Do you have an old French armoire, a marble-topped table, a crystal chandelier or inherited paintings, and need a shipping company from UAE to France that delivers them to Paris, Lyon or Nice exactly as they left your home? Al Basmah International Shipping collects from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Al Ain, builds made-to-measure wooden crates for valuable pieces, and ships by sea in a full or shared container to Le Havre or Marseille-Fos, or by air to Charles de Gaulle and other French airports for small urgent items, and ships cars once their eligibility is confirmed. Sea usually takes about 3 to 6 weeks port to port depending on the port, and air roughly 3 to 7 days. Send the details on WhatsApp and you will receive the price.
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Your antiques in wooden crates
- Every valuable piece gets a wooden crate built to its size, from heat-treated timber stamped ISPM 15.
- A photographed condition report for each piece before packing, and an inventory with estimated values.
- Le Havre is closest to Paris and the north; Marseille-Fos serves the south and Lyon.
- Change-of-residence relief: 12 months outside the EU, items used for 6 months, form Cerfa 10070 and an inventory in two copies.
- Old Paris buildings usually need an external furniture lift and a municipal parking permit.
- The team sends you updates on WhatsApp at every stage.
What we ship from the UAE to France
Shipping to France has its own character for us. Many families moving there, French nationals returning or Arab families settling, bring classic furniture they bought or inherited: carved wardrobes, gilded chairs, heavily framed mirrors, longcase clocks, handmade rugs. These pieces are not treated like ordinary furniture.
- Classic furniture, antiques and carved pieces.
- Paintings, large mirrors and chandeliers.
- Handmade rugs and old textiles.
- Ordinary household furniture, personal effects and appliances.
- Commercial goods by full container or per cubic metre.
- Cars by RoRo or inside a container.
- Urgent documents and small items by air.
How we pack antiques and classic furniture
Cartons and blankets are fine for a modern sofa, but they do not protect a hundred-year-old wardrobe on a sea voyage through heat and humidity and then into a French winter. This is how we work:
- Condition report: we photograph each piece from every side before touching it and record existing scratches and cracks.
- Careful dismantling: marble tops are lifted, wrapped separately and moved standing on edge; clock pendulums are secured or removed; chandelier crystals are taken off one by one and each wrapped on its own.
- First layer: acid-free paper on wood and gilding, never plastic directly, because plastic traps moisture and sticks to varnish in the heat.
- Padding: foam of different densities around corners, legs and raised carving.
- The wooden crate: built to the piece’s size from heat-treated timber stamped ISPM 15, with the piece fixed inside so it cannot move, and arrows and orientation marked on it.
- Paintings and mirrors: in flat crates with an inner frame, and glass covered with protective film to stop shattering if it breaks.
- Moisture absorbers: inside each crate and inside the container.
After delivery, leave the crates closed in the room for a day or two before opening them. Old wood that has spent years in air conditioning needs time to adjust to the humidity of the new home, and opening straight away on a cold day can crack veneer or lift inlay.
Note: Pieces containing ivory, tortoiseshell or some rosewood species may need CITES permits to enter France, and France is very strict about ivory. Tell us about any such piece before packing so we can review its status.
Every piece has its own method
| Piece | Usual packing | What we watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Carved wardrobe or sideboard | A full wooden crate, with doors secured from inside | Keys and handles removed and wrapped in a numbered bag |
| Marble-topped table | The top in its own crate standing on edge, the base separately | Marble breaks if laid flat with weight on it |
| Crystal chandelier | The frame in a crate, each crystal wrapped in a divided box | Photos before dismantling to make reassembly in France easy |
| Oil painting | A flat crate with an inner frame and a layer that does not touch the paint | Never left in a hot container without insulation |
| Longcase clock | Pendulum and weights removed and packed separately, the case crated | The movement secured so it cannot shift |
| Handmade rug | Rolled on a tube with paper, never folded | Cleaned and dried before rolling |
A tip from experience: put the photos of every valuable piece, with its invoice or anything showing its age and value, in one file. That file serves you three times: for the French customs inventory, which asks for an estimated value per item; for optional insurance if you choose it; and for any later question about where a piece came from. For inherited pieces without invoices, an accurate description, clear photos and a reasonable value estimate are usually enough.
Collection from every emirate
| Emirate | Notes |
|---|---|
| Dubai | We build crates in the warehouse and bring them on loading day, or build them on site for very large pieces. |
| Abu Dhabi and Al Ain | One visit to inspect and measure, then one for packing and loading. |
| Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain | Our branch in Industrial Area 18 makes crate building and consolidation easy. |
| Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah | Scheduled in advance; Fujairah or Khor Fakkan may be used. |
Sea freight to Le Havre and Marseille
France has two main sea gateways for containers from the Gulf. Le Havre on the Channel coast is closest to Paris, about two hundred kilometres away, and serves the north, Normandy and Brittany. Marseille-Fos on the Mediterranean is reached sooner, since it is the first port after the Suez Canal, and serves Provence, the Côte d’Azur and Lyon via the Rhône valley. Someone living in Paris may find Marseille quicker at sea but with a much longer road leg, so we work out the whole route.
