Moving from the Philippines to France (2026): Relocation Guide
Key takeaways
- Plan your pet first. The Philippines is not on the EU’s list of approved third countries, so a dog or cat entering France needs a rabies antibody titration test at an EU-approved lab (blood drawn at least 30 days after rabies vaccination, result 0.5 IU/ml or higher), then a mandatory three-month wait before EU entry — plus microchip, rabies vaccination and an EU animal health certificate. Budget four to five months.
- Claim the “franchise de déménagement”. Used personal belongings enter France free of duty and import VAT if you lived outside the EU for more than 12 months and owned and used the goods for more than six months, and import them within 12 months of settling.
- Clear your Philippine exit with the Bureau of Immigration (Emigration Clearance Certificate; Annual Report current for ACR I-Card holders) and prepare a valued inventory for the Bureau of Customs.
- Validate your visa fast. A VLS-TS long-stay visa must be validated online (via ANEF) within three months of arrival, for a €100 fee, or you lose legal status.
- Sea freight Manila to Le Havre realistically takes six to nine weeks port-to-port; air freight is far quicker for essentials.
1. Leaving the Philippines: what to close out
On the way out, deal with three Philippine agencies: the Bureau of Immigration, the Bureau of Customs and — for pets — the Bureau of Animal Industry.
Foreign nationals who have lived in the Philippines on an immigrant or non-immigrant visa normally need an Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC) from the Bureau of Immigration to leave. It certifies you have no unsettled obligations. ECC-A covers most departing foreign nationals; ECC-B applies to ACR I-Card holders leaving temporarily. Apply from about 72 hours before departure; the clearance lasts one month and is used once. If you hold an ACR I-Card and missed the Annual Report deadline, the Bureau will not issue the ECC until it is settled, and you can be stopped at the airport. Filipino citizens do not need an ECC.
Settle taxes and utilities, close or convert Philippine bank accounts you no longer need (keeping one open until final bills clear), and gather documents for France: passports, PSA-issued and apostilled civil records (birth, marriage), diplomas and transcripts, references and driving licences. France often wants sworn (assermenté) translations into French, so plan for that.
For customs, prepare a detailed, valued inventory with proof of ownership and purchase dates. French customs specifically require a detailed inventory for the franchise de déménagement, and the same list supports the Philippine export.
2. How your household goods ship to France
Most Philippines-to-France moves travel by sea, as shared (groupage/LCL) freight or a dedicated 20ft or 40ft container. Vessels load in Manila or Cebu, tranship through an Asian hub such as Singapore, and sail to Le Havre (France’s main container gateway) or Marseille-Fos for southern destinations.
As a planning figure, the deep-sea leg to North-West Europe is broadly comparable to the roughly 32–38 day East-Asia-to-Europe ocean run, but the Manila transhipment adds time, so allow six to nine weeks port-to-port to Le Havre. Door-to-door — adding Philippine collection and export packing plus French customs clearance and delivery — typically runs 10–14 weeks. Congestion or strikes at French ports can add a week or two.
If you need essentials quickly, air freight from Manila to Paris (Charles de Gaulle) takes days at a higher per-kilogram cost. A common approach is bulk by sea plus one small air consignment for urgent items.
Keep the inventory clean and complete: French customs will want it, and it underpins your duty-relief claim.
3. France customs & transfer-of-residence relief
Moving your main home into the EU from a non-EU country, your used personal belongings can enter France free of customs duty and import VAT under the franchise de déménagement (transfer-of-residence relief). Two conditions must both be met: you must have resided outside the EU for more than 12 months, and you must have owned and used the goods for more than six months before the move. You must import the goods within 12 months of establishing your residence in France, and you may not sell, hire or lend them for 12 months after import, or the duties become due.
To claim the relief you provide French customs (Douane) with a detailed and valued inventory of everything you are importing, plus documents proving you held your main residence outside the EU and are now settling in France (for example a lease, job contract or proof of address). Your relocation agent normally lodges the customs declaration on your behalf on arrival at Le Havre.
Restricted and prohibited goods (weapons, certain foods and plants, protected-species products, and so on) follow the usual EU rules regardless of the relief.
4. Arriving: registration, residence, driving, healthcare
Visa and residence. As a third-country national you need the correct long-stay visa obtained before travel — commonly a VLS-TS (long-stay visa acting as a residence permit) for work, family or study. Once in France you must validate the VLS-TS within three months of arrival through the online ANEF portal, paying a €100 fee (payable by card, or via a fiscal stamp bought at a tabac). Miss this and you lose legal status and cannot re-enter the Schengen Area. The OFII may call you in for formalities, a medical check or to sign the integration contract. For later years you renew at your local préfecture.
Registration and daily set-up. France has no single town-hall registration like Germany’s Anmeldung, but you will quickly need to establish proof of address (justificatif de domicile) — a utility bill or lease — which almost everything else depends on. Arrange home and liability insurance (assurance habitation is effectively required for renters) early.
