Customs Clearance in France
Quick Answer
Customs administration in France sits with Direction generale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI), the French Customs and Excise authority. The declaration framework is EU Union Customs Code, administered by DGDDI.
Key Takeaways
- Register for EORI before the first shipment
- Classify the goods to the correct TARIC commodity code
- Establish the customs value on a CIF basis
- Lodge the declaration electronically
- Assess and pay duty; account for import VAT
Who Clears Your Goods in France
Customs administration in France sits with Direction generale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI), the French Customs and Excise authority. The declaration framework is EU Union Customs Code, administered by DGDDI.
Registration You Need in France
EU EORI with an FR prefix is required before the first commercial declaration is lodged in France, and it is the identifier DGDDI expects on the entry. EORI is an EU-wide registration, so a number issued in one member state is generally valid across the union, but declarations are lodged against the national system of the country where the goods are presented — for France that is EU Union Customs Code, administered by DGDDI.
The France Declaration Sequence
- Register for EORI before the first shipment
- Classify the goods to the correct TARIC commodity code
- Establish the customs value on a CIF basis
- Lodge the declaration electronically
- Assess and pay duty; account for import VAT
- Goods released to free circulation
Documents Checklist for France
- Commercial invoice
- Packing list
- Bill of lading or airway bill
- EORI number
- Certificate of origin, where preference is claimed
- Licences or permits for controlled goods
Clearance Points Specific to France
Le Havre is France's largest container port and the principal Atlantic gateway, with strong road, rail and Seine barge connections into the Paris basin. Marseille-Fos is the Mediterranean gateway and sits directly on the main Asia-Mediterranean sea freight lane, which often shortens the ocean leg for Asia-origin cargo. Dunkerque serves the northern industrial region and the Benelux border. The decision between Le Havre and Marseille-Fos is an inland-distance question, not a port-size question.
Beyond the standard EU sequence, these are the France-specific points that most often decide how smoothly a first shipment clears:
- French standard VAT is 20%, with reduced rates of 10%, 5.5% and 2.1%
- France offers both an Atlantic gateway (Le Havre) and a Mediterranean one (Marseille-Fos)
- ISPM 15 treatment and marking for all wood packaging
Common France Clearance Errors
- Commodity code copied from a similar product rather than classified properly
- Freight and insurance omitted from the customs value
- Invoice values inconsistent with the transport document
- Wood packaging without ISPM 15 treatment and marking
- Missing licences for restricted or controlled goods
Frequently Asked Questions
Customs administration sits with Direction generale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI), the French Customs and Excise authority. Declarations are lodged under EU Union Customs Code, administered by DGDDI. Businesses importing commercially need EU EORI with an FR prefix in place before the first declaration.
Commercial invoice, packing list, transport document (bill of lading or airway bill), the EORI number, and a certificate of origin where preferential treatment is claimed. Restricted goods require additional licences or permits.
On the transaction value method — the price actually paid or payable — plus freight and insurance to the point of entry into the EU. This CIF figure is the base against which duty and import VAT are calculated.
Incorrect or incomplete commodity classification, under-declared freight and insurance, missing or inconsistent commercial invoice values, non-compliant wood packaging, and missing licences for controlled goods.
It is separate from the ocean or air leg but is part of door-to-door planning. Clearance duration depends on whether the declaration is complete and whether the goods are selected for examination. Pre-arrival China-side cargo consolidation helps keep declarations clean by aligning carton counts with declared line items.
Where clearance is handled as part of the freight arrangement rather than appointed separately, that is the DDP structure. Our DDP shipping service covers the door-to-door route into France, including how duty and VAT are settled.
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