International route guide

Moving from the United Kingdom to France

Route, transport options, paperwork and a practical checklist for your international move.

620 kmby road, incl. crossing
344 kmstraight line
CustomsUK → EU since 2021

Colourful London terraced houses on the left, a lavender field with a stone barn in Provence on the right — Route from London to Paris: about 620 km by road, including the ferry crossing.

France is the nearest EU country to Britain, but since Brexit a removal across the Channel is no longer a move inside the single market. Your household goods are exported from the UK and imported into France, and UK nationals who did not live in France before 2021 need a long-stay visa or residence permit. Below: the crossings, your transport options, what drives the cost, the paperwork and a planning order.

Route and distance

Every road removal from Great Britain to France starts with a Channel crossing. For central London to Paris, OpenStreetMap routing chooses the Portsmouth–Cherbourg ferry and then the road east through Normandy. The short crossings from Dover to Calais, by ferry, or the Channel Tunnel from Folkestone are the other usual choices and leave a longer drive on the French side.

For Brittany and western France, ferries from southern England to Caen, St Malo or Roscoff can shorten the road leg considerably. Ask each remover which crossing they plan and whether it is included in their quote.

Schematic, not to scale.

Between	Distance
London – Paris (by road, incl. ferry)	≈ 620 km
London – Paris (straight line)	≈ 344 km
Manchester – Lyon (straight line)	≈ 997 km
Bristol – Bordeaux (straight line)	≈ 751 km
Edinburgh – Nice (straight line)	≈ 1,550 km

Straight-line distances are great-circle distances between city centres. The road distance comes from OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM) between the city centres, checked on 30 September 2026.

Your transport options

Full load

Dedicated truck

A truck for your household only, loaded at your UK address and unloaded in France, with one set of export and import documents for that load. You agree the loading and delivery days, and nothing is transferred on the way.

Shared load

Groupage

Removers with a regular UK–France service combine part loads, often by region (Paris, the west, the south). It suits a smaller volume, but ask how long your goods may wait for a full trailer and who files the customs declarations for your share.

Drive yourself

Hired van

A hired van is possible for a few rooms of furniture: you book the crossing, present the goods for export and import yourself and return the van to the UK. Paris is about 620 km from London by the route above.

What determines the price

We do not quote fixed prices. Volume in cubic metres, the services you book (packing, dismantling, storage, insurance) and your dates matter on every move; on this route, also look at:

The crossingShort Channel crossing with a longer French drive, or a longer ferry that lands closer to your new home.
Customs handlingPreparing the UK export and the French import, and whether a customs agent is involved.
Paris or the regionsAccess in Paris (upper floors, narrow streets, a furniture lift) and the distance to the south both matter.

For an indicative figure, use the free moving calculator and compare written quotes.

Customs, visas and paperwork after Brexit

Since 1 January 2021 the UK is outside the EU customs union, so a removal from Great Britain to France is an export from the UK and an import into the EU. (Moves from Northern Ireland follow different rules under the Windsor Framework; ask your remover.) The removal company or its customs agent normally prepares the declarations. Ask early which documents they need from you: usually a detailed, signed inventory, a copy of your passport and proof of your new address in France.

If you are transferring your normal residence to France, your personal property may be imported without import duty or VAT when you meet the conditions. French customs (the douane) decides whether relief applies, so check the current requirements with them or through your remover before the goods leave.

GOV.UK advises checking which visa or residence permit you need to live in France. Once you arrive, you need to apply for a residence permit or validate your long-stay visa. A UK driving licence can be exchanged for a French one through ANTS. Pets need a microchip, a rabies vaccination and an animal health certificate.

Relief from import duty is set out in Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009; the matching exemption from import VAT is in Council Directive 2009/132/EC. Both apply only if you meet the conditions, such as a minimum period of normal residence outside the EU and prior ownership and use of the goods.

Official sources

Page and sources last reviewed on 20 October 2026.

Rules change. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice; always check the official source or ask your remover before you move.

Planning your move, step by step

Start
Make an inventory of what you are taking and get an estimate in the calculator.
Step 2
Request quotes from several removers and compare what they include.
Step 3
Sort out your long-stay visa or residence route for France first; the moving date follows from it.
Step 4
Ask every remover which crossing they use and who prepares the export and import declarations.
Step 5
After arrival, validate your long-stay visa or apply for your residence permit as GOV.UK describes.
Step 6
Book the animal health certificate for pets close to the travel date, as it has to be issued shortly before you travel.
Before moving day
Confirm the dates, the insurance cover and the delivery address in writing.

Checklist

What to have ready for a move from the United Kingdom to France. Tick items off as you go; your ticks are kept in this browser only.

Passport and the French long-stay visa or residence permit that applies to you
Signed, detailed inventory of your belongings for the customs declarations
Proof of your address in France, such as a lease (bail) or title deed
Microchip, rabies vaccination record and animal health certificate for pets
UK driving licence and the DVLA check code if you plan to exchange it
V5C logbook and insurance details if you take your car
Written quote and moving contract, including insurance terms

Frequently asked questions

Do I pay import duty on furniture when moving from the UK to France?

Not necessarily. When you transfer your normal residence to the EU, personal property can be imported without import duty (Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009) and VAT (Directive 2009/132/EC) if you meet the conditions. French customs decides whether relief applies to you.

Do I need a visa to live in France as a UK national?

If you were not already living in France before 1 January 2021, you need a visa or residence permit. GOV.UK says that once you arrive you apply for a residence permit or validate your long-stay visa.

Ferry or Channel Tunnel?

Both are used. For Paris and the north, Dover–Calais or the Channel Tunnel is usual; for Normandy, Brittany and the west, a ferry to Cherbourg, Caen, St Malo or Roscoff can save driving. Your remover decides based on the load and the address.

How far is it from the United Kingdom to France?

In a straight line, London to Paris is about 344 km. By road (OpenStreetMap routing between the city centres) it is about 620 km, including the ferry crossing. Your own distance depends on both addresses.

What does a move from the United Kingdom to France cost?

We do not publish fixed prices: volume, the exact distance, access and the services you choose make every move different. The free calculator gives an indicative estimate for your own addresses and inventory; then compare written quotes.

Sister site · SellYourOwnHouse.eu

Own a property in France you want to sell?

SellYourOwnHouse.eu explains how to sell a house yourself, without an estate agent.

Selling a house in France Guide on sellyourownhouse.eu

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