Mediator to review French post office's non-EU 'customs' charges Douanes say the charge is not added by them and should be called La Poste’s admin fee
Is €12,000 malus for importing my SUV to France correct? Penalties on imported vehicles – even if not new – are possible for worst ‘polluters’
€600,000 in gold found in UK car stopped at France-Swiss border Haul of gold bars and royal coins was not declared to customs officials What are Christmas deadlines for packages to UK and US from France? How incorrect French customs checks led to €40bn loss for UK French customs officer stamps Briton’s passport, then saves his life
Road signs, petrol costs, customs advice: French practical wrap Our overview of practical stories you may have missed this week
New website in France helps you work out tax for non-EU imports DéclareDouane service can help you budget and will speed up the process at the border when bringing in items such as alcohol, tobacco, fashion or furniture
When can the French post charge you to receive items from abroad? Certain taxes and fees may be payable for receiving items sent from outside the EU
Major delays on France-UK border in 2024, warns new Brexit report France’s public sector spending watchdog also raised concerns about new residents and school trips
Camembert, Roquefort, Brie: Can I bring French cheeses into the US? We look at the rules around taking such gifts on stateside trips
Paris Orly airport trials scanners that remove need for liquids bag The scanners are similar to those used in hospitals and aim to improve safety and cut down waiting times at security
Why does the French post office care about value of items sent abroad? A reader asks why they are quizzed about the value of parcels when they go to post something from France to the UK
Privatised Eurostar security will raise terror risk, says French union Baggage security checks at Paris Gare du Nord terminal are set to be outsourced, but customs officers fear a threat to safety and increased costs
How to fill out French customs form online for packages sent abroad Connexion readers have noticed that the process cannot be completed in person at many local post offices, but is available on the La Poste website
Make sense of duty-free shopping in France Brexit has brought the return of duty-free shopping for France-UK travel, but this does not always equal savings. We explain more €30 customs/VAT fee for US gift sent to me in France: What can I do? How do we do customs declarations for goods for French second home? Can you bring paint into France from the UK for personal use?
Applying for ‘returned goods relief’ to take items from France to UK We take a look at the steps to take if you want to take belongings with you when moving countries Brexit updates: residency cards, passport stamps, UK-France deliveries Crossing French-UK border is now like going to US, say French customs Drugs, counterfeit goods and fraud: French customs report rises France recorded its largest ever trade deficit in 2021, say Douanes Trade body resilient as post-Brexit customs controls start EU to UK
What are alcohol limits for France-UK travel? Per person or per car? The amount of alcohol which you can bring into the UK depends on its type
France to UK family visit: What gifts can we bring under Brexit rules? As in the other direction, post-Brexit there are new rules as to what travellers can take with them. You should bear them in mind when taking gifts for UK family
La Poste claims improvement to custom charge issue for foreign parcels Some readers though still report erroneous charges. Here is what you can do if it happens to you. We also explain the cases in which taxes and fees do apply
How I got back tax wrongly charged on gift sent to France from UK Like thousands of other people in France, our reporter had the nasty experience of a postman demanding tax be paid on Christmas presents before they were handed over
How to avoid taxes and fees being levied on gifts sent UK to France Many problems are reported this year with incorrect fees and taxes on gifts coming from outside the EU – we look at ways to minimise errors
What are rules for bringing British teabags to France post-Brexit? Since January there are new rules on what foods you may bring with you in luggage when entering France from the UK
Brexit: Bringing furniture to France from UK for second home Due to full Brexit there are now potential additional customs formalities and charges related to moving items over the Channel
‘Customs’ charges on gifts due to postal errors, say French Douanes The problems are arising linked to a huge increase in border formalities due to Brexit and changes in EU VAT rules, and computer errors, according to officials
High tax and customs fees on gifts sent to France from outside EU Several readers report being surprised by the charges requested to receive parcels from the UK - and New Zealand - despite the items being low-value gifts
