Moving from India to France (2026): Relocation Guide
Key takeaways
- Start with your pet. India is not on the EU’s list of approved third countries, so a dog or cat entering France needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination, and a rabies antibody titration (blood) test showing at least 0.5 IU/ml, drawn by an EU-approved laboratory at least 30 days after vaccination, then a mandatory three-month wait from the sampling date before entry. Allow four to five months and plan pets first.
- Indian citizens are third-country nationals and need a long-stay visa before travel. Most people use the VLS-TS (long-stay visa acting as a residence permit) or the Passeport Talent for skilled workers, which must be validated online with the authorities within three months of arrival.
- French customs relief for a household move (franchise de déménagement) frees your used goods from duty and VAT if you lived outside the EU for at least 12 months, owned and used the goods for at least six months, and import them within 12 months of settling.
- Sea freight from Nhava Sheva (Mumbai) to Le Havre takes roughly 30 to 40 days port to port; door to door is usually eight to twelve weeks.
- On arrival, validate your visa, get social-security cover, and exchange your Indian driving licence within the first year.
1. Leaving India: what to close out
Run your own departure and your belongings’ export as two parallel tracks, and begin both early.
Passport and emigration clearance. Check whether your passport is ECR (Emigration Check Required) or Non-ECR/ECNR. Emigration clearance from the Protector of Emigrants via the eMigrate system only applies to ECR passport holders travelling to a specific list of countries for employment, and France is not on it. Most graduates hold Non-ECR passports and clear the Bureau of Immigration desk at the airport with a valid passport and French visa. Confirm passport validity and blank pages.
Your French visa. As a third-country national you need a long-stay visa (visa de long séjour) before departure. The workhorse is the VLS-TS, a long-stay visa that also serves as your residence permit for the first year; skilled professionals, researchers and their families often qualify for the multi-year Passeport Talent. Students, visitors and family-reunification applicants have their own categories. Apply through the France-Visas portal and VFS Global, which runs biometrics in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad and other Indian cities.
Tax and finances. Tell your Indian bank you are becoming a non-resident so accounts are redesignated (NRO/NRE), and settle any outstanding Indian income tax. Keep your PAN, Form 16 and recent returns; French landlords and banks often ask for income history and a guarantor.
Household goods export. Exporting used personal effects from India carries no export duty. Your international mover files the export documents with Indian Customs at the port, with a detailed valued inventory, copies of your passport and visa, and the bill of lading. Prefer a FIDI/FAIM-accredited mover for dependable standards and claims handling.
Pet export from India. On top of the EU-entry rules below, your pet needs an export No Objection Certificate and export health certificate from the Animal Quarantine and Certification Service (AQCS), issued after an inspection shortly before departure and valid only about ten days. For up to two pets travelling as accompanied baggage a DGFT licence is generally not required; larger or commercial movements need a DGFT export licence. Book the AQCS appointment early.
2. How your household goods ship to France
Sea freight is standard for a whole household. A sole-use container (FCL) suits a full home; a shared part-load (LCL/groupage) costs less but is slower because it is consolidated and deconsolidated with other shipments. Vessels leave Nhava Sheva (Jawaharlal Nehru Port, near Mumbai) frequently, and Chennai serves the south. The main French gateway is Le Havre, with Marseille-Fos serving the south of France.
Transit time. Nhava Sheva to Le Havre is roughly 30 to 40 days port to port, around 34 days for a direct FCL sailing. That is just the ocean leg; the realistic door-to-door timeline is eight to twelve weeks once packing, road transport to the Indian port, export clearance, the sailing, French import clearance and final delivery are included. LCL adds a week or two.
Air freight is a few days to a week in transit but several times more expensive by weight, so keep it for essentials: clothing, laptops, documents, medicines. Many people fly with cabin and checked baggage for the first weeks while the sea shipment follows.
Insure the shipment on an all-risk, replacement-value basis, photograph valuables before packing, and avoid prohibited or restricted goods. Alcohol and tobacco are not covered by the moving relief and attract duty even within a household move.
3. France customs and transfer-of-residence relief
When you transfer your normal residence from a non-EU country such as India to France, your used personal belongings can be imported free of customs duty and VAT under the franchise de déménagement (moving exemption), governed by EU Council Regulation 1186/2009 and French customs law.
The conditions set by the French customs authority (Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects) are:
- You have lived outside the EU continuously for at least 12 months.
- You are transferring your principal (normal) residence to France.
- The goods were used privately and owned for at least six months before the move.
- You import them within 12 months of settling in France (this can be in several consignments).
- You do not sell, lend, hire or otherwise dispose of the goods for 12 months after import.
The process. You prepare a detailed dual-valued inventory (a liste de colisage) signed and dated, a change-of-residence declaration, proof of your prior residence outside the EU and its closure, proof of your new French address, and your passport and visa. There is no single online form equivalent to Germany’s 0350; the declaration is lodged with French customs at import, normally by your mover’s clearing agent, who applies the franchise. Keep everything consistent, as customs may query values.
Note that the exemption does not apply to a second home (résidence secondaire), where standard duty and 20% French VAT apply, nor to newly bought items or goods you cannot show you owned for six months. A vehicle can be included under the franchise but must separately meet French registration and type-approval rules.
4. Arriving: registration, residence, driving, healthcare
Validate your visa (VLS-TS). This is the critical first step. Within three months of arriving you must validate your long-stay visa online through the French administration portal (ANEF), pay the residence tax stamp, and confirm your address. Validation activates your residence rights; without it your visa is not a valid residence document. If you hold a Passeport Talent or another multi-year card, you attend a prefecture appointment instead.
