The carriage of goods to and from the islands, France and the UK is complex, multi-layered and often different in each jurisdiction.
The following guidelines have been put together to try and provide some further clarity. However, there are many permutations so if your own scenario requires further advice, we suggest you email freight-dl@condorferries.co.uk providing details of what you are proposing to do and we will revert as soon as we can.
Any goods moving to the EU from the Channel Islands for commercial purposes are required to be manifested* and therefore have to be documented as freight.
This can be acquired from Condor Freight at customs.clearanceci@condorferries.co.uk
If it is personal possessions (e.g.household goods) that are not new, an inventory should be carried to satisfy arrival Port authorities.
If the goods are new and over a threshold of 430 euros, an export declaration from the Channel Islands and import declaration into France is required and will be subject to documentation charges.
This can be acquired from Condor Freight at customs.clearanceci@condorferries.co.uk
St. Malo clearance agent email is: freight.stmalo@morvanvoyages.com
Please note that notification to Condor Freight for any declaration is required 48 hours prior to departure. Failure to comply may result in your detention by the authorities until the correct documentation is completed and VAT collected.
Same as above with the addition of a T1 Transit Document.
This can be acquired from Condor Freight at customs.clearanceci@condorferries.co.uk
Please note that notification to Condor Freight for any T1 documents is required 72 hours prior to departure.
This will be subject to documentation charges.
For all export documentation from France and beyond, please contact our Customs Office in St. Malo at freight.stmalo@morvanvoyages.com
For Import declarations into the Channel Islands please contact customs.clearanceci@condorferries.co.uk
This will be subject to documentation charges.
*Manifested means declared.
If the items are for commercial use, it is classed as full freight and must be booked, declared and charged as such at freight-dl@condorfreight.co.uk regardless of value.
If it is personal possessions (e.g.household goods) that are not new, an inventory should be carried to satisfy arrival Port authorities.
If it is personal purchases being brought into Jersey, there is a £60.00 GST allowance. Over £60, you are liable to pay GST.
For further information, please visit the Jersey Government website or click on one of the following links:
For household moves into Jersey, and where all items are carried by the owner themselves, or carrying personal purchases, the client must self-declare for relief from GST at www.customs.gst.gov.je
For household moves whereby a contractor is being employed, ie a professional removal company, the moving company must contact freight-dl@condorfreight.co.uk to complete the booking.
If the items are for commercial use, it is classed as full freight and must be booked, declared and charged as such at freight-dl@condorfreight.co.uk.
If it is personal possessions (e.g.household goods) that are not new, an inventory should be carried to satisfy arrival Port authorities.
For household moves into Guernsey, and where all items are carried by the owner themselves, or carrying personal purchases, the client is advised to self-declare in the form of a full inventory for Customs/Border Force, if requested on arrival.
For household moves whereby a contractor is being employed, i.e. a professional removal company, the moving company must contact freight-dl@condorfreight.co.uk to complete the booking.
If the client is moving any personal effects from the Islands to the UK, a full inventory is required for presentation to Customs/Border Force at port of arrival. Please be advised that you should declare anything that is dutiable e.g alcohol or tobacco. It is against the law not to declare such goods.
If the items are for commercial use, it is classed as freight and must be booked, declared and charged as such at freight-dl@condorfreight.co.uk
If a client is making a permanent move from the Channel Islands to the UK, a TOR (Transfer of Residence) is required and can be obtained at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/application-for-transfer-of-residence-relief-tor1.
Please be aware that the TOR process may take up to 3 weeks.
Once completed, the approval number obtained must be submitted to Condor Freight ten days prior to travel, along with a full inventory. This is a legal requirement.
For household moves whereby a contractor is being employed, ie a professional removal company, the moving company must contact freight-dl@condorfreight.co.uk to complete the booking.
For all import declarations into the UK, please contact ptm.imports@condorferries.co.uk
We have put together a few scenarios to help illustrate the guidelines above. As stated, this is not exhaustive by any means but hopefully will help answer some of the common questions.
A University student taking household items to the UK for their academic year needs to have a full inventory* of the items they are travelling with so it can be presented to UK customs if required. No prior declaration of those items is required nor any cost incurred.
A Jersey resident owns a second home in France taking a lawn mower and other gardening tools to maintain their garden, they will be returning with it and the items are not new – This type of movement requires an inventory so it can be presented to French customs if required. No prior declaration is required nor cost incurred.
A Guernsey resident travelling with new white goods for a new kitchen in their French property, travelling one way – these items are being permanently imported. The value of these goods is more than 430 euros, as the value of the goods exceeds the threshold of 430 euros, an export declaration from the Channel Islands and import declaration into France is required and will be subject to documentation charges. This will be classed as a personal freight shipment and charged accordingly.
A Jersey resident, with a second home in Spain. Travelling through France. They are transporting household goods, such as a bookshelf and crockery. The value of these items is 200 euros, below the current threshold for French VAT, these items are not new. These items will remain in Spain permanently. An inventory of all items being carried will be required to satisfy French customs. In addition, a T1 transit document, available through Condor, is required to be submitted at least 72 hours prior to departure.
*An inventory is a list of the items being transported.