Healthcare. Once you are settled and working (or after a qualifying period), you register for French health cover (assurance maladie / PUMA) to obtain a social security number and, in time, a carte Vitale. Keep private/international cover in place until your French cover is active.
Driving. You may drive on your valid Philippine licence for a limited initial period after establishing residence. Whether you can exchange it for a French licence depends on a reciprocity agreement between France and the issuing authority; where no agreement applies, you must pass the French tests. Requirements change, so confirm the current position and any translation requirement with your préfecture soon after arrival.
5. Pets
This is your longest-lead task, so start it first. The Philippines is not on the EU’s list of approved third countries, which triggers the strictest import pathway for dogs and cats entering France.
The sequence is: (1) microchip (ISO-compliant); (2) rabies vaccination after chipping; (3) at least 30 days later, a vet draws blood for a rabies antibody titration test, processed by an EU-approved laboratory and showing 0.5 IU/ml or higher; and (4) a mandatory three-month wait from the date the blood sample was taken before your pet may enter the EU. This clock cannot be shortened. With appointment lead times and lab turnaround added, start four to five months before you fly.
To leave the Philippines your pet needs a Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) export permit / international veterinary health certificate, issued within about ten days before departure, with the vaccination record matching the certificate exactly. For entry to France you also need an EU animal health certificate completed by an official vet, reflecting the microchip, valid rabies vaccination and successful titre result, and you must enter via a designated Traveller’s Point of Entry. Because approved routings and airline crate rules change, most families use a specialist pet-relocation agent for the Manila-to-France leg.
6. Money, banking & tax basics
Opening a French bank account (compte bancaire) usually requires your passport, proof of address (justificatif de domicile) and proof of residence status. A French account — and its RIB — is needed for rent, salary and utilities, so open one early; international/multi-currency accounts bridge the first weeks, and keeping a Philippine account open helps until refunds and bills settle.
Budget for French rental norms — typically one month’s rent as a deposit (dépôt de garantie) plus the first month, and often a guarantor requirement — and for move-related costs (the €100 VLS-TS validation, insurance, sworn translations). When moving savings from the Philippines, compare a specialist currency provider against a bank wire; on larger sums the spread matters.
On tax, once you are resident you are generally taxed in France on your worldwide income, subject to the Philippines–France double-taxation treaty. If you have Philippine property income, a business or investments, take advice on both sides before moving so income is not taxed twice or missed, and note France’s pay-as-you-earn (prélèvement à la source) system for salaries.
How Flyto handles your Philippines to France move
Flyto Relocation runs the corridor end to end: export packing and Bureau of Customs formalities in Manila or Cebu, sea or air freight to Le Havre or Marseille, and French customs clearance with your franchise de déménagement documented correctly so your goods release without duty or import VAT. Because we operate our own hubs across Northern, Central and Southern Europe, your French delivery is handled by our own team rather than an unknown subcontractor. We also project-manage the pet timeline — titre test, three-month wait and BAI paperwork — in step with your household shipment. Get a quote and we will plan your dates back from your French start date.
Frequently asked questions
Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to enter France from the Philippines?
Yes. The Philippines is not a listed third country, so dogs and cats need a rabies antibody titration test at an EU-approved lab (sample taken at least 30 days after vaccination, result 0.5 IU/ml or higher), then a three-month wait before EU entry, plus microchip, rabies vaccination and an EU animal health certificate. See European Commission — bringing a pet into the EU.
How early should I start the pet process?
Around four to five months before travel, because the mandatory three-month wait runs from the blood-sampling date, on top of the microchip, vaccination, 30-day interval and lab turnaround.
How do I avoid paying French duty and import VAT on my belongings?
Claim the franchise de déménagement: you must have lived outside the EU for more than 12 months and owned and used the goods for more than six months, importing them within 12 months of settling. See Service-Public.fr — moving to France from a non-EU country (F492).
As a foreign national, what do I need to leave the Philippines?
Usually an Emigration Clearance Certificate from the Bureau of Immigration, with the Annual Report current if you hold an ACR I-Card. See Bureau of Immigration — FAQs.
How long does shipping take from Manila to France?
Roughly six to nine weeks port-to-port to Le Havre and about 10–14 weeks door-to-door, depending on transhipment and congestion. Air freight is much faster for a small shipment.
What must I do about my visa after arriving in France?
Validate your VLS-TS long-stay visa within three months of arrival via the ANEF portal, paying the €100 fee, or you lose legal status. See France-Visas — long-stay visa.
Related moves
Sources
- European Commission — Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country
- European Commission — Designated rabies titration laboratories
- Service-Public.fr — Moving to France from a non-EU country (customs, F492)
- French Customs (Douane) — Moving to France formalities
- France-Visas — Long-stay visa (VLS-TS)
- Philippine Bureau of Immigration — FAQs (ECC / ACR I-Card)
- Philippine Bureau of Customs — Duty and tax-free privileges
- Philippine Bureau of Animal Industry — Pet import/export
Hiring an international mover? See our full International removals to the Philippines service — Flyto’s own European hubs, vetted local partners and one English-speaking coordinator, door to door.