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ONVOYO

Shipping boxes to and from France

Boxes sent to France from another EU country move freely, with no customs and nothing to pay. From outside the EU, including the UK, TVA (VAT) is due from the first euro, and since July 1, 2026, customs duty can apply at any value because the EU's €150 duty relief has ended. Two reliefs still help: gifts from one private person to another worth up to €45, and your used belongings when you move your main home to France with a Cerfa 10070 declaration.

Typical transit
1-3 business days within the EU; 2-5 from the UK or North America; 3-7 from Asia
Currency
EUR
Duty-free up to
If you're sending from inside the EU, there is no customs clearance and nothing to pay
Receiver ID
Not usually needed

Price a shipment to France

Box size

Choose where it's from and where it's going.

What it costs to ship boxes from the US to France

  • 1 medium box (16 × 16 × 16 in, 20 lb)$137.75delivered in 3 to 5 business days
  • 5 medium boxes (30 lb each)$688.75 totalabout $137.75 a box

Includes pickup at your door, express delivery, fuel and prepared customs paperwork. Import duties and taxes, if any, are set by France and paid by the receiver. Prices updated November 2, 2026.

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Sending to France

Duties and taxes1234567

Duty-free threshold
If you're sending from inside the EU, there is no customs clearance and nothing to pay. From outside the EU (including the UK), VAT is due from the first euro, and the €150 customs duty relief ended on July 1, 2026, so duty can now apply at any value. An occasional gift from one private person to another worth up to €45 (about $53), not counting shipping, is still free of duty and VAT. Online purchases up to €150 from sellers registered for the EU's IOSS scheme, or sent by post, pay a flat €3 duty for each type of item until July 1, 2028.
Import tax
TVA (VAT) at 20% on most goods, charged on the value plus shipping and any duty. Books are taxed at 5.5%. Customs duty follows the EU tariff, but for non-commercial goods worth up to €700 (about $820) per box, customs can apply a flat 2.5% rate instead. In Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion, the standard VAT rate is 8.5% (2.1% for books), and octroi de mer, a local import tax, applies in all five overseas departments.
How value is worked out
CIF. Customs duty is charged on the value of the goods plus shipping and insurance, and VAT is then charged on that value plus any duty. The €45 gift limit is checked against the goods alone, without shipping or insurance. Give each used item an honest value that reflects its age and condition, not the price when new. For moving relief, the inventory must show an estimated value for each item. If you value items in another currency, customs converts them to euros.
Who pays
Shipments are sent DAP. If duty or VAT is due, the receiver pays it before or on delivery. The courier may add a clearance or disbursement fee for handling the payment.
Moving there?
If you lived outside the EU for at least 12 months in a row and owned and used your belongings for at least 6 months before leaving, they can enter free of duty and VAT when you move your main home to France. Fill in Cerfa 10070 in two copies, with a detailed, valued, dated, and signed inventory (also two copies), proof of your former home abroad, and proof of your new home in France. Import within 12 months of moving, in one or several shipments. Alcohol, tobacco, commercial vehicles, and work equipment (other than portable instruments of the applied or liberal arts) are excluded, and goods for a second home get no relief. Don't sell, rent, lend, pledge, or give away relieved goods for 12 months.

Worked example

Illustrative: a used winter coat worth €120 (about $140), sent as a gift by a relative outside the EU, with €40 (about $47) of shipping. Assumes customs applies the flat 2.5% duty for non-commercial goods, and that the coat is the only item, so the €45 gift relief can't be used.

Customs value (CIF): €120 + €40 = €160. Duty: 2.5% x €160 = €4. VAT: 20% x (€160 + €4) = €32.80. Total €36.80.

About €36.80 (about $43), plus any courier clearance fee. From inside the EU, or as part of a qualifying move to France, the same coat would owe nothing.

