France publishes the rules for moving a main residence on douane.gouv.fr, built on the same EU regulation used across the Union. The French page is unusually specific about paperwork, and that makes it a useful checklist for packing. O'Brien's Moving & Storage arranges overseas moves through Bekins and partner international carriers; the customs requirements below come from the French customs site.
The two tests
French customs says you can benefit from the exemption for personal property if you have been staying in a third country for at least 12 months. The belongings must have been used privately for at least 6 months before the transfer of residence. A separate condition says items must have borne customs or tax charges in the country of origin or provenance.
The inventory customs wants
The inventory is the center of the French process. Customs asks for a detailed, estimated, dated and signed list, in 2 copies. Alongside it you submit the cerfa 10070 form and proof that your principal residence was in a third country.
An estimated value on each line is part of the request, so the list is more than a packing manifest. Writing it from a room-by-room walk-through avoids gaps.
- Two copies of the inventory.
- Cerfa 10070 form.
- Proof of principal residence abroad.
Cars and motorcycles
A car or motorcycle can be exempt if it is not a commercial vehicle, you have owned and used it for more than 6 months, and the taxes due in the country of origin have been paid. Treat the vehicle as its own line in the plan, because it has its own paperwork on both sides of the Atlantic.
How an itemized inventory serves both sides
O'Brien's prepares an itemized inventory and condition report before packing begins, and the estimate it writes is itemized and in writing. That gives a household the structure for the French list: each piece named, its condition recorded and a place for the value you enter. The in-home estimate is free and includes 10 free heavy-duty boxes you keep.
Overseas territories
French Polynesia, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and Wallis-et-Futuna have a separate regime, and French customs tells people to check with the regional customs offices first. If your destination is one of those, ask the estimator at your visit. Call 775-359-6683 or read how our estimates work.