A full container for antiques
If you have many valuable pieces, a full container is what we recommend: it is loaded at your home, sealed and opened only for inspection, and the crates are not moved between warehouses. A shared shipment suits one or two crated pieces with some cartons, priced per cubic metre.
Shipping time from the UAE to France
| Method | Approximate time | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea, full container (FCL) | 3–5 weeks to Marseille-Fos, 5–6 weeks to Le Havre | A full home, an antiques collection or a car with furniture | The least handling of the crates |
| Sea, shared container (LCL) | One to two weeks longer | A few crated pieces | Priced per cubic metre |
| Air | 3–7 days door to door | A small painting, documents, light urgent items | Not for furniture |
Times are approximate; add clearance in France and the road leg to the address.
Air freight from the UAE to France
For a small painting that cannot wait, documents, or clothes for the first weeks. Shipments leave Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah for Paris Charles de Gaulle, Lyon Saint-Exupéry, Marseille or Nice.
- Priced by actual or volumetric weight, whichever is higher (length × width × height in cm ÷ 6000); a wooden crate raises the volumetric weight.
- Furniture does not suit air.
- Lithium batteries, liquids and perfumes are restricted.
- Include the air shipment in the same inventory if it is part of your move.
French customs and change-of-residence relief
Someone moving their main residence from outside the EU to France can usually bring their belongings in free of customs duty and of the 20% VAT, under these conditions:
- You lived outside the EU for at least 12 months.
- You are moving your main residence to France, not a second home.
- The items were in personal use for at least 6 months before the move.
- They arrive within 12 months of the change of residence; if in several shipments, everything is listed on the first inventory.
- They are not sold, rented, lent or pledged within 12 months of entry.
Usual documents
- Form Cerfa 10070, the declaration of entry of personal goods from a non-EU country.
- A detailed inventory with estimated values, dated and signed, in two copies.
- Proof of residence in the UAE: residence visa, tenancy contract, employer letter.
- Proof of your move to France: residence card, long-stay visa or job contract. French nationals usually obtain a change-of-residence certificate from the French consulate.
After clearance, customs returns a stamped copy of the inventory. Keep it: you may need it later to show the pieces entered properly, especially antiques.
Antiques outside the relief
If the antiques are for a second home, were bought recently, or you are a dealer, the relief does not apply. Here it helps that France applies a reduced import VAT rate to genuine antiques, works of art and collectors’ items, 5.5% instead of 20%, provided the item is classified correctly. For customs, an antique is an item more than a hundred years old, and a purchase invoice or an expert certificate helps prove it.
Note: French customs decides on relief and on how antiques are classified. We check and organise your paperwork before shipping, but nobody can guarantee relief in advance.
Delivery in Paris and French cities
| City | Usual port | Delivery note |
|---|---|---|
| Paris | Le Havre | Old buildings with narrow stairs, external lift and parking permit |
| Lyon | Marseille-Fos | Historic districts and narrow central streets |
| Marseille | Marseille-Fos | Quick delivery after clearance |
| Nice and Cannes | Marseille-Fos | Hillside villas and steep roads |
| Toulouse and Montpellier | Marseille-Fos | Medium road distance |
| Bordeaux | Le Havre or Marseille-Fos | Old stone buildings |
| Lille | Le Havre or Antwerp | Close to Belgium |
| Strasbourg | Le Havre or Rotterdam, then by road | The road from the Netherlands can be shorter |
Paris: narrow staircases and the external furniture lift
Most Paris flats are in stone buildings of five or six storeys, with narrow spiral staircases and, where there is one, a lift that fits two or three people. A large classic wardrobe will not pass that staircase and cannot be taken apart like modern furniture. The usual answer is the external furniture lift, a platform on an arm mounted on a truck that raises the piece from the street to a window or balcony. It needs a parking permit from the municipality, requested days before the appointment, and a word with the building caretaker or management.
Measure the windows
The width of the French window or balcony decides whether a piece can go in by external lift.
The caretaker
Tell them the delivery date; some buildings set hours for moves.
A smaller truck
The container cannot enter narrow Paris streets, so it is unloaded at a warehouse and the crates go in a smaller truck.
Opening the crates
We open the crates when you choose, after the pieces have acclimatised.
