International — France

At a glanceRequirements at a glance

EU Community Licence Required for Cross-Border Road Transport

Yes

Yes — A domestic-only licence de transport intérieur does not cover cross-border transport; the licence communautaire is required, covering France, the EU/EEA, and Switzerland.

Domestic Liability Framework Continues to Apply — CMR Does Not Cover Furniture Removal

Yes, and worth understanding clearly — The CMR Convention, which would otherwise be the natural governing regime for international road carriage, explicitly excludes furniture removal from its scope under Article 1(4)(c), confirmed directly in the Convention’s own text and by UNIDROIT (its custodian body). This means a genuine international household-goods move does not automatically fall under CMR’s liability limits or its consignment-note requirement. Instead, France’s domestic moving-contract liability question — the unresolved contrat de transport versus contrat d’entreprise debate covered on the France page — continues to apply even when the move is international. A mover should not assume CMR resolves this ambiguity simply because a move crosses a border by road.

Customs Registration Required for Non-EU/EEA/Swiss Destinations

Yes, if acting as declarant or exporter of record — Moves within the EU/EEA and (largely) Switzerland involve no customs formalities. Moves to or from a genuine third country require a customs declaration through France’s DELTA I/E system (replacing the older DELTA-G and DELTA-X platforms across 2025), and the declarant needs a valid EORI number (Economic Operators’ Registration and Identification number, valid EU-wide).

EORI Numbering Is Mid-Transition

Worth confirming directly — France’s EORI numbers have historically been based on the company’s SIRET number; the system is transitioning to SIREN-based numbering, with SIRET-based EORI numbers still generally accepted during a transition period whose exact end date has not been finalized as of this writing. A mover or its customs agent should confirm which format currently applies rather than assume the older SIRET-based number remains valid indefinitely.

Who Needs the EORI Number

The party acting as declarant — Typically the client (as exporter/importer) or an appointed customs representative/forwarder acting on their behalf, rather than automatically the mover itself. A mover coordinating the international leg through a separate customs agent may not need its own EORI number; a mover filing declarations directly does.

Insurance

Yes

Yes — Liability and cargo insurance appropriate to the domestic contractual liability terms (given CMR’s furniture-removal exclusion) and mode of transport, in addition to domestic vehicle insurance. Given the domestic liability question’s own unsettled state, clear, well-drafted contract terms on liability limits are especially important here.

OverviewOverview & Scope

Cross-border household goods moves involving France add the same broad layers found in Germany’s international framework, though the specifics differ. First, a domestic-only licence doesn’t cover cross-border transport — a Community Licence is required instead. Second, on liability: France’s unresolved domestic debate over whether a moving contract is a carriage contract or a services contract continues to apply even to genuine international moves, since the CMR Convention — which would otherwise be the natural candidate to govern international road carriage — explicitly excludes furniture removal from its scope. A mover should not assume this domestic ambiguity gets resolved simply because a move crosses a border; if anything, clear contract drafting matters more here, not less. Third, and separately, moving goods to or from a genuine third country requires customs registration — an EORI number and a declaration through France’s DELTA I/E system — though this obligation typically falls on whichever party (the client or an appointed customs agent) is acting as declarant, not automatically the mover. Worth flagging directly: France’s EORI numbering system is itself mid-transition from SIRET-based to SIREN-based numbers as of this writing, so a mover or its customs agent should confirm current requirements rather than assume static rules.

RegistrationRegistration & Compliance Essentials

Movers must:

1. Hold a licence communautaire (EU Community Licence) rather than relying on a domestic-only licence de transport intérieur, for any cross-border road transport.
2. Apply domestic French contract-liability terms to genuine international furniture-removal moves, given CMR’s furniture-removal exclusion — use clear, well-drafted contract terms (such as the Chambre Syndicale’s model) given the domestic liability question’s own unsettled state.
3. Determine whether the mover itself needs an EORI number, based on whether it will act as declarant/exporter of record for non-EU/EEA/Swiss moves, or whether the client or an appointed customs agent will hold that role instead.
4. Confirm current EORI numbering requirements directly, given the ongoing SIRET-to-SIREN transition, rather than assume a previously issued number remains valid without checking.
5. File declarations through DELTA I/E (or arrange for an appointed customs agent to do so) for moves crossing into or out of a genuine third country.
6. Carry liability and cargo insurance appropriate to the domestic contractual terms and mode of transport.
7. Retain licence, liability-disclosure, customs registration, and insurance records as required for renewal and regulatory review.

ChecklistCompliance checklist

• Licence communautaire held for cross-border road transportRequiredwhere applicable
• Domestic contract-liability terms applied and clearly disclosed for international furniture-removal movesRequired
• EORI number obtained, if acting as declarant/exporter of recordRequiredwhere applicable
• Current EORI numbering format (SIRET vs. SIREN) confirmed directlyRequiredwhere applicable
• DELTA I/E declaration filed (directly or via appointed customs agent) for third-country movesRequiredwhere applicable
• Liability/cargo insurance appropriate to domestic contractual terms in forceRequired
• Licence, liability-disclosure, customs, and insurance records retainedRequired