Expats wanting to get things shipped to France will be able to do smoothly and easily due to the amount of ports that are available in the country. The largest is Marseilles and Le-Havre
To get shipping, you will have the option to choose from sea, air or land and most services providers will be provide this as well as door to door services.
However, due to the services provided by shipping companies it can prove to be a quite expensive process. Some expats find that buying goods in France may work out cheaper than actually getting items shipped over.
Shipping costs are usually calculated depending on the distance, door to door service, weight of items and how many items there are. Most shipping companies will also add on extra costs for handling large items and packing materials. Regardless of this, relocation companies have become very popular with expats moving to international countries.
It is advisable to shop and around and get some quotes from different companies as prices may be different on the services that you required. The company should also be registered with the Federation of International Furniture Removers.
What services should be considered from a shipping company:
- Border clearance and custom formalities
- Fuel surcharge
- Pick up goods at your location
- Disassembly and reassembly of furniture
- Export documents for household goods
- Unloading all items to destination and setting up all the items
- Removal of packing debris from destination resident
Expats are able to ship household goods and personal belongings duty free to France. The items must be six months old and you should have lived outside EU for over one year.
You must provide proof of residency in France