Moving from Kazakhstan to France (2026): Relocation Guide
Key takeaways
- Plan your pet first. Kazakhstan is not on the EU’s list of approved third countries, so a dog or cat needs a microchip, rabies vaccination, and a rabies antibody titration (blood) test taken at least 30 days after vaccination showing at least 0.5 IU/ml — then a mandatory three-month wait before EU entry. Budget roughly four to five months.
- France offers duty and import-VAT-free entry of used personal belongings under the franchise de déménagement if you lived outside the EU for at least 12 months. The declaration uses form CERFA 10070 with a detailed, valued, signed inventory.
- Kazakhstan has no seaport. Goods travel overland by road and rail — via the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor or long-haul road freight — to a European port or hub, then to France. Air freight suits urgent small loads.
- You are a third-country national. Most movers need a French long-stay visa (VLS-TS) arranged before departure, then validate it on the ANEF portal within three months of arrival.
- Sort out healthcare (assurance maladie / carte Vitale), a French bank account, and driving-licence questions once settled.
1. Leaving Kazakhstan: what to close out
Wind down your Kazakhstan affairs before departure. If you hold a residence permit, complete the migration police’s deregistration for your registered address, and close utilities, mobile and internet contracts and local subscriptions. Keep a Kazakhstani bank account open long enough to receive deposits and final settlements — reopening one from abroad is far harder than keeping it running.
For exporting belongings, the authority is the State Revenue Committee (KGD) under the Ministry of Finance, operating within Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) rules. Used household effects leaving as personal property are generally routine; your remover prepares the valued inventory and lodges the export declaration. Keep your passport, French visa, and proof of ownership for higher-value items to hand, because both Kazakh and French customs work from the inventory — accuracy matters more than brevity.
Assemble the civil documents you will need in France: passports, birth and marriage certificates, diplomas, and your driving licence. Arrange certified French translations (and apostille/legalisation where required) before you leave — French administration is document-heavy and sourcing paperwork later from abroad is slow. If you own a car, note that importing and registering a non-EU vehicle in France is involved and often not worthwhile; many movers sell locally.
2. How your household goods ship to France
Kazakhstan is landlocked with no seaport, so there is no direct container ship from Almaty or Astana. Your belongings reach France by overland transport in two realistic ways:
Overland to a European port or hub, then to France. Goods travel by road and/or rail westward, often via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (“Middle Corridor”), which crosses the Caspian Sea by rail-ferry through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey toward Europe. From a European entry point the shipment continues by road to your French address. The corridor has grown quickly — cargo through Kazakhstan is up more than fivefold in recent years — improving options for containerised loads.
Long-haul road freight. For many household moves this is the practical choice: collection at your Kazakhstan home, overland transit across the Caucasus/Turkey into Europe, and delivery to France, either as a dedicated truck or consolidated groupage. Door-to-door transit is commonly several weeks and depends on border formalities and consolidation.
Air freight is fastest for a small essential shipment — clothes, documents, a laptop — arriving in days at a premium. Most families combine a small air load for immediate needs with the main household by road or rail. Because the goods enter the EU at the French frontier (or an earlier EU point), that is where the franchise de déménagement applies — so have your CERFA 10070 and inventory ready before the shipment reaches customs.
3. France customs & transfer-of-residence relief
France grants relief from customs duty and import VAT on used personal belongings under the franchise de déménagement (relocation exemption) when you transfer your normal residence from a non-EU country. Per French customs (Douane) and Service-Public, you must show that you lived outside the EU for at least 12 months and are establishing your residence in France, and the goods must have been owned and used and be intended for continued personal use.
The declaration is made on form CERFA 10070 (déclaration d’entrée en franchise de biens personnels en provenance de pays tiers à l’UE), accompanied by a detailed, valued, dated and signed inventory in duplicate, proof of at least 12 months’ residence abroad (such as a residence card, work contract, or consular attestation), proof of your installation in France, and valid ID. Goods may be imported in one or several consignments, provided the first inventory presented to customs lists everything for which relief is claimed. Some items remain dutiable or excluded — notably alcohol and tobacco, commercial/professional equipment, utility vehicles and certain others — so check these before shipping. Your remover typically handles the customs formalities, but eligibility rests on your circumstances, so prepare the evidence early.
4. Arriving: registration, residence, driving, healthcare
Residence and visa. Kazakhstani citizens are third-country nationals, so most people need a French long-stay visa (VLS-TS — visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour) obtained from the French mission in Kazakhstan before travel, for work, family, study or as a visitor. The VLS-TS acts as your first residence permit, but only once you validate it online on the ANEF portal (Administration Numérique des Étrangers en France) within three months of arrival and pay the fee. Miss that deadline and the visa loses its residence-permit status, so treat validation as an early priority. Longer-term, you renew or change status at your local prefecture.
Getting set up. France has no single town-hall registration equivalent to Germany’s Anmeldung, but you will accumulate a short list of steps: validate the VLS-TS on ANEF, open a French bank account, register for healthcare, and (for children) enrol in school via the mairie. Keep proof of address (justificatif de domicile), such as a utility bill or tenancy agreement, as it is requested constantly.
