MANAGING THE REMOVAL

Moving within the UK can be a stressful experience, but taking your property to France can be doubly so. A DIY removal is not recommended. Larger UK companies have a great deal of experience of the process, although employing this expertise can be pricey, it is nevertheless recommended. But shop around. Recent quotes for a removal from Coventry to Carcassone varied by as much as €2,500. Equally quotes for storage for a typical three-packing-case property varied from €250 a month to almost three times as much. It may be possible to do a special storage deal with the company who will ultimately manage your removal.

Import Regulations

Household goods and personal effects can normally be imported into France duty free, nevertheless there are a number of regulations, the breach of any of which can create considerable delay.

Firearms may not be imported unless a special application has been processed. Details are available from consulates.

A full inventory of goods (three copies) should be presented to customs officers when the goods are first taken to France. Property can then be imported in ‘lots’, but there is a time limitation (before import tax is imposed) of 12 months. It is important that you have certification (or can identify labels) to prove that foam furniture is fire retardant.

Goods should correspond to the financial status of the owner; customs will be suspicious of someone with a modest income importing a valuable collection of antiques. It is prudent to provide some form of proof of purchase for items of exceptional value.

You will also require a change of residence certificate from the mairie of the district you are moving to. Additionally a declaration of non-cession (non-transfer) is required. This is a statement that your household goods come within the duty-free regulations. You may also have to demonstrate that furnishings meet fire retardant standards, it is worth observing that some items are stamped on the underside.

If your French property is to be used as a holiday home or secondary residence, additional rules apply.

It is these last rules that most frequently cause difficulty. Basically, they state that all goods must have been owned and used by the importer for three months before the removal date and that they should be appropriate for usage in a secondary residence. The French would naturally prefer you to buy your goods in their country and they have been known to discourage imports. As most furniture and electrical goods are cheaper in the UK there is a natural temptation to take in as much as you can.

The best way to avoid problems is to make purchases four to six months before import and to keep receipts. Electrical goods, especially if presented to customs in original packing, are most likely to provoke comment.

PETS

Since the pilot scheme was introduced in 2000, it has been possible to transport pets within the EC (and more recently the US and Canada) providing they fulfil the regulations. Briefly these are:

• Each animal must be micro-chipped to meet agreed EU standards.
• The animal must have had an anti-rabies injection and blood tests must show the antibodies in the animal’s blood.
• Six months must have elapsed from the successful blood test to the date of departure.

Initial costs will be about €350 per animal and then bi-annually a further anti-rabies injection must be given.

Animals which have successfully fulfilled the above obligations can then be taken to France through approved ports of embarkation and disembarkation.

Those wishing to return to the UK with their pets must visit a French vet between 24 and 48 hours before departure to have the animal treated for ticks, fleas and worms and the relevant documents completed. This typically costs around €30.

Rules on animal imports are likely to change at short notice. In the UK the Department for Food and Rural Affairs have a special PETS help line (0870 241 1710), or visit the DEFRA website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk.

At present you are allowed to import up to three domestic animals into France, but only one of them may be a puppy or an animal under six months old. The date at which a French vaccination certificate is required is twelve months from the issue of the UK equivalent, and not, as popularly thought, twelve months after the animal is imported to France.

French law requires dogs to have annual anti-rabies vaccinations. The number of the certificate must be tattooed into the dog’s ear. British regulations have been amended to cover dogs that have been tattooed, then micro-chipped and have the relevant vaccine certificates. These animals can then be re-imported to Britain.