Brexit and UK-France moves

How did Brexit change customs for a household move to France?

Since Brexit, a move from the UK to France is an import from outside the EU, so goods need an export declaration leaving the UK and an import declaration entering France. Household goods can still enter free of duty and VAT under the French transfer-of-residence relief, claimed with the douane on Cerfa 10070 with a signed, dated, valued inventory.

The conditions are set by French customs: your normal residence must have been outside the EU for at least 12 months; the goods must have been owned and used by you for at least six months before the move; and you must not sell, lend, hire out or pledge them within 12 months of their entry into France. You may see "ToR1" mentioned online — that is HMRC's relief for goods coming into the UK, and it plays no part in a move to France.

What changed in practice is paperwork volume: the inventory, the export entry and the French import entry are all new since the end of the transition period. Private individuals do not normally need their own EORI number — HMRC says people moving goods for personal use need not register — and the remover's customs agent lodges the declarations.

Goods you have owned for less than six months, alcohol and tobacco fall outside the relief. That catches movers who buy furniture in the UK shortly before leaving.

Do Withdrawal Agreement rights apply to new arrivals?

No. Withdrawal Agreement rights protect UK citizens who were already living in France before the end of the transition period at the close of 2020. Anyone arriving since then is a third-country national: visa-free stays are capped at 90 days in any 180, and living in France needs a long-stay visa applied for in the UK before travelling, then a residence card.

Third-country categories — visiteur, salarié, profession libérale, vie privée et familiale, étudiant — all apply. For short visits, the EU's Entry/Exit System now records your fingerprints and photo at the Schengen border in place of passport stamping.

GOV.UK's entry rules for short visits also apply: your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive and be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave.

Since 2026, a first multi-year residence card needs French at A2 level and the carte de résident needs B1 — a change that affects post-Brexit arrivals planning a long-term stay.

What changed for bringing a UK car to France?

The registration rule did not change: a resident must register their car on French plates within one month of settling, as before Brexit. What changed is customs. A UK-registered car is now a non-EU import, so French registration needs the customs certificate 846A, and the car enters free of duty and VAT only under the transfer-of-residence relief.

To use the relief, the car must have been owned and used by you for at least six months before the move, your normal residence must have been outside the EU for at least 12 months, and you must keep it for 12 months after import. Utility vehicles are excluded.

The process: claim the relief with the douane, which issues the 846A; book a contrôle technique if the car is old enough to need one (your UK MOT does not transfer); then register online with ANTS. Collection vehicles can use a separate registration track.

What do pets need to travel from the UK to France now?

Dogs, cats and ferrets travelling from Great Britain to France need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) from an official vet, issued no more than 10 days before the pet enters the EU. GB-issued EU pet passports are no longer accepted. The pet must be microchipped and vaccinated against rabies, with the chip fitted before or at the same time as the vaccine.

After a first rabies vaccination there is a waiting period before the pet can travel, so book the vet early. Tapeworm treatment is not required for dogs entering France.

Other pets (rabbits, birds, reptiles) have species-specific rules. Agree the AHC appointment with your vet well ahead of the move date so the issue window lines up with the crossing.

Does Brexit make moving to France harder?

Brexit adds paperwork but does not block the move. Customs filings run through specialist removers and their customs agents; residency follows the standard third-country route; vehicle and pet rules are clear once you know them. For most households in 2026, the difference between a smooth move and a difficult one is simply how early the preparation starts.

Where Brexit still bites: spontaneity is harder, because the long-stay visa must be in place before you travel; some households who would once have moved freely now face means tests; and the new language requirement adds a step for anyone planning a long-term stay.

Start early and you can comfortably handle everything; start late and the visa, the pet certificate and the customs inventory all compete for the same final stretch.