How customs clearance works in France13459

Boxes from outside the EU are cleared electronically by the courier, acting as your customs representative. It pays any VAT and duty to French customs and bills the receiver, usually adding its own clearance fee, which is not a tax. For moving relief, give the courier the signed Cerfa 10070 and inventory so it can clear the boxes in your name.

Formal entry
Since July 1, 2026, the €150 duty relief is gone, so boxes that don't qualify for a relief owe duty at any value. Non-commercial boxes worth up to €700 can be charged the flat 2.5% rate; above that, the full EU tariff applies. Moving-relief claims go in with the Cerfa 10070 and inventory on a customs declaration filed by the courier or a customs broker.
How long it takes
Often 1-3 business days after arrival when values and paperwork are in order. Moving-relief claims, food, and medicines can take longer if customs asks for documents or opens the box.
Inspections
Customs looks closely at food, plants, medicines, possible counterfeits, and values that seem too low. Animal products above the limits need a veterinary inspection at a border post. Relieved belongings must be shown to customs on request and can be checked against your inventory.
If duties go unpaid
The box stays with the courier until duty, VAT, and fees are paid. If the receiver doesn't pay or respond, the courier holds it for a limited time, then usually returns it to the sender or abandons it to customs, and storage or return costs may be billed. Check the courier's holding period before you ship.

Moving to France: claiming duty relief127

  1. 01

    Check you qualify

    You lived outside the EU for at least 12 months in a row, owned and used the items for at least 6 months before you left, and are moving your main home (not a second home) to France.

  2. 02

    Leave out what's excluded

    Alcohol, tobacco, commercial vehicles, and work equipment (other than portable instruments of the applied or liberal arts) get no relief.

  3. 03

    Write your inventory

    List every item with an estimated value, including boxes that will follow later. Sign and date two copies.

  4. 04

    Fill in Cerfa 10070

    Complete two copies and tick main residence. If the courier clears the boxes for you, give it the signed form and the inventory.

  5. 05

    Gather proof

    Collect proof of your former home outside the EU and of your new home in France.

  6. 06

    Ship within 12 months

    Bring everything in within 12 months of moving, in one or several shipments. Boxes can clear before you arrive if you commit to moving within 6 months and give customs a guarantee.

  7. 07

    Keep the items 12 months

    Don't sell, rent, lend, pledge, or give away relieved goods for 12 months, or duty and VAT become due. Customs can ask to see them during that time.

Documents to have ready148

  • Contents list with a plain description and a fair value for each item, marked as used personal effects or as a gift
  • For moving relief: Cerfa 10070 in two copies, plus a detailed, valued, dated, and signed inventory in two copies
  • Proof that you lived outside the EU for at least 12 months, and proof of your new home in France
  • For medicines sent from outside the EEA: a copy of the prescription from a doctor in the sending country
  • The receiver's phone number and email, so the courier can arrange any payment and delivery

Onvoyo prepares the commercial invoice from your contents list. You print three copies, sign them, and send them with your boxes.

Official forms110

What you can pack, category by category12468910

What you can pack, by category
CategoryStatusWhat to know
Clothing and shoesMore on clothesAllowedUsed clothing is fine. From outside the EU it's free under moving relief or as a gift worth €45 or less; otherwise 20% VAT and duty apply.
Books and papersMore on booksAllowedBooks are welcome. When VAT is due, books pay 5.5% in mainland France and 2.1% in Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion.
ElectronicsMore on electronicsConditionsUsed personal devices are fine with batteries installed. Give make, model, and value. Loose or spare lithium batteries are refused.
MedicationMore on medicineConditionsUp to the prescribed course or 3 months of treatment. From outside the EEA, the medicine must be authorized in the sending country, with a copy of a prescription from a doctor there. No narcotic or psychotropic medicines.
FoodMore on foodConditionsNo meat or dairy from outside the EU. Fish up to 20 kg and other animal products such as honey up to 2 kg. Couriers refuse perishables, so send only sealed, commercially packed food.
Cosmetics and toiletriesMore on cosmeticsConditionsNo aerosols or nail polish. Perfume can be refused as flammable. A gift can include up to 50 g of perfume or 0.25 liter of eau de toilette within the €45 relief.
Alcohol and tobaccoMore on alcohol or tobaccoNot allowedDon't pack them. Couriers generally refuse them, and they're excluded from moving relief.
Sports and outdoor gearMore on sports and outdoor gearConditionsGear is fine. Clean off soil and plant matter. No gas canisters, flares, or bear spray.
Children's items and toysMore on toys and baby gearAllowedUsed toys are fine. Remove loose batteries and leave out realistic toy weapons.
Documents and photosMore on documents and photosAllowedPersonal papers and photos are fine and carry no duty.
OtherConditionsPlants, seeds, and bulbs need phytosanitary checks. Art and antiques leaving France may need a Ministry of Culture certificate, and protected-species items may need CITES permits.

