Settling in France after living in a country outside the European Union: what customs duties?
Verified 19 November 2025 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
What applies to you ?
If you come from a EU Member State, you have nothing to pay. No formality is to be carried out during the customs clearance.
However, if you come from a third countries, you benefit from duty-free in the 3 cases following:
- Transfer of principal residence
- Marriage and installation in France
- Education (schooling).
However, some taxes are still due on alcohol, tobacco, goods and business vehicles.
You transfer your main residence to France
The goods concerned are as follows:
- Personal effects, objects and furniture that make up your principal place of residence
- Personal vehicle.
The quantities of these goods must be for personal use and not for commercial (professional) use.
Warning
Some goods require prior authorizations. This is the case for works of art and cultural goods, weapons and ammunition, animals, plants and medicines.
Goods intended to furnish a secondary residence do not benefit from the customs exemption.
To benefit from the exemption from customs duties for goods entering France, you must complete the following conditions :
- You reside in a non-EU countries since 1 year minimum
- You transfer your principal residence (called "normal" by customs) in France. Your property must not enter France to furnish a second home.
- You have owned these properties since 6 months minimum
- You import your goods into the 12 months who follow your installation in France
- You agree to do not sell or rent your goods for 1 year after their entry into France.
These conditions must be met for all declared assets, even if they are transferred in several installments. In this case, the complete list of goods must appear on the inventory handed over during the first customs passage.
For any information, you can contact the French Embassy of the country from which you are moving. You can also contact the Customs Information Service for Individuals by telephone.
Who shall I contact
To obtain customs information concerning export, import, customs forms, transport and border crossing, exemptions...
By phone
0,800 94 40 40
Open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 6 pm
Toll-free number, price of a local call
Outside the city or from the foreigner, dial +33 1 72 40 78 50
By courier
Access to contact form
Documents to be presented at customs clearance
When passing through customs on entry into France, you must submit the following documents :
- Detailed Inventoryestimated, dated and signed (in 2 copies) of the goods and movable objects that you plan to transfer to France
- Certificate of Registration or any other equivalent document, if you are importing your personal vehicle
- Proof(s) that you had your principal residence in a country outside the EU and that you settle in France (invoices, declaration or notice of property taxes,...). Before you leave the foreigner, you can apply for a certificate of change of residence from the french consulate on which you depend.
Who shall I contact
FYI
Importing your goods can be done in 1 or more times. If you transfer your goods in several installments, you must include all of them on the inventory handed over to customs on 1er transfer.
Customs declaration
You must present to customs the completed and signed entry declaration form (cerfa n°10070).
Who shall I contact
Certificates provided by French Customs
The customs services hand you over in return :
- 1 copy of the inventory of your goods
- Customs clearance certificate No. 846 A for the registration of your vehicle in a normal series in France
- On your request, a free movement card.
You must pay customs duties on the following products:
- Alcohol
- Tobacco
- Furnishing of a second home in France
- Commercial vehicle (used for passenger transport or for professional use), mixed-use vehicles (used for both passenger and freight transport)
- Transportable homes (mobile home, caravan, tiny-house)
- Professional equipment (except small professional equipment such as stethoscope or musical instruments)
- Stocks of raw materials and manufactured goods.
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
Transfer by car or plane
If you transfer the goods with you (by car or plane), you must present to customs office.
Customs officers guide you to make declaration.
They tell you the amount of the fees to be paid.
You can pay by check, credit card or cash.
The Customs Personal Telephone Inquiry Service answers all your questions. The advisory units of the economic action hubs can also provide you with information.
Who shall I contact
To obtain customs information concerning export, import, customs forms, transport and border crossing, exemptions...
By phone
0,800 94 40 40
Open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 6 pm
Toll-free number, price of a local call
Outside the city or from the foreigner, dial +33 1 72 40 78 50
By courier
Access to contact form
Transfer by container
These are the customs officers making the declaration.
This is an electronic declaration.
The Advisory Cells of the Economic Action Clusters (EAPs) can inform you:
Who shall I contact
You get married and settle in France
If you are going to get married in France and settle your main residence there, you can benefit from duty-free on the personal property and gifts that you will receive on this occasion.
The goods concerned are as follows:
- Material goods, personal effects, cars, objects and furniture that make up your place of residence and that you share with your spouse
- Gifts that you will receive during the wedding celebration.
Gifts must be for future spouses and not for commercial or other non-domestic use.
Warning
Some properties require prior approvals. This is the case for works of art and cultural goods, weapons and ammunition, certain protected animals or plants, medicines.
You are exempt if you complete the following conditions :
- You are staying in a country outside the European Union (EU) since 1 year minimum
- You bring your goods to France in the 2 months before the date of your wedding and at the latest 4 months after its celebration
- You agree to do not sell or rent these goods (personal and gifts) for at least 1 year after their entry into France
- Each gift offered by people living abroad (outside the EU) must have a value of less than €1,000
- Moved goods must be pooling with your spouse.
The import can be done in several batches, but in this case the inventory delivered on 1er the transfer must include all the goods for which the exemption is claimed.