Healthcare. Once resident and working (or after a qualifying period), you register with the French health-insurance system (Assurance Maladie) to obtain a social security number and a carte Vitale; many residents add a mutuelle (top-up insurance). Until you are enrolled, maintain private cover — proof of insurance may also be needed for the visa.
Driving licence. A Kazakhstani licence can generally be used for driving in France for up to one year from the validation of your residence. To keep driving after that you must either exchange your licence — possible only where a bilateral reciprocity agreement exists between France and the issuing country — or pass the French driving test. Because exchange depends on the current reciprocity list, confirm your position with the French authorities (via ANTS/Service-Public) and allow lead time.
5. Pets
Start here — the pet timeline is the longest task in the move. Kazakhstan is not on the EU’s list of approved third countries, so the strictest rules apply. To bring a dog or cat into France you must, in order: (1) have the animal microchipped; (2) give a rabies vaccination after the microchip; (3) after at least 30 days, have a rabies antibody titration (blood) test drawn and sent to an EU-approved laboratory, showing a level of at least 0.5 IU/ml; and (4) wait three months from the successful blood sample before entering the EU. An official EU animal health certificate is then issued shortly before travel, and pets must enter through a designated Traveller’s Point of Entry.
On the Kazakhstan side, your local vet issues the domestic veterinary document (“Form 1”), which is exchanged at the border/airport for the state international veterinary certificate (Form 5) endorsed by Kazakhstan’s veterinary authority. Because the blood test can only be drawn 30 days after vaccination and the three-month wait runs from the blood-sample date, the sequence alone consumes roughly four to five months. Book the microchip, vaccination and blood draw as your very first task, ahead of flights and the household shipment.
6. Money, banking & tax basics
Opening a French bank account (compte courant) generally requires your passport, proof of French address, and evidence of your status such as the visa or a tenancy agreement; some banks also ask for a first payslip. Digital or “neobank” accounts can bridge the gap while you complete the paperwork. A French RIB (bank details) is needed for salary, rent and utility direct debits.
On tax residency: you are generally French tax-resident if your main home or centre of economic interests is in France, after which worldwide income can fall within French taxation. The France–Kazakhstan double-taxation convention allocates taxing rights and provides relief against double taxation, but the year of the move can be complex — take professional advice. Budget for upfront costs: rental deposit (often one month for unfurnished, plus advance rent), agency fees, and taxe d’habitation where it still applies. Move funds from tenge to euro through a regulated money-transfer service rather than carrying cash.
How Flyto handles your Kazakhstan to France move
Flyto Relocation runs the Kazakhstan-to-France corridor end to end. Because Kazakhstan has no seaport, we plan the overland routing — road freight or the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor — to a European hub and onward to your French address, handle export clearance with the State Revenue Committee, and prepare the French franchise de déménagement paperwork (CERFA 10070 with a compliant inventory) so your goods clear duty- and VAT-free where you qualify. We operate our own hubs across Northern, Central and Southern Europe, giving you one point of contact from collection in Almaty or Astana to delivery in France — and we map the pet titre-test timeline early, because it is the task most families underestimate. Get a quote and we will build the critical path around your dates, starting with the pet.
Frequently asked questions
Does my dog or cat need a blood test to enter France from Kazakhstan?
Yes. Kazakhstan is not on the EU’s approved list, so a rabies antibody titration test is mandatory: blood drawn at least 30 days after rabies vaccination, showing at least 0.5 IU/ml, followed by a three-month wait before EU entry, plus microchip, vaccination and an EU animal health certificate. See European Commission — Bringing a pet into the EU.
How far ahead should I start the pet process?
Around four to five months. The blood test can only be drawn 30 days after vaccination, and the mandatory three-month wait runs from the blood-sample date, so start the microchip-vaccinate-test-wait sequence before booking anything else. See European Commission — Entry into the Union.
How do I import my belongings into France without paying duty or VAT?
Use the franchise de déménagement: if you lived outside the EU for at least 12 months and are moving your residence to France, declare your used personal effects on form CERFA 10070 with a detailed valued inventory. See Service-Public — Moving to France from outside the EU: customs.
Where do I get the CERFA 10070 form and what supports it?
It is the French customs declaration for duty-free entry of personal goods from third countries, supported by proof of 12 months’ residence abroad, proof of installation in France, ID, and a signed inventory in duplicate. See French Customs (Douane).
How do my things get to France if Kazakhstan has no seaport?
By road and rail overland to a European port or hub — often via the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor — then to France. Air freight is available for urgent small loads. See Asian Development Bank — Middle Corridor.
Do I need to do anything with my visa after arriving in France?
Yes. A VLS-TS long-stay visa must be validated on the ANEF portal within three months of arrival, and a fee is paid; otherwise it loses its residence-permit status. See France-Visas — Long-stay visa.
Sources
- European Commission (Food Safety) — Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country
- European Commission — Listing of territories and non-EU countries (pet movement)
- Service-Public — Moving to France after living outside the EU: customs duties
- French Customs (Douane) — franchise de déménagement / CERFA 10070
- France-Visas — Long-stay visa (VLS-TS)
- ANEF — Digital administration for foreign nationals (VLS-TS validation)
- State Revenue Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Ministry of Finance) — Customs
- Asian Development Bank — Middle Corridor / Trans-Caspian International Transport Route