Quantity limits24589

Quantity limits for France
ItemLimit
Gifts between private personsUp to €45 (about $53) per box, not counting shipping, free of duty and VAT, if the gift is occasional, for personal or family use, and sent free of charge. Boxes you send to yourself don't count.
Tobacco in a gift boxWithin the €45 gift relief: 50 cigarettes, 25 cigarillos, 10 cigars, or 50 g of smoking tobacco. Couriers generally refuse tobacco.
Alcohol in a gift boxWithin the €45 gift relief: 1 liter of spirits over 22%, or 1 liter of drinks up to 22% or sparkling wine, plus 2 liters of still wine. Couriers generally refuse alcohol.
Perfume in a gift boxWithin the €45 gift relief: 50 g of perfume or 0.25 liter of eau de toilette.
MedicinesNo more than the prescribed course, or 3 months of treatment without a prescription.
Animal products from outside the EUNo meat or dairy. Fish and fishery products up to 20 kg; other animal products, such as honey, up to 2 kg.
Flat-rate dutyNon-commercial goods worth up to €700 (about $820) per box can be charged a flat 2.5% duty instead of the tariff rate. VAT is added on top.

What you can't send to France1245789

Not allowed

  • Aerosols, spray cans, and compressed gas cylinders
  • Flammable liquids and solids: fuel, lighter fluid, paint, nail polish, matches
  • Loose or spare lithium batteries and power banks not installed in a device
  • Cash, gift cards, checks, and other negotiable items
  • Firearms, ammunition, replicas, and weapon parts
  • Perishable food, and meat, dairy, or fresh produce
  • Cannabis, CBD, and THC products, even where they are legal at origin
  • Meat, milk, and products made from them, sent from outside the EU to private individuals
  • Narcotic and psychotropic medicines (travelers may bring them only in person)
  • Medicines in more than a personal supply (the prescribed course, or 3 months of treatment without a prescription)
  • Counterfeit goods, such as fake designer items

Allowed with conditions

Medicines
Up to the prescribed course, or 3 months of treatment. Sent from an EEA country (the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway), the medicine must be authorized in that country. Sent from anywhere else, it must be authorized in the sending country and come with a copy of a prescription from a doctor there. Otherwise, an ANSM import authorization is required.
Fish, honey, and other animal products from outside the EU
Allowed in small amounts: fish and fishery products up to 20 kg, and other animal products such as honey up to 2 kg. Above that, a veterinary inspection at a border post is required.
Plants, seeds, bulbs, and cuttings from outside the EU
Plants and plant products go through a phytosanitary check at the EU point of entry, with advance paperwork, and can't clear as a simple parcel. Leave them out.
Gifts worth more than €45
Pay customs duty and VAT. To count as a gift at all, the box must be occasional, for the receiver's personal or family use, and sent free of charge.
Alcohol and tobacco
Excluded from moving relief. Only small amounts count toward the €45 gift relief, and couriers generally refuse them.
Work equipment
Excluded from moving relief, except portable instruments of the applied or liberal arts.
Items from protected species
Ivory, tortoiseshell, some exotic leathers, and some rosewood items may need CITES permits. Check with customs before sending.
Boxes to the overseas departments
Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyane, Réunion, and Mayotte are separate tax territories, even for boxes from mainland France. Gifts from the EU worth up to €400 are free; above that, octroi de mer and local VAT apply.

