With more than 60 million inhabitants, France is one of the biggest online marketplaces in Europe and together with Germany and the UK, the most frequently used country for a start or for expanding to. We will tell you how best to ship your goods to France.
Antonia Klatt
Last Updated on 22 October 2021
Shipping of mail and parcels to France
As a member of the European Union, customers in France are comparatively easy to supply with goods. The EU eliminates import taxes, for example, and the only thing that remains is the payment of VAT. Likewise, customs declarations do not usually have to be submitted, as long as a certain value of goods is not exceeded or no critical products are shipped.
In general, the hurdles for shipping deliveries to France are therefore surprisingly low. Nevertheless, there are one or two points to consider so that the goods reach the customer safely and in good condition.
Addressing mail and parcels to France correctly
To ensure that the mail actually reaches the correct recipient, the package must be addressed accordingly that means the country must also be specified here in addition to name, street and city.
Insured shipping to France
If you deliver goods to France, they are usually already insured up to a certain amount by the shipping service provider – usually 500,- EUR. However, if your goods are more valuable, it makes sense to additionally insure the shipping. You can do this directly with the respective shipping service provider. This way you make sure that you will be compensated if the goods are damaged or lost during shipping.
Customs declaration and import bans for shipments to France
Actually, customs is out of the question when shipping goods from a EU country to France. However, if one of the following two characteristics applies, this changes: If the value of the goods is higher than a certain amount, you must add a customs declaration to the delivery. You are also obliged to do this when you send a certain type of product. You can find out how much the value may be and which products are covered by this exemption in the shipping instructions of the respective shipping service provider. Caution is advised here. However, most deliveries are not affected by these special regulations anyways.
In addition, there are certain types of goods whose importation is completely prohibited in France. These include tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, medicines, weapons, drugs, fireworks, etc. In some cases, small quantities of the products mentioned are allowed. A detailed list of import bans can be found >here<.
Please note when shipping to France: Size, weight and packaging
We recommend that you observe the following points to ensure that your deliveries arrive at your customers in very good condition and are protected from external influences.
Please note the following points when shipping to France:
- If you have products in your package that can easily break or be dented, place them in the middle and wrap them with padding to protect them from external damage.
- 5 cm distance is ideal between your products and the package itself.
- To protect the goods, wrap them with bubble wrap, newspapers or polystyrene. They are very light and protect your products without increasing the total weight of the package.
- Do not use cardboard boxes that have already been used or damaged when packing. These can give way more easily to external influences and thus endanger your delivery. Always use new packaging.
- To close the package permanently, use a reinforced packing tape of 5 cm width.
- Most shipping companies allow a maximum package size of 120 x 60 x 60 cm.
- 360 cm is usually the maximum strap size for shipping to France.
The most important resources for you as an e-commerce merchant are your customers. Accordingly, make sure that they are happy. The key is that you always pack the goods securely so that they reach the customer not only on time, but also in perfect condition. If they arrive damaged, they will send the goods back and may never order from you again.
Shipping to France: How cheap and fast are the various shipping service providers?
Your goods are packed with sufficient protection and the package is ready for shipping? Nice! Now the question for the right shipping service provider arises. By now there are numerous options and not the one right solution, because the different providers all have their pros and cons. We will now tell you which shipping service providers you can choose from and what you need to consider.
Vorab zu beachten: Wie viel der Versand nach Frankreich kostet oder wie schnell die Lieferungen beim Empfänger eintreffen, lässt sich nicht einfach beantworten. Das ist unter anderem abhängig von der Größe des Pakets, vom Versicherungswert, vom Versanddienstleister und der Auswahl des Zustellzeitraums. Meistens treffen Standardlieferungen nach Frankreich aber innerhalb von zwei bis fünf Werktagen ein.
Shipping to France with DHL
When we hear about parcel shipping, especially sellers in Germany will immediately think about DHL DHL is of course also an obvious option for shipping goods from Germany to France as the delivery usually takes three working days, but for those shipping from other countries, the following providers might be interesting.
Shipping to France with UPS
One of the most popular shipping service providers is UPS. They usually deliver the orders to your French customers within one or two working days.
Shipping to France with GLS
The shipping time with GLS is the same as with UPS: It takes one to two working days until your shipments reach the recipient. In France, GLS has its own transport network, which enables a fast delivery.
Instructions for shipping parcels with GLS to France:
- Smallest parcel (max. 35 cm side length) for 4.20 EUR, largest parcel (max. 300 cm side length) for 18.70 EUR when shipped to the recipient; prices for delivery in the ParcelShop somewhat more favorable
- max. total weight of 40 kg allowed
- Liability up to goods value of 750,- EUR inclusive
Shipping to France with DPD
If you ship your goods from Germany to France with DPD, it usually takes one to four working days for standard shipping to reach the customer. Express shipping guarantees delivery within three working days.
Information about parcel shipping to France with DPD:
- Total weight may not exceed 30 kg
- Edge length must not exceed 175 cm, belt dimension max. 300 cm
- Surcharges possible for special features such as oversizes or the second delivery attempt
Shipping to France with Hermes
If you choose Hermes as your shipping service provider, your packages will reach your customers within two to four working days. The total weight of your shipment may not exceed 25 kg.
Information about parcel shipping to France with Hermes:
- total weight max. 25 kg
- incl. shipment tracking and insurance up to 500,- EUR value of goods
- Package prices depending on size between 9.65 EUR and 28.15 EUR
- Receipt of the packages within two to four working days
Conclusion
Sending your products to France or generally within the European Union is relatively easy. Import tax and customs declarations are not necessary if you sell standard products. A wide range of shipping companies allow you to have your goods delivered quickly and safely.
