you every step of the way, from the acceptance of the moving quote to any assistance that you may require after you have unpacked at your new home. Cadogan Tate are specialists in moving to France from UK and have ample experience and knowledge in this field, as well as being able to offer a competitive and comprehensive removals service. For more details about Cadogan Tate’s specialist services, give us a call.
Information correct at time of publication