OFII and the integration contract. Many VLS-TS holders are enrolled with the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII) and sign the Republican Integration Contract (CIR), which can include French-language and civic sessions.
Social security and healthcare. Once you are legally resident and working (or after a qualifying period), you register for French health cover (Assurance Maladie) and obtain a social-security number, then a Carte Vitale. Until your cover is active, keep private travel/health insurance. Employees are enrolled through their employer.
Banking and address proof. A French bank account (RIB) is essential for rent, salary and utilities. You will typically need proof of address (a utility bill or tenancy agreement) and your passport and visa. Utility bills double as your justificatif de domicile for many other formalities.
Driving licence. You may drive on your valid Indian licence, accompanied by an official French translation or International Driving Permit, for up to one year from the date you validate your residence. India and France have a reciprocal exchange arrangement for many licence categories, so within that year you apply to exchange your Indian licence for a French permis de conduire through the ANTS portal; if your category is not covered you must pass the French tests. Start early, as processing takes time.
5. Pets
Read this first, because it sets your whole timeline. India is not a listed third country for EU pet entry, so the strict “unlisted country” rules apply to dogs, cats and ferrets entering France.
The required sequence is:
- Microchip first (ISO 11784/11785 compliant). Any rabies vaccination given before the chip does not count.
- Rabies vaccination after the chip.
- Rabies antibody titration (blood) test: blood drawn by an EU-approved laboratory at least 30 days after the vaccination, showing an antibody level of at least 0.5 IU/ml. This test is mandatory because India is unlisted.
- Three-month wait: your pet cannot enter the EU until three months after the date the successful blood sample was taken.
- EU animal health certificate issued by an official veterinarian, valid 10 days for entry, plus the AQCS export paperwork from India.
- Enter the EU through a designated Traveller’s Point of Entry and complete the required checks.
Between the 30-day gap, the three-month wait and the scheduling of vet, lab and AQCS appointments, allow four to five months and start the pet paperwork before anything else. France also restricts certain dog categories (category 1 and 2 dogs); check the rules if you own an affected breed.
6. Money, banking and tax basics
Open a French bank account soon after arrival; you generally need proof of identity and address. Some newcomers start with an online bank while a branch account is set up. Redesignate your Indian accounts to non-resident status and keep clean records of the source of any savings you transfer, as banks may ask under anti-money-laundering rules.
France taxes residents on worldwide income, and the tax year is the calendar year, with income tax now collected largely at source (prélèvement à la source). The India-France Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement prevents you being taxed twice on the same income. If you have Indian rental income, investments or a provident fund, take professional advice in your first year, because the timing of your move affects your residency in both countries and the treatment of foreign income and wealth.
How Flyto handles your India to France move
Flyto Relocation manages the India-to-France corridor as one project rather than a string of separate bookings. We handle origin packing and export clearance at Nhava Sheva or Chennai, the ocean or air leg into Le Havre or Marseille, the French franchise de déménagement declaration and import clearance, and delivery and unpacking at your new home. Because we run our own hubs across Northern, Central and Southern Europe, your shipment stays inside one accountable network from the Indian port to your French doorstep, with a single point of contact throughout. We also plan the pet timeline backwards from your travel date so the titre test and three-month wait never derail your plans. Share your dates and inventory and we will build a realistic schedule and a fixed quote: get a quote.
Frequently asked questions
How long before my move should I start the pet rabies titre test?
At least four to five months. The blood sample must be taken 30 days or more after the rabies vaccination, and there is then a mandatory three-month wait from the sampling date before your dog or cat may enter the EU, making it the longest-lead task in the move. See French Customs — travelling with a dog, cat or ferret.
Do I pay French import duty and VAT on my used furniture?
No, if you qualify for the franchise de déménagement: at least 12 months living outside the EU, goods owned and used for at least six months, imported within 12 months of settling, and not sold for a year. See French Customs — moving your main residence to France.
Which visa do most Indian professionals use for France?
The VLS-TS long-stay visa (which also serves as a first-year residence permit) is the common route, and skilled workers, researchers and their families often qualify for the multi-year Passeport Talent. Apply before travel via France-Visas. See France-Visas — official visa portal.
How long does sea freight from India to France take?
About 30 to 40 days port to port from Nhava Sheva to Le Havre, and roughly eight to twelve weeks door to door once packing, clearance and delivery are included. Air freight takes a few days but costs much more.
What must I do right after arriving in France?
Validate your VLS-TS online within three months of arrival and pay the residence tax stamp; register for health cover and a social-security number; open a bank account; and begin your driving-licence exchange. See ANEF — validate your long-stay visa.
Can I keep driving on my Indian licence in France?
Yes, for up to one year from validating your residence (carry a French translation or International Driving Permit). France and India have a reciprocal exchange arrangement for many categories, so exchange your licence within that year through ANTS. See France Diplomatie — moving to France formalities.
Related moves
Sources
- French Customs (Douane) — Transferring your main residence to France
- French Customs (Douane) — Travelling with a dog, cat or ferret
- France-Visas — Official French visa portal
- ANEF (Ministry of the Interior) — Validate your long-stay visa online
- European Commission — Bringing a pet to the EU from a non-EU country
- Animal Quarantine and Certification Service (AQCS), India — Export of pets
- Ministry of External Affairs, India — Emigration clearance system
- France Diplomatie — Moving to France: customs formalities
Hiring an international mover? See our full International removals to India service — Flyto’s own European hubs, vetted local partners and one English-speaking coordinator, door to door.