Sending from France

Shipping boxes out of France4710

Sending boxes from France to another EU country involves no customs formalities at all. For destinations outside the EU, including the UK, the courier handles the export formalities from your contents list, and the destination's rules decide what the receiver pays. Cultural goods above set age and value limits need Ministry of Culture paperwork before they leave.

Documents

  • Contents list with a plain description and value for each item
  • Sender's passport or ID, if the courier asks
  • Any moving-relief forms the destination country requires
  • For qualifying cultural goods: the Ministry of Culture export certificate (Cerfa 02 0075) and, to leave the EU, an EU export license (Cerfa 11033*03)

Can't leave the country

  • Art, antiques, archives, collections, and other cultural goods above set age and value limits need a Ministry of Culture export certificate. The rules apply to private individuals as well as professionals.
  • To leave the EU, those goods also need an EU export license.
  • National treasures can only leave France temporarily and must come back.
  • Items from protected species, such as ivory or some exotic leathers, may need CITES permits.
  • Couriers refuse cash and other negotiable items.

Before pickup

  • Check the destination's personal-effects rules before you pack. Many countries have their own forms.
  • Describe items plainly, such as "used clothing" or "books", and give realistic values.
  • Sending art or antiques? Start the Ministry of Culture paperwork early.
  • Moving to Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyane, Réunion, or Mayotte? Household goods in use can enter free of octroi de mer and VAT within a year of settling there, with a dated, signed inventory in two copies.

Addresses, delivery and timing

Writing the address

Write the street number before the street name. Put the 5-digit postal code before the city, with the city in capitals. Add the apartment, floor, or building on its own line above the street, and give a phone number and any door code for delivery.

Camille ExampleAppartement 34, 3e étage12 rue des Tilleuls69003 LYONFRANCE

Example only; not a real address.

Delivery coverage

Fastest to: Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Nice, Bordeaux, Lille, Nantes, Strasbourg, Montpellier.

Remote areas: Corsica, small Atlantic islands, and high mountain villages can add a day or more. The overseas departments are separate destinations with their own taxes and longer transit, and Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy have their own rules.

Most mainland addresses get next-day or two-day delivery once cleared. Include a door code and floor if the building has one.

When things slow down

Expect slower handling around public holidays: January 1, Easter Monday, May 1, May 8, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, July 14, August 15, November 1, November 11, and December 25. Many businesses slow down in August, and late November through December is peak season for couriers.

Advice for your situation

Students

Full-time students coming to study in France can bring clothing, study materials, and the usual furnishings of a student room free of customs duty, and Cerfa 10070 has a box for studies. Check the VAT side and the paperwork with Infos Douane Service before you ship. Otherwise, boxes of your own things from outside the EU pay VAT and duty.

Returning home

French citizens coming home after at least 12 months outside the EU use the same Cerfa 10070 relief as anyone else. What counts is where you lived, not your nationality, so keep proof of your address abroad.

Expats and relocations

Moving to France from outside the EU? Claim moving relief with Cerfa 10070 and a full inventory, and ship within 12 months. Leaving France? Boxes to other EU countries need no customs; outside the EU, prepare a clear contents list and check the new country's rules.

Tips for a smooth delivery

  • Sending from inside the EU? There's no customs and nothing to pay. A clear contents list still helps.
  • Moving to France? List every item on your first inventory, even boxes that will follow later, and sign and date two copies.
  • Keep proof you lived outside the EU for at least 12 months, and don't sell or lend relieved items for 12 months after they arrive.
  • Mark gifts clearly and value them honestly. Above €45, duty and VAT apply, and boxes you send to yourself don't count as gifts.
  • Leave out meat, dairy, and plants. Other animal products over the limits need a veterinary border check.
  • Shipping to an overseas department? Octroi de mer and local VAT apply even from mainland France, but gifts from the EU worth up to €400 are exempt.

