Moving to France from the UK: The Attestation de Changement de Résidence and What to Plan Before You Move
Moving to France from the UK involves more planning than it did before Brexit. Transporting household goods across the Channel now requires customs documentation on both sides of the border, and the attestation de changement de résidence, the formal declaration confirming a genuine permanent relocation, must be in place before your shipment departs.
This guide covers the key steps involved in planning a UK to France move, from organising your belongings and understanding customs requirements to choosing where in France to live and selecting the right removals service.
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Planning Your Move to France from the UK
How Far in Advance Should You Start Planning
A realistic planning timeline starts three to six months before your intended departure. In the first stage you are confirming your destination address or region, establishing your residency basis as retirement, work, family, and beginning to gather the identity and residency documents required for customs. Four to eight weeks before departure, your removals survey should be booked, your French address confirmed, and the customs documentation process underway. The final stage is physical preparation of packing, loading, and departure.
Documents to Gather Early
Key documents to begin assembling include your passport, proof of your current UK address, evidence of your French residency intention such as a property purchase agreement or tenancy contract, and where applicable proof of registration with French authorities. The attestation de changement de résidence is prepared once your destination address is confirmed and your shipment volume is known.
How Trunk Logistics Manages the Planning Process
Trunk Logistics assigns a dedicated move coordinator at survey stage who manages the documentation timeline alongside the physical move plan. Rather than tracking paperwork independently alongside all the other demands of an international relocation, we keep the documentation process on schedule as part of the same managed plan. If your French property has not yet completed when you need to leave your UK home, pre-shipment storage at our Essex facilities means collection proceeds as planned, your belongings are held securely and dispatched for France when your address and departure date are confirmed.
Customs Requirements When Moving to France
The Attestation de Changement de Résidence
Post-Brexit customs is the most significant practical change affecting UK nationals moving to France, and the attestation de changement de résidence is the document that most commonly delays French customs clearance when it is not prepared correctly. The attestation is a formal declaration submitted to the French Douanes confirming the move is a genuine permanent relocation. To qualify for duty-free entry on used personal effects, you must demonstrate residence outside France for at least twelve continuous months immediately prior to the move. This requirement catches some UK movers out, particularly those who have already spent extended periods in France before making the permanent move. If your residency timeline is close to this threshold, confirming your position before your shipment is prepared is essential.
Supporting Documentation
Beyond the attestation, standard French customs documentation includes your passport, proof of UK address, proof of your French destination address, and a customs-ready packing inventory listing shipment contents by category and approximate quantity. New or unused items included in your shipment do not qualify for the same duty-free relief as used personal effects and must be declared separately.
How Trunk Logistics Manages French Customs
Trunk Logistics prepares customs documentation as part of the move planning process. Our move coordinator confirms the specific documentation required for your residency situation during your survey. Attestation preparation, inventory structuring, and coordination with our certified French partners on import clearance are all managed before your consignment departs the UK. Customs is not an afterthought resolved at the border. It is planned in advance so your shipment crosses without delays.
Packing Household Goods for International Transport to France
Furniture and Fragile Items
Packing for a UK to France move must account for both road transit and the possibility of physical customs inspection at the French border. Furniture requires protective wrapping, padded blankets, bubble wrap, and corner guards, before loading. Surfaces left unprotected are vulnerable to scuffing and impact damage on longer journeys to destinations in the south of France, the Dordogne, or the Alps. Fragile items including glassware, ceramics, artwork, and mirrors require reinforced cartons with internal padding rated for road transit, not general-purpose boxes. Electronics should be transported in original packaging where possible; where that is not available, custom foam padding in a suitably sized carton is the appropriate alternative.
Packing and Inventory Together
The packing process and customs inventory preparation must happen simultaneously. A poorly packed or disorganised consignment that does not correspond to its declared inventory creates delays and handling complications at the French border that a well-prepared shipment avoids entirely. Trunk Logistics completes export packing at your UK property using our own trained crews and export-grade materials. Each carton is inventoried as it is packed so the customs document accurately reflects actual contents.
Our Packing Standards
With IAM accreditation, Move Assured membership, and over 1,500 verified reviews citing accurate pricing and professional packing as the primary reasons for recommendation, our packing standard reflects the expectations of customers moving valuable household contents across an international border.