The south: hillside villas and narrow roads
In Nice, Cannes and the surrounding villages many homes are hillside villas reached by winding roads that a container truck cannot climb. The container is unloaded at a warehouse near Marseille or Nice and the crates go up in small trucks in several runs. Anyone shipping valuable pieces to a seaside home needs packing that protects them from salty sea air until the house is ready, so we keep the crates closed until the rooms are prepared.
Commercial goods to France
The importer needs a French EORI number; duty is charged under the EU tariff code, then 20% VAT on most goods. Documents: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and a certificate of origin when needed. An antiques dealer needs clear invoices stating each piece’s age and description so the correct classification is applied.
Car shipping from the UAE to France
The car goes by RoRo or in a container, and a classic car can travel alone in a closed container for protection. In the UAE you need an export certificate from the traffic authority and a bank clearance letter if it is financed. A private car may fall under change-of-residence relief on the same conditions, while commercial and mixed-use vehicles are excluded. After clearance, customs issues certificate 846 A, used to register the car; it then usually needs a certificate of conformity or an individual approval because of its GCC specification, a roadworthiness test, registration and insurance. We review all of this before booking and do not ship a car until we know it can be registered.
Prohibited and restricted items for France
- Ivory and products of protected species without CITES permits.
- Weapons, including antique firearms and decorative swords, which need review before shipping.
- Meat, dairy and their products from outside the EU.
- Plants and soil without a phytosanitary certificate.
- Counterfeit goods, and medicines without a prescription.
- By air: loose lithium batteries, perfumes and flammable liquids.
Shipping prices from the UAE to France
- Full container to Le Havre or Marseille-Fos: send the details on WhatsApp and you will receive the price.
- Shared container per cubic metre: send the details on WhatsApp and you will receive the price.
- Made-to-measure wooden crates for antiques: send the details on WhatsApp and you will receive the price.
- Air freight: send the details on WhatsApp and you will receive the price.
- Car shipping: send the details on WhatsApp and you will receive the price.
What decides the cost of shipping to France?
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Shipping method | Full container per container, shared per cubic metre, air by weight. |
| Container size | 20 ft, 40 ft or 40 ft HC for tall pieces. |
| Number and size of wooden crates | Each crate is built to its piece and adds volume and weight. |
| Volume | Cubic metres after packing. |
| Port and city | Le Havre or Marseille, and the road distance after them. |
| Building access | External lift, parking permit, smaller truck, high floor. |
| Paperwork | Change-of-residence relief, or VAT on antiques and commercial goods. |
| Car | Size, and RoRo or a closed container. |
You can also request a price on our quote page with photos and measurements of the pieces.
How to ship from the UAE to France, step by step
- Send your emirate, French city and photos and measurements of the valuable pieces on WhatsApp +971557643821.
- An inspection and measuring visit, then you receive the price.
- We go through form Cerfa 10070 and the inventory with you.
- Crate building, the photographed condition report, packing and loading.
- UAE export clearance and sailing to Le Havre or Marseille-Fos.
- You receive updates on WhatsApp at every stage.
- French clearance, then the parking permit, external lift and delivery, and opening the crates after acclimatisation.
Tips for shipping classic furniture to France
- Photograph your valuable pieces yourself too, and keep their invoices and any expert certificate.
- Do not clean or polish antiques with new products before shipping; leave them as they are.
- Measure the staircase and windows of your French home before shipping very large pieces.
- Tell us about any piece containing ivory or tortoiseshell before packing.
- Ask the team about optional insurance for valuable pieces.
If you are heading to another European country, see the UAE to Europe shipping guide, or shipping to Italy, shipping to Spain and shipping to Switzerland.
Frequently asked questions about shipping from the UAE to France
How long does shipping from the UAE to France take?
By sea about 3 to 5 weeks to Marseille-Fos and 5 to 6 weeks to Le Havre, then clearance and the road leg. By air roughly 3 to 7 days.
Do you build wooden crates for antiques?
Yes, each valuable piece gets a crate built to its size from treated timber stamped ISPM 15, with internal padding that stops movement.
Do I pay duty on my furniture and antiques in France?
Usually not if you are moving your main home, lived 12 months outside the EU and used the items for 6 months, with form Cerfa 10070 and the inventory. Customs decides, so it cannot be guaranteed.
Which port is best for Paris?
Usually Le Havre, about two hundred kilometres from Paris.
How does large furniture get into a Paris flat?
By external furniture lift through a window or balcony, with a parking permit from the municipality.
Can I ship my car to France?
Yes, by RoRo or container; after clearance certificate 846 A is issued for registration, and we check conformity before booking.
How do I know where my shipment is?
The team sends you updates on WhatsApp at every stage until the delivery appointment.
Do you collect from every emirate?
Yes, from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Al Ain.
Are your valuable pieces ready to travel?
Send their photos, measurements and the French city on WhatsApp +971557643821, and the team will arrange the crates and paperwork and send you the price.
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