Relocating from France to the United States means clearing two very different customs systems: the French douane on the export side and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on arrival. The good news is that a genuine change of residence lets you bring your used household goods into the USA duty-free — provided the paperwork is right on both ends. This guide covers the French export formalities, the Le Havre and Marseille shipping routes, pets and vehicles, and the U.S. import side, with links to the official sources.

Key takeaways

• Personal effects and privately used vehicles usually need no French export declaration, but a detailed, dated, signed inventory in duplicate is required by the Direction générale des douanes.
• Certain categories — weapons, gold and precious metals, dual-use goods, cultural property, protected fauna/flora — do require a formal export declaration (DAU) and sometimes a tax (Douane).
• Used household goods owned and used abroad can enter the USA duty-free on CBP Form 3299, the Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles (CBP).
• Every dog entering the USA now needs a completed CDC Dog Import Form receipt; France counts as a rabies low-risk country, which keeps the process simple.
• You must report cash or monetary instruments over US$10,000 to CBP on FinCEN Form 105 (CBP).
• Importing a French car means meeting EPA and DOT/NHTSA standards unless the vehicle is old enough to be exempt (EPA).
• You need a valid U.S. immigrant or non-immigrant visa before you can settle — sort this first (U.S. Dept. of State).

1. The French export side: your inventory is the key document

Under a transfer of principal residence outside the EU, French customs treats your removal generously. According to the DGDDI, you have no customs declaration to lodge for your personal effects and privately used non-commercial vehicles (car, motorcycle, caravan, boat). What customs does require is a supporting file, and the centrepiece is the inventory.

The inventory must be "détaillé, estimatif, daté, paginé et signé" — detailed, valued, dated, paginated and signed — and produced in duplicate. If you clear at an inland customs office rather than the port, you need a third copy to accompany the goods to the frontier. Alongside it, keep proof that you are moving your residence abroad (passport, property title, an attestation from a landlord or the mairie). You can present the inventory for page-by-page stamping by customs; that stamp is what protects you if any item ever returns to France.

Practical points from Douane: exports may be done in installments within one year, provided you annotate the inventory and present it at each subsequent office. For questions, Infos Douane Service is free on 0 800 94 40 40.

2. Goods that DO need a French export declaration

The exemption from declaration is not unlimited. Per the DGDDI, a formal export declaration (Document Administratif Unique / DAU, copies 1-2-3) is required for:

• Firearms and ammunition
• Gold, gold materials and objects and other precious metals
• Dual-use products and technology
• Protected wild fauna and flora (CITES species)
• Cultural property (art, antiques)

Two taxes can apply on the way out. A 10% tax on precious metals — silver, gold and platinum and their alloys, and gold or silver coins except those minted before 1800 — applies regardless of value (Douane). A separate 6% forfait tax applies to jewellery, watches, art and collectors’ items valued above €5,000 per item; pre-1800 coins fall into this collectors’ category rather than the 10% bracket. If you are shipping inherited jewellery, watches, tapestries or a wine cellar of any size, price the file with a French commissionnaire en douane before booking. Note that the douane’s own list n’est pas exhaustive — always confirm your specific items with the DGDDI.

3. Ports, routes and realistic transit times

Most France-to-USA household shipments leave through Le Havre (the largest French container port and the natural gateway for Paris and the north) or the Marseille-Fos complex on the Mediterranean for the south. A dedicated 20ft or 40ft container is standard for a full home; part-loads move as groupage/LCL, which is cheaper but slower because the box waits to be consolidated and deconsolidated.

Indicative port-to-port sea transit on this corridor (commercial carrier estimates via iContainers — confirm current schedules with your freight forwarder, as sailings vary):

• Le Havre → U.S. East Coast (New York/New Jersey, Norfolk, Charleston): roughly 10-18 days on direct services.
• Marseille → U.S. East Coast: similar 12-18 days, but with fewer direct sailings, so expect a transhipment.
• Le Havre/Marseille → U.S. West Coast (LA/Long Beach): typically 3-4 weeks via a transhipment hub.

Add 2-4 weeks either side for packing, export handling, U.S. customs clearance and final delivery. Door-to-door, a full-container move from France usually runs 6-10 weeks. Air freight is far faster (days) but priced by weight — sensible only for a small, urgent shipment.

4. U.S. import: duty-free entry for your household goods

On the American side, CBP allows returning residents and new immigrants to bring in used personal and household effects free of duty. The governing form is CBP Form 3299 — the Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles — used whenever your goods arrive separately from you, which is almost always the case with sea freight (CBP).

Key eligibility rules, set out in 19 CFR Part 148 (eCFR):

• Household effects should be imported within 10 years of your last arrival from the country where you used them; beyond that, duty-free entry needs a documented explanation, and is barred entirely after 25 years.
• Personal-effect articles generally qualify duty-free when used, owned by you, and not intended for resale.
• If you cannot produce the owner’s declaration at entry, CBP may allow a bond (Form 301) to produce it within 6 months.

You will also need a detailed valued packing list (your French inventory does double duty here), a copy of your passport and visa, and often the ocean bill of lading. Practically, your U.S. destination agent or licensed customs broker files the 3299 on your behalf — this is not a form you present at an airport.

