Moving from Brazil to France (2026): Relocation Guide
Key takeaways
- Pets are the longest-lead item — start there. Brazil is not on the EU’s list of approved third countries, so a dog or cat needs a rabies antibody titration test taken at least 30 days after vaccination, a result of 0.5 IU/ml or higher, and then a mandatory three-month wait from the blood-sampling date before entering France. Realistically, plan four to five months.
- End your Brazilian residency on paper. File the Comunicação de Saída Definitiva do País and, where due, the Declaração de Saída Definitiva do País with Receita Federal so you stop being taxed as a Brazilian resident.
- France waives duty and VAT on your removal goods under the franchise de déménagement: you must have lived outside the EU for more than 12 months and have owned and used the goods for more than six months.
- Brazilians are third-country nationals and need a long-stay visa (often a VLS-TS) obtained in Brazil, then validated online within three months of arrival.
- Sea freight from Santos to Le Havre is the standard route; air freight suits only a small box of essentials.
1. Leaving Brazil: what to close out
A move to France begins with a clean exit from Brazil. Some of these steps have deadlines that fall months after you have gone, so set them up before you leave.
Immigration. Brazilian citizens leave without an exit permit. If you are a foreign national holding Brazilian residency and want to keep it, check re-entry requirements with the Polícia Federal in advance, since long absences can affect the status.
Tax: the Declaração de Saída Definitiva. When you cease being a Brazilian tax resident you must tell Receita Federal in two parts. The Comunicação de Saída Definitiva do País (CSDP) notifies them of your departure through the gov.br / e-CAC portal. The Declaração de Saída Definitiva do País (DSDP) is the exit income-tax return for the period you were resident. Both are due by the last business day of February in the year after you leave. Filing them closes your worldwide tax liability in Brazil; skipping them lets Receita Federal keep treating you as resident and taxing income you earn in France.
Household goods and money. Keep receipts, photos and a dated, valued inventory proving your goods are used personal effects — France requires exactly this evidence. When carrying money, note the EU’s requirement to declare cash of EUR 10,000 or more on entry to the Union.
Pets — begin here. Because of the titre timeline in section 5, your vet is the first call, four to five months out. To leave Brazil the animal also needs the export health certificate issued by MAPA (Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária) via its VIGIAGRO service — the Certificado Veterinário Internacional (CVI). Only MAPA’s federal inspectors issue it, and for third-country destinations it is usually valid for around ten days, so it is one of the final pre-flight tasks.
2. How your household goods ship to France
Sea freight is the standard, cost-effective option for a full household. Containers leave from the Port of Santos (São Paulo) or Rio de Janeiro and arrive at the Port of Le Havre, France’s leading container gateway, or at Marseille-Fos for southern destinations. Carriers run a mix of direct and transshipment services (often via Rotterdam or Antwerp), so the ocean leg takes several weeks; with booking, French customs clearance and delivery, plan roughly six to ten weeks door to door.
A full container (FCL — 20ft or 40ft) suits larger homes; shared groupage (LCL) lets a flat-sized load pay only for the volume used, at the cost of some extra consolidation time. Air freight is a fast option for a small shipment of essentials but is far more expensive per kilo and is not viable for furniture.
Build a detailed valued inventory before packing. France specifically asks for a dated and signed inventory in duplicate, so getting this right up front doubles as your customs paperwork.
3. France customs & transfer-of-residence relief
France grants duty-free and VAT-free import of personal belongings when you transfer your normal residence from outside the EU, under the franchise de déménagement (removal relief), administered by the Douane (French customs).
The conditions must all be met:
- you have had your main residence outside the EU for more than 12 months;
- you have owned and used the goods for more than six months before the transfer; and
- you are genuinely establishing your residence in France.
You must present a detailed, estimated, dated and signed inventory in two copies, documents proving you were resident in a third country, and documents proving you are settling in France — the certificat de changement de résidence (which you can request from the French consulate before leaving Brazil), a mutation order, an employment contract, or a residence card. Goods admitted under the relief may not be sold, lent or hired out for 12 months after import. New purchases and commercial goods are excluded and attract duty and VAT. A removals partner or customs broker lodges this for you and coordinates clearance at Le Havre.
4. Arriving: registration, residence, driving, healthcare
Visa and residence. Brazilians are third-country nationals for French immigration. Visa-free Schengen entry covers short visits only; to live in France you need a long-stay visa obtained from the French mission in Brazil. The most common is the visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour (VLS-TS), which doubles as a residence permit for stays up to a year. Crucially, you must validate the VLS-TS online within three months of arrival on the ANEF portal (the digital administration for foreigners), paying the applicable fee — for example around EUR 225 for an employee. Miss the validation and your status lapses.
Settling in. France has no single mandatory town-hall registration for adults, but you will quickly need to open a French bank account, take out home insurance (compulsory for tenants), and register with the health system (see below). Keep your VLS-TS validation confirmation safe — it is requested repeatedly.
