French Customs Regulations
Find out what goods you can bring into France if you’re travelling, visiting or moving to France.
The
French Customs authorities are called Douanes.
There is a hotline you can call for any questions relating to goods you can
bring in or take back from France.
- Tel: 0811 20
44 44 or +33 (0)1 724 078 50 from outside France
Entering France with gifts and
goods from outside the EU
When arriving in France you don’t need to
declare goods and gifts purchased or received outside of the EU unless they
exceed a certain amount:
- 430 euros for
over 15s arriving by sea or air (900 euros if arriving from Andorra)
- 300 euros for
overs 15s arriving by transport other than sea or air (900 euros if
arriving from Andorra)
- 150 euros for
travellers under 15 (450 euros if arriving from Andorra)
The following applies to goods from third countries (outside the EU):
Cigarettes, Tobacco and Alcohol Limits per person aged 17 and over:
- Cigarettes -
200
- Or Cigarillos
- 100
- Or Cigars - 50
- Or Smoking
tobacco 250 g
- Alcohol (over
22°) 1 litres
- Alcohol (less
than 22° alcohol) per volume - 2 litres
- Still (not
sparkling) wine - 4 litres
- Beer - 16
litres
Meat, meat-based products, milk and dairy products are banned,
although there are some exceptions: products from Andorra, Liechtenstein, San
Marino, Switzerland and Norway can be imported. Up to 10 kg of products from
Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands are permitted.
Cigarettes, Tobacco and Alcohol
Limits per person aged 18 and over within the EU
The
following amounts serve as a guide only to what you can bring in from another
EU country. If Customs stop you and consider that the quantities you are
bringing in are not for personal consumption, you may be liable to pay excise
duty and tax.
- Cigarettes -
800
- Cigarillos -
400
- Cigars - 200
- Smoking
tobacco 1 Kg
- Alcohol (over
22%) 10 litres
- Alcohol (less
than 22% alcohol) per volume 20 litres
- Wine 90 litres
(maximum 60 litres of sparkling)
- Beer 110
litres
Importing your Household goods to
France
If
you are moving to France from a country situated outside of the EU, you can
import your household goods duty free. You will need to provide a detailed
inventory showing the value of your goods in euros, and you should have a
receipt for goods less than 6 months old. You may need to get a certificate
from the French Embassy in your country of residence, or a work visa or other
document stating that you are taking up residence in France.
- Further
information is available from the French Customs authorities
Vehicles
There are no specific procedures if you
are bringing your vehicle to France for less than six months. If staying longer
than six months, certain rules apply, see the Page on Importing a vehicle to France, in the Transport Section.
Pets
Properly identified and vaccinated pet
animals may travel freely in mainland Europe, provided they have an EU Pet
Passport. Other rules apply if you are bringing your pet from outside the
European Union, see the section on Moving Pets to France.
Cash
If you are carrying more than 10,000
euros in cash, you must declare this to the Customs Authorities when entering
or leaving France. This also includes money orders and travellers cheques.
It is also possible to declare online up to 2 days before arriving in France. Sign up and create your Prodouane account, fill out the declaration form, which is available in French, English and Spanish, validate, and note down your registration number; you will need it if you are inspected.
Special Procedures and Banned goods
The following are strictly banned from
import into France:
- Narcotics and
drugs (certain medicines can only be brought into France accompanied by a
prescription)
- Counterfeit
goods
- Attack dogs-
Staffordshire bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers,
Mastiffs/Boerboels, Tosas and Molossers, unless registered in a studbook
recognised by the Ministry of Agriculture in France.
- Certain plants
and plant products
Certain goods are subject to special procedures before they can
be brought into France. These include:
- Live animals
and animal-based products
- Endangered
species of flora and fauna
- Plant and
plant products
- Cultural goods
- Weapons and
ammunition
Tax Free Purchases
If you are not a resident of an EU
country and you have been staying in France for less than six months you may be
entitled to a VAT refund. You must be able to prove that you are resident in a
non-EU country at the time of purchase (for example with your passport) and the
amount you spend must be more than 175 euros. The retailer will give you a form
with a bar code and the PABLO logo so that you can claim the refund. When
you leave France, scan the bar code at one of the PABLO terminals near the
customs window, or have the form stamped at your point of departure. You can
then get the refund via bank transfer or at an exchange office at the airport
if you’re leaving by plane.
Further Information
- French Customs
- Douanes
- Information in
French about importing your household goods
to France