5. Pets: bringing a dog or cat from France

France is classified by the CDC as a dog rabies low-risk country, which keeps the process straightforward. Under the CDC rules in force since 2024, every dog entering the USA must (CDC):

• be at least 6 months old;
• have an ISO-compliant 15-digit microchip;
• appear healthy on arrival; and
• travel with a completed CDC Dog Import Form receipt.

For a dog coming straight from France (a low-risk country), the CDC form receipt is generally the only document required, and it is valid for multiple entries over six months. Cats are not subject to CDC dog rules and have no CDC vaccination requirement, though the airline and destination state may have their own. Note the direction matters: bringing a pet back to France later requires an ISO microchip, a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days before travel, and an official EU-format health certificate endorsed by USDA (USDA APHIS).

6. Vehicles: the French-car catch

A French-registered car is one of the trickiest items on this corridor. Unless the vehicle is old enough to be exempt, it must comply with EPA emissions and DOT/NHTSA safety standards to be imported permanently (EPA). Many EU-market models were never certified to U.S. specification, which can mean costly modification through a Registered Importer — or make import impractical. Vehicles 25 years or older are exempt from FMVSS safety standards, and engines 21 years or older are exempt from EPA requirements, which is why classic French cars move far more easily than a current model. Entry uses EPA Form 3520-1 and DOT Form HS-7 at the port. For most people relocating with a recent French car, selling it in France and buying locally in the USA is cheaper than importing.

7. Money, restricted goods and your visa

• Currency: report any transport of cash or monetary instruments over US$10,000 on FinCEN Form 105 — failing to do so risks seizure (CBP).
• Agricultural items: food, plants, seeds, wooden and straw items must be declared to CBP; USDA/APHIS restricts or prohibits many of them, so leave the French charcuterie and cheese out of the shipment.
• Alcohol and wine: a personal cellar in a household shipment is subject to duty, federal and state rules — declare it and expect it to be treated separately from duty-free effects.
• Immigration: none of the above lets you live in the USA. Secure the correct immigrant or non-immigrant visa before you move (U.S. Dept. of State), and be aware of U.S. tax residency obligations with the IRS.

How Flyto handles your France to USA move

Overseas relocations are complex enough that Flyto runs them as a single door-to-door Platinum service — one team, one price, one point of contact from your French apartment to your new U.S. home. That means professional export packing, a compliant valued inventory for the douane, booking the container out of Le Havre or Marseille-Fos, ocean freight, U.S. customs clearance and CBP Form 3299 filing through our destination partners, delivery, unpacking and debris removal. We coordinate pet and vehicle logistics alongside the main shipment so nothing falls between the cracks. For an intercontinental move like France to the USA, Platinum is the only tier we offer, precisely because half-measures are where overseas moves go wrong. See our USA moving hub and the main relocation pillar for the full picture.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a French export declaration for my furniture?
No. Personal effects and privately used vehicles need no customs declaration — only a detailed, dated, signed inventory in duplicate (Douane). Weapons, precious metals, dual-use goods, art and CITES species are the exceptions.

Will I pay U.S. duty on my used belongings?
Generally no. Used household goods and personal effects you have owned and used qualify for duty-free entry on CBP Form 3299, if imported within 10 years of your last U.S. arrival (CBP).

How long does shipping from France to the USA take?
Indicative port-to-port sea freight from Le Havre to the U.S. East Coast is roughly 10-18 days; the West Coast is 3-4 weeks. Door-to-door, allow 6-10 weeks including packing and clearance — confirm current schedules with your forwarder.

What do I need to bring my dog?
A completed CDC Dog Import Form receipt, an ISO microchip, a minimum age of 6 months, and a healthy dog. From France (low-risk), the CDC form receipt is usually the only required document (CDC).

Can I import my French car?
Only if it meets EPA and DOT/NHTSA standards, or is old enough to be exempt — 25+ years for safety (FMVSS) and 21+ years for emissions (EPA). Many current EU models cannot be imported cost-effectively (EPA).

How much cash can I carry?
Any amount, but you must file FinCEN Form 105 for more than US$10,000 in currency or monetary instruments (CBP).

Does a household-goods shipment let me stay in the USA?
No. You need a separate immigrant or non-immigrant visa from the U.S. Department of State before relocating (U.S. Dept. of State).

Freshness note: customs, CDC, EPA and visa rules change. This guide reflects sources current in 2026 — verify the details with each authority before you ship.

Sources

• Douane – Transfert de résidence hors UE (expatriés)
• Douane – Déménagement hors de l’Union européenne
• France Diplomatie – Déménagement / douanes
• CBP – Moving used household goods to the U.S.
• CBP Form 3299 – Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles (PDF)
• eCFR – 19 CFR Part 148 (Personal Declarations and Exemptions)
• CBP – Money and Monetary Instruments (FinCEN Form 105)
• CDC – Bringing a Dog into the United States
• USDA APHIS – Pet Travel: US to France
• EPA – Importing Vehicles and Engines
• U.S. Department of State – U.S. Visas
• IRS – International Taxpayers