Hi Folks,
I wonder can someone enlighten me.
I want to take several crates of tools with me to the house in France. I’m going to leave most/all of them there. The tools comprise dozens of hand tools (hammers, mallets, saws. pliers, files - you get the idea) and some electrical tools (drills, multitool, mitre saw, job-site table saw). I also have a lawnmower and a strimmer.
These all look used, none of them look new.
Do I need to fill of a CERFA form for these? If I look hard, I can probably find receipts for most of the larger items.
I don’t want to give myself extra paperwork if it’s not necessary.
Any advice gratefully received.
To be honest its more likely to be the english side needing a carnet (extensive list of items you are carrying and not for resale) to satisfy the french douanes if you are stopped. In the olden days of the late 80’s this was compulsory every time OH crossed the channel to work on the house and had a van full of tools and materials but that gradually disappeared with Shengen and pre-brexit and to be honest it was a pain, he once got locked in the customs shed at Portsmouth until someone could be found to verify his list and then he had to pay quite a bit too. If you are french proeprty owner then I don’t see why you need any paperwork especially if they look used and old. Receipts would be good if you still have them. I think you need to explore this further just in case things have changed, but the attitude of french upon arrival was never one of strict searches in our experience and we had sign written vehicles.
Probably easiest /safest thing is to fill out temporary import form and take two copies with you as someone with second home taking things over to work on house and will then return. If there are several crates, even secondhand, it might be hard for a customs offer to accept that below the threshold which is around £350.
If I read the OP correctly, he’s leaving the tools there so surely they would permanent imports and be liable for import duties and taxes?
He said “most/all” which didn’t sound certain, and once he works out import duties and TVA may decide not worth it and will take them back again!
Ah, you didn’t say you were moving permanently! That’s completely different!
To follow up on this, I went to France last month. The intention was to take some tools permanently to the house in preparation for a permanent move there later in the year.
The British customs were not interested at all, just waved me forward once they were happy I didn’t have any contraband and after they had looked under the car with a mirror.
On the French side they were a little more inquisitive. They had a cursory glance through the open bags of tools in the car. They asked up anything was new - two items were (Christmas presents) - asked their value and once they were happy - waved me on. They were not interested in the detailed list of items with serial numbers, place & date of purchase, and cost. Nor were they interested in the CERFA form I had filled out - with multiple copies ‘just in case’.
That was my experience - yours might be different.
Thanks everyone who took the time to comment and advise.
2 Likes
Did you show them that you had documents? It seems often that if you do have something prepared that is sufficiently reassuring that they don’t look at it!
1 Like
It does make me wonder how these white van movers get on as a few months ago I got one of them to transport a bike for me from the UK. It’s quite an expensive bike but there was no question as to value, age etc. And when they arrived the driver had a rather full van of what looked like all sorts. He mentioned that he’d had various drop offs through France and that his next stop was Spain. Would be very interesting to know how they deal with the customs, as certainly didn’t impact me, and it was rather good value, and very straightforward.
I travel 6-8 times a year and have for the last 21. I have been pulled into the inspection area probably 2 or 3 times, the rest is just the usual open the boot and doors look. I am always carrying tools or equipment some left in France some brought back and the border guards are not interested.
Last week I came in from Plymouth through to Roscoff and had a bad experience with the formalities.
I’m a carpenter/joiner and I take a lot of tools with me wherever I go, even though I’m retired. Some of my gear for big oakframe work is worth £thousands, and I have a stock of old oak here in France left over from projects.
In the past I haven’t been questioned coming into France for years (travelling from CI I was sometimes searched).
On this occasion the gendarme, who was as brusque as brusque can be, asked me if I had a second home and what my car contained. I told him it had old tools in it, which would go back to the UK with me. He said post-Brexit it didn’t matter if they were not new and they all had to be declared.
He delivered me a pretty stiff ticking-off (in English, I was speaking French!) . He mentioned Brexit quite a few times and reminded me everything had changed. I stood there biting my lip (being a vocal anti-Brexiter), then he directed me to the two Duanes officials waiting nearby.
The Douanier was very nice. I was still recovering from the verbal bashing I had just had, and when I said, referring to the experience “….il est dur…” they both laughed.
Then I got another lengthy explanation of the rules (in French) and after that they wished me well and allowed me to proceed. I have since checked the rules and you are only allowed €300 worth of tools or other items, old or new, whether they come back or not. I guess what I had would have amounted to at least €1000 in TVA.
As the line I had been waiting in took around 45 minutes to clear 8 vehicles, I assume most of the others were getting the same treatment.
I know negotiations are still going on at government level. Are they making a point?
Or is this the future?
Was one of the head ones a lady? If so, she is an old neighbour of mine and friend and was in charge up there and very pro British too.
No it was a man, I’ve seen him there before, nice man. I’ve seen that gendarme once before also, I remembered him asking if I had a pet passport and how rude he was. Usually the gendarmes smile at my dog which is like a police dog and wave me on.
On the occasion I describe above, as I had to get out of the car to get to the checkout window which was opposite the driver’s side, and I was leaning over to speak to him as my hearing is not too good (all those machines…) he told me to stand back out of his space. Maybe as I am an EU citizen with 2 passports I should have explained my rights re my “disability” !!
Why didn’t you entre France using your EU passport? or does that have the same restrictions ???
Quite possibly. These rules have also been in place for a long time but most times people get away with it - until they don’t. You were lucky as some who are picked up in a spot check are charged.
For the future you can do a temporary import/export form in advance.
Yes
I do use the EU passport. The same applies. I would have moved here…and still could. But family wants me in Blighty. If Farage gets in and France resists similar, I will reconsider. In fact only last week I was doing the sums. Right now I have a problem regarding what to keep here in France and what to take back, if they are going to clamp down on tools in transit.
Is that because the EU passport holder is entering France from a non-EU country or is it enforced “across all its borders”??
If you could say that the tools were being used for a test then coukf use this
1 Like
Yes, entering from non-EU is the key. Years ago I regularly travelled to France from the CI, which is non-EU but which post-Brexit has adopted the same immigration protocols as Britain, to the best of my knowledge. But going from there to France, if the items were not new, there was never a problem for me at any rate.
1 Like
Yes from non-EU country there are set limits.
There are still limits within europe but I doubt anyone ever checks, so same as it was with UK pre-Brexit that could eg bring 90 litres of wine for personal use only.
1 Like