Shipping to and from France: questions

Do I have to pay customs on boxes sent to France?

Not from another EU country. From outside the EU, including the UK, VAT is due from the first euro and customs duty can apply at any value. The main exceptions are gifts between private persons worth up to €45 and used belongings covered by moving relief.

Is there still a €150 duty-free limit in France?

No. The EU ended the €150 customs duty relief on July 1, 2026. Online purchases up to €150 from IOSS-registered sellers, or sent by post, now pay a flat €3 duty for each type of item. Other boxes pay duty at the EU tariff rate, or a flat 2.5% for non-commercial goods up to €700 per box, plus VAT.

What is Cerfa 10070?

It's the French customs declaration for bringing your used belongings in free of duty and VAT when you move your main home to France from outside the EU. It also has boxes for marriage, studies, and inheritance. Fill in two copies and attach a detailed, valued, dated, and signed inventory in two copies.

Can I send my things to France in several shipments?

Yes. You have 12 months from your move to bring them in, in one or several shipments, as long as your first inventory lists everything. Boxes can also clear before you arrive if you commit to moving within 6 months and give customs a guarantee.

Can I send medicine to France?

Yes, in personal quantities: the prescribed course, or up to 3 months of treatment. From an EEA country, the medicine must be authorized there. From anywhere else, it must be authorized in the sending country and come with a copy of a prescription from a doctor there; otherwise you need an ANSM import authorization. Narcotic and psychotropic medicines can't be shipped.

How long does shipping boxes to France take?

Express door-to-door usually takes 1-3 business days within the EU, 2-5 from the UK or North America, and 3-7 from Asia, plus any customs time.

How do I ship boxes from France to another country?

Within the EU, just pack, label, and send: there are no customs formalities. For the UK, the US, or anywhere else outside the EU, give the courier an itemized contents list with values so it can handle the export formalities. The destination's rules decide what the receiver pays.

What can't I ship from France?

Couriers refuse aerosols, flammables, loose lithium batteries, cash, and weapons. Art, antiques, archives, and other cultural goods above set age and value limits need a Ministry of Culture export certificate, plus an EU export license to leave the EU. National treasures can only leave France temporarily.

Official help in France

Official sources

Every section above is checked against these official pages. Rules change, and customs in France makes the final decision on every shipment. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

  1. 1.

    Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI)

    You want to know the applicable deductibles when transferring your main residence in France (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 26, 2026

  2. 2.

    Official Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex)

    Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009 of 16 November 2009 setting up a Community system of reliefs from customs duty (codified version) (opens in a new tab)

    Legislation · checked September 26, 2026

  3. 3.

    Official Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex)

    Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382 of 11 February 2026 amending Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009 as regards the elimination of the threshold-based customs duty relief (opens in a new tab)

    Legislation · checked September 26, 2026

  4. 4.

    Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI)

    Recevoir un colis envoyé par un particulier (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 26, 2026

  5. 5.

    Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI)

    Calculation of duties and taxes on purchases abroad (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 26, 2026

  6. 6.

    Entreprendre.Service-Public.gouv.fr (Direction de l'information légale et administrative)

    Taux de TVA dans les secteurs des arts et de la presse (opens in a new tab)

    Government · checked September 26, 2026

  7. 7.

    Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI)

    Vous souhaitez connaître les franchises applicables lors de votre installation dans un DOM (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 26, 2026

  8. 8.

    Agence nationale de sécurité du médicament et des produits de santé (ANSM)

    Demander une autorisation pour une importation de médicaments (opens in a new tab)

    Health regulator · checked September 26, 2026

  9. 9.

    Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI)

    Envoi de produits alimentaires et de végétaux (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 26, 2026

  10. 10.

    Ministère de la Culture

    Comment soumettre une demande d'autorisation d'exportation ? (opens in a new tab)

    Government · checked September 26, 2026

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