Documents to be presented at customs clearance
When entering your goods in France, you must provide the following documents to customs:
- Marriage certificate (or family booklet) or documents justifying your steps towards marriage
- Detailed Inventoryestimated, dated and signed in 2 copies of the transferred assets
- Certificate of Registration or any other equivalent document, if you are importing your vehicle.
You can bring your goods in one or several times.
If you transfer your goods in several installments, you must include all of them on the inventory handed over to customs on 1er transfer.
Please note
If the goods enter France before the wedding, customs can ask you for a security deposit.
Customs declaration
You must present to customs the completed and signed entry declaration form (cerfa n°10070).
Who shall I contact
Certificates provided by French Customs
The customs services hand you over in return :
- 1 certified copy of the inventory,
- On your request, a free movement card.
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
Transfer by car or plane
If you transfer the goods with you (by car or plane), you must present to customs office.
Customs officers guide you to make declaration.
They tell you the amount of the fees to be paid.
You can pay by check, credit card or cash.
The Customs Personal Telephone Inquiry Service answers all your questions. The advisory units of the economic action hubs can also provide you with information.
Who shall I contact
To obtain customs information concerning export, import, customs forms, transport and border crossing, exemptions...
By phone
0,800 94 40 40
Open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 6 pm
Toll-free number, price of a local call
Outside the city or from the foreigner, dial +33 1 72 40 78 50
By courier
Access to contact form
Transfer by container
These are the customs officers making the declaration.
This is an electronic declaration.
The Advisory Cells of the Economic Action Clusters (EAPs) can inform you:
Who shall I contact
You settle in France to study
If you come to study in France and you are from a country out European Union, you can benefit from a duty-free allowance at least once not a school year.
These are material goods, personal effects, objects and furniture that correspond to the needs normal of a student.
Example: Furniture must match that of a student room.
The quantities transported must be for personal and non-commercial (professional) use.
For Customs, the following items are defined as personal effects :
- Household linen, clothes (even new), furniture, small decoration, equipment (telephone, computer, calculator, camera, small household appliance, etc.).
- Books, textbooks
- Bike
- Car
- Household provisions (e.g. food reserves, cleaning products)
- Apartment pet
- Portable instrument of mechanical or liberal art necessary for the exercise of your future profession (example: stethoscope if you are a medical student, physiotherapy table if you are a physiotherapy student, musical instrument if you are a music student).
The goods must be intended for the exclusive use of students (not intended for rental, commercial professional use or disposal before the end of the studies).
Warning
Some properties require prior approvals. This is the case for works of art and cultural goods, weapons and ammunition, certain protected animals or plants, medicines.
You can inquire by telephone at the Customs Information Service for Individuals:
Who shall I contact
To obtain customs information concerning export, import, customs forms, transport and border crossing, exemptions...
By phone
0,800 94 40 40
Open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 6 pm
Toll-free number, price of a local call
Outside the city or from the foreigner, dial +33 1 72 40 78 50
By courier
Access to contact form
To benefit from the exemption of duties and taxes on the import of your personal property when you come to France to study, you must meet the following conditions:
- You usually reside in a countries outside the EU
- You come to France for the exclusive purpose of pursuing studies in a public or private educational institution recognized by the French State
- The goods you import must match to your normal student needs (furniture, personal effects, books, computer equipment, laundry, personal vehicle, small household equipment, etc.) and be for your personal use. They must not be commercial or professional in nature.
- You can benefit from the deductible at least once per school year, upon presentation of a certificate of education or a certificate of registration
- You must commit not to sell, rent or lend your assets before the end of your school year or, at a minimum, during one year from their entry into France
- The importation of your goods must take place within a reasonable time around the beginning of your academic year. You can transfer your property one or more times, provided that the detailed inventory submitted to customs on the first pass lists all the goods for which the exemption is claimed.
Documents to be presented at customs clearance
When entering your property in France, you must provide documents following at customs:
- Certificate of schooling
- Detailed Inventoryestimated, dated and signed (in 2 copies) of the goods and movable objects that you import into France for your studies
- Certificate of Registration or any other equivalent document, if you are importing your vehicle
Customs declaration
You must present to customs the completed and signed entry declaration form (cerfa n°10070).
Who shall I contact
Certificates provided by French Customs
The customs services hand you over in return :
- 1 certified copy of the inventory
- On your request, a free movement card.
Some of your assets are excluded from the duty-free.
You must pay fees during your passage through customs.
These goods are:
- Alcohol if you exceed certain quantities
- Tobacco if you exceed certain quantities
- . Any property for strictly professional or commercial use (and not for private student use)
The customs website explains how to declare and pay if you exceed the authorized quantities.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
To obtain customs information concerning export, import, customs forms, transport and border crossing, exemptions...
By phone
0,800 94 40 40
Open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 6 pm
Toll-free number, price of a local call
Outside the city or from the foreigner, dial +33 1 72 40 78 50
By courier
Access to contact form
- Embassies and consulates of France abroad
For professional goods
Companies Advisory Units (Customs - Economic Action Clusters)
Service Public
Service Public
General Directorate of Customs and Indirect Duties
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Finance