How UK Customs dealt with our move back from France Readers tell of ‘an awful lot of paperwork’ for transporting items across Channel post Brexit
What are post-Brexit rules for moving items from a French house to UK? As with French customs rules on moving items from the UK to France, the UK’s HMRC now has requirements when people move from France to the UK
Recap of post-Brexit rules for bringing items into France from the UK There are various new issues to consider depending on whether you are coming for a holiday or bringing several items to a second home or moving home
Brexit: What are the rules for deliveries from UK to France? Formalities and taxes for UK deliveries will vary depending on what the item is and who is sending or transporting it
Brexit: Taking French cheese and wine to the UK There are new import and export rules following full Brexit, fortunately these are fairly flexible regarding taking food and drink to the UK
UK-EU customs checks and taxes: Readers’ experiences so far From bringing belongings to France during a house move to driving a van with DIY materials to second homes, readers so far have reported mixed experiences
Update: Potential new tax for newcomers to France Additional costs could be involved in moving to France in second half of this year, linked to full Brexit
Second wave of Brexit issues on way, says French think-tank expert Dr Elvire Fabry of the Institut Jacques Delors, a specialist researcher on Brexit, trade and globalisation, gives details of the emerging picture as Brexit takes full effect
Customs declarations needed to bring many items into France Customs declarations, French VAT and sometimes import duty must now be considered when you are moving items between the UK and France since Brexit
Removals firms facing new rules post-Brexit New rules mean removals to a second home in France will be more complicated than as part of making France your permanent residence
Brexit: New rules for importing a UK car to France Extra formalities and costs are now involved in importing a UK car though they vary widely depending on personal circumstances and type of car
Brexit: Receiving a gift sent from UK to France There are changes with regard to paperwork and liability to taxes when sending items between the UK and EU following full Brexit
Brexit preparations have cost France €200million Customs officers, border police, plant and veterinary inspectors, offices, carparks and IT systems are among the 'unheard of' expenses of reestablishing full border controls
Brexit: Can I bring plants from UK to France? There are strict rules on moving plants, plant cuttings and fresh flowers over the Channel because the UK is now seen as a 'third country' to the EU following full Brexit on January 1, 2021
Stock up on your Bovril It is expected to be harder to import food from the UK – both for businesses and individuals – when the transition finishes at the end of this year.
Brexit: Stockpiling in UK causes delays at Calais border Fears of no-deal Brexit cause stockpiling in the UK at unprecedented levels, and severe delays at the French border
Brexit: French customs offers free webinar for businesses An online session about preparing your firm for Brexit is being organised in English by the Douanes
Eurostar to provide contactless travel from UK to France It will soon be possible to board the Eurostar without showing a ticket or a passport, thanks to new facial recognition technology.
Longest customs dispute in France since 2002 over Two-and-a-half-month strike, that caused long delays at popular French travel hubs, ends after government and unions agree deal
No end in sight for French customs protest Protest action by French customs officers continues to cause lengthy delays for Eurostar passengers heading to the UK and jams on the roads approaching Channel ports – and so far there is no end in sight.
French customs staff impose Brexit work to rule Long queues at travel hubs including Gare du Nord, Calais, and popular ski resort airports in southeast France
French border ‘Brexit strike’ causes huge lorry queues French Eurotunnel and ferry customs officers who mounted an “unlimited strike” by enforcing strict border controls - to mimic what may happen after Brexit - have caused tens of kilometres of traffic jams.
Channel Tunnel shows need for real-world thinking Arguably the greatest Anglo-French achievement in history is the Channel Tunnel. The incredible link was opened by the Queen and President François Mitterrand in 1994 as a symbol of growing ties between two of Europe’s most powerful countries, and has largely fulfilled all expectations.
1.7 tonnes illegal tobacco stopped at Spanish border Over one and a half tonnes of contraband tobacco worth almost €423,000 in resale value has been stopped at the French-Spanish border.