Cost Considerations When Moving to France
Property Purchase Costs
Property costs in France vary enormously by region, from rural Limousin and Creuse where habitable properties can still be found for under £100,000, to the Côte d’Azur and central Paris where equivalent properties cost many times more. Notary fees on French property purchases typically run between seven and eight percent of the purchase price for older properties. This is significantly higher than typical UK conveyancing costs and worth budgeting for explicitly before committing to a purchase price.
Removal and Shipping Costs
Shipping and removal costs depend on the volume of your move, your UK collection address, and your French delivery destination. Part load moves are priced by cubic meterage; dedicated vehicle moves by the full vehicle cost. Both require a survey before an accurate quote can be given. Trunk Logistics provides fixed pricing from conducting detailed surveys so your quote does not change after booking because it is based on the actual volume and logistics of your specific move.
The Gap Period
Travel costs for the relocation itself via ferry or Eurostar crossings, accommodation during the move, and any temporary housing in France while your property is prepared, should be factored into your overall budget. Many UK to France movers underestimate the cost of the gap between leaving their UK property and moving into their French home. Pre-shipment storage removes the pressure of that gap by decoupling your UK departure date from your French arrival date.
Frequently Asked Questions About Moving to France from the UK
Can I move to France from the UK without a visa?
UK nationals can enter France without a visa but are subject to the Schengen 90-day rule, which limits stays to 90 days in any 180-day period. If you are relocating permanently, you need to apply for a visa de long séjour before you move. This is processed through the French consulate in the UK and is the legal basis for your residency in France. Moving your household goods without securing the correct visa in advance creates a mismatch between your customs documentation, which declares a permanent relocation, and your actual legal residency status.
How do I register for French healthcare after moving from the UK?
UK nationals moving to France are no longer covered by the European Health Insurance Card for ongoing healthcare. You register with the French national health system, Assurance Maladie, by applying to your local CPAM office once you are resident. You will need your numéro de sécurité sociale, which is assigned during the CPAM registration process, and proof of identity and French address. Once registered you will receive a carte vitale, the physical card that confirms your healthcare entitlement and is used at every medical appointment and pharmacy visit.
Can I use my UK driving licence in France after moving permanently?
UK driving licences are recognised in France for driving purposes but post-Brexit the rules on exchanging a UK licence for a French one have changed. The UK and France have a bilateral agreement that permits exchange without a test, but this is subject to conditions including the category of licence held and your residency status. The exchange application is made through the Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés (ANTS) online portal. Confirming your specific licence category and exchange eligibility early in the planning process is advisable, as processing times can run to several months.
What is a numéro fiscal and do I need one when I move to France?
A numéro fiscal is your French tax identification number. It is required to file a French tax return, which you must do once you are resident in France regardless of where your income originates. You obtain it by registering with the French tax authority, Direction Générale des Finances Publiques, either online via impots.gouv.fr or at your local tax office after arrival. UK nationals who retain UK income sources while resident in France need to understand the France-UK double taxation treaty, which determines where different income types are taxed. Taking advice from a cross-border tax adviser before the move is worthwhile if your income situation is anything other than straightforward.
Can I bring my pets when moving from the UK to France?
Yes, but specific documentation is required. Dogs, cats, and ferrets need a microchip, up-to-date rabies vaccination, and an animal health certificate issued by an official UK vet no more than ten days before travel. The AHC replaces the EU pet passport for UK-issued documents post-Brexit. Entry must be through a designated point of entry for pets as not all Channel crossings qualify. Confirm your crossing point accepts pets before booking travel. Pets travelling separately from you as part of a removals consignment require separate arrangements and this should be discussed directly with your removals coordinator.
What is the twelve-month residency rule for the attestation de changement de résidence?
To qualify for duty-free import of used personal effects under Transfer of Normal Residence relief, French customs require that you have been resident outside France for at least twelve continuous months immediately prior to the move. UK nationals who have spent extended periods in France, for example through a second home or extended stays, before making the permanent move may find their continuous absence from France falls short of this threshold. If your residency timeline is close to the twelve-month mark, confirming your position before your shipment is prepared is essential, as goods that do not qualify for relief are assessed under standard import duties.
Can you move a full house from the UK to France?
Yes. European articulated roadtrains provide transport capacity up to 100m³, making dedicated vehicle removals suitable for full house moves of any size. Volume is confirmed during your survey so the correct vehicle configuration is allocated before your move departs.
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Our experienced removals team will review your details and provide guidance on export packing, post-Brexit customs paperwork, and the right transport option for your UK to France removal.
Our team will review your move details and confirm survey options and estimated transport schedules
Message us if you need quick advice on your planned move to France