Healthcare. Once you are stably resident, you register for French public health cover (the assurance maladie under the PUMa scheme) to obtain a social-security number and, later, a Carte Vitale. In the meantime, private or travel health insurance bridges the gap, and proof of cover is generally part of the visa itself.
Driving. A Brazilian licence (CNH) can be used in France for up to one year from the date your VLS-TS is validated. France and Brazil have a reciprocal exchange agreement, so within that year you can exchange your CNH for a French licence without retaking the exams, applying online through the ANTS / France Titres platform with a certified translation. Do not let the one-year window lapse, or you may have to sit the French tests.
5. Pets
Read this first: the pet timeline is the constraint that everything else must fit around. Brazil is not on the EU’s list of approved third countries, which triggers the strictest entry route.
To bring a dog or cat into France (and the EU) from Brazil you need, in order:
- Microchip (ISO 11784/11785) implanted first, so all records tie to it.
- Rabies vaccination given after the microchip, with the animal at least 12 weeks old at vaccination.
- Rabies antibody titration test. A blood sample is drawn at least 30 days after the vaccination and sent to an EU-approved laboratory; the result must be 0.5 IU/ml or higher.
- The three-month wait. Your pet cannot enter the EU until at least three months from the date the blood sample was taken. With the microchip, vaccine and 30-day gap stacked on top, the realistic minimum is four to five months.
- EU animal health certificate for entry, plus Brazil’s MAPA/VIGIAGRO CVI to leave the country.
You must enter through a designated Travellers’ Point of Entry, where documents are checked, and use an EU-designated laboratory for the titre (the European Commission publishes the list). Because Brazil does not require a titre for its own imports, Brazilian vets may not raise it for outbound pets — so it falls to you to start the clock. When unsure, get the vaccination and blood draw done first and let the rest of the move follow.
6. Money, banking & tax basics
Once you are tax-resident in France, France taxes your worldwide income — another reason to close your Brazilian residency cleanly through the Declaração de Saída Definitiva. France and Brazil do have a double-taxation convention, which helps allocate taxing rights, but the transition year is still worth reviewing with an accountant, especially if you retain Brazilian income or property.
To open a French bank account you typically need proof of address (a lease or utility bill), your passport and visa, and sometimes a French phone number. Many newcomers open an online account first, then move to a branch bank once documents build up. French landlords usually ask for a deposit (commonly one to two months’ rent), the first month up front, and often a guarantor or the Visale guarantee for those without French income history. Keep a Brazilian account open long enough to receive final salary and tax refunds, and remember the EUR 10,000 EU cash-declaration threshold when physically moving money.
How Flyto handles your Brazil to France move
Flyto Relocation manages the Brazil–France corridor as a single project. We plan the pet timeline backwards from your target arrival so the titration test and three-month wait never collide with your flights; we prepare the dated, signed inventory in duplicate that both Brazilian export and the French franchise de déménagement require; and we coordinate sea freight from Santos or Rio into Le Havre with our own hubs across Northern, Central and Southern Europe, so your container clears customs and reaches your door without you juggling agents in two languages. We also guide you through VLS-TS validation, licence exchange and banking. Get a quote and we will map your dates, budget and pet timeline in one conversation.
Frequently asked questions
How early must I start the pet rabies titre test?
Plan four to five months. Because Brazil is not EU-listed, the blood sample can only be taken 30 days after vaccination, must read 0.5 IU/ml or higher, and then a three-month wait applies from the sampling date. Source.
Do I have to file the Declaração de Saída Definitiva?
Yes, if you are ending Brazilian tax residency — file the Comunicação and Declaração de Saída Definitiva with Receita Federal, or Brazil can keep taxing your worldwide income. Source.
What makes my belongings duty-free in France?
The franchise de déménagement: residence outside the EU for more than 12 months and goods owned and used for more than six months, with a dated, signed inventory in duplicate. Source.
Can I move to France on visa-free entry?
No. Visa-free entry is for short visits only; you need a long-stay visa (often a VLS-TS) obtained in Brazil. Source.
What must I do after arriving on a VLS-TS?
Validate it online within three months of arrival on the ANEF portal and pay the fee, or your residence status lapses. Source.
Can I drive on my Brazilian licence in France?
Yes, for up to one year from VLS-TS validation; France and Brazil have a reciprocal agreement, so you can exchange your CNH within that year without retaking the tests. Source.
Related moves
Sources
- European Commission — Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country
- European Commission — Designated laboratories for rabies antibody titration tests
- Service-Public.fr — Déménagement en France depuis l’étranger (franchise douanière)
- France Diplomatie — Le déménagement (formalités douanières)
- France-Visas — Long-stay visa
- Campus France — Validating your long-stay visa (VLS-TS)
- Service-Public.fr — Driving in France with a foreign licence / exchange
- Receita Federal — Comunicação e Declaração de Saída Definitiva do País
- MAPA (Brazil) — Taking your cat or dog abroad (CVI/VIGIAGRO)
Hiring an international mover? See our full International removals to Brazil service — Flyto’s own European hubs, vetted local partners and one English-speaking coordinator, door to door.