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LIVING IN FRANCE

Explained: The post-Brexit rules and charges for sending parcels between UK and France

From ordering things online to gifts from family members, parcels sent between France and the UK are subject to different rules and extra charges since Brexit.

Explained: The post-Brexit rules and charges for sending parcels between UK and France
International parcel deliveries have new rules after Bexit. Photo: AFP

All types of parcel – whether commercial or private – are affected by changes to postal rules that came into force when the UK left the EU.

There are three main changes; costs, customs declarations and rules on animal products.

Customs declarations

As well as having the appropriate postage, all items apart from documents sent from the UK to the EU need an extra customs declaration form attached.

This form asks for the sender and recipient’s details, whether the item is a gift or an item sent for sale (which affects the level of duty in some countries) and a detailed description of what is in it – so birthday or Christmas parcels slightly lose their element of surprise. The form is available to download here.

This rule does not apply to people sending parcels from Northern Ireland.

The same also applies to people sending parcels from the EU to the UK, the customs declaration must be completed before sending, either at the post office or in advance by downloading it from the postal service of the relevant country. All customs declarations being sent to the UK must be completed in English.

Cost

There is also an extra cost to having items sent from the UK to France and it’s split into two parts; a handling fee from the parcel carrier (which is usually €10 for La Poste and varies with other carriers) and extra VAT/TVA charges for non-EU parcels.

If you’re ordering online from a business, the extra charges will usually be added when you pay and normally the sender would pay the fees – however it’s far from uncommon for these not to have been paid in full, in which case the recipient is charged before they can accept the parcel.

These fees can be significant, sometimes more than the value of the item you ordered, so check carefully on all fees before you order.

There have also been numerous reports of people receiving a nice little gift from family in the UK and then being charged significant amounts to collect the parcel. Although it’s a lovely idea for granny to send you a little home-made gift, you might have to suggest that she waits and gives it to you in person.  

Animal products

Importing products derived from an animal into the EU from a Third Country (which is what the UK now is) is a complicated process and the rules apply to both businesses and individuals, and to items carried in person or send by mail.

The EU’s strict phyto-sanitary rules mean that all imports of animal derived products technically come under these rules – so sending a nice box of chocolates by post is now not allowed (due to the milk).

Known as Personal Imports (which also covers items that you bring back in your luggage after a trip to the UK) these have some exemptions including limited amounts of baby milk, food required for medial reasons or limited amounts of honey and certain fish products – find more information here.

Parcels that contain banned animal products can be seized and destroyed at the border.

Online orders

So it’s all pretty complicated and because of this, many UK-based companies have simply stopped accepting orders from customers in the EU, so if you’re buying online it’s best to check in advance whether the company will deliver to France in order to save yourself the hassle of going all the way through the order process before being told that your French address is outside their delivery area.

Member comments

  1. I’m not sure why everyone is so surprised about animal products. Having travelled to the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand none allow you to take in things like meat or cheese. So why should the EU countries be any different. This was one of the many advantages of being a member which we have decided as a nation to reject. So for all those who visit Europe for your holidays and can’t live without your English breakfast, maybe time to consider a “staycation” as there will be no british bacon on the Costas this year.

  2. Why are people surprised about the increased cost of goods? Probably because it was kept quiet and over shadowed by the ‘no tariffs’ deal. Those of us of a certain age can remember paying/collecting quite large sums for customs fees and VAT etc. As a postman it was always a pain in the neck that we had to take cash – no cheques – for the charges and had to face the abuse from the public who invariably didn’t have the cash to hand. The worst were the folks in big houses, with shiny new cars who then spent an hour scouring the house for the cash. Could be quite comical at times.
    So now us expats will be buying most of our stuff on EU websites where postage is often free. So who got the better deal?

  3. Yes same here, late delivery of clothes sent from Asda, (shows e global and a French site with payment in euros), and today they asked for 23 euro for each packet, x 2, €46, so I guess now all the other clothing sites will be the same, wallis, marks etc,

  4. I complained yesterday about a parcel which was sent from UK on the 21st Dec .Tracking was telling me it had left Uk on the 25th and then no further movement To my great delight it has now arrived in my home although tracking has not been updated.TrevorGibbon

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LIVING IN FRANCE

How older people in France can get free assistance for outings

The scheme 'Sortir Plus' (Get out more) is available for some over-75s in France providing support and company for outings. Here is what you need to know and how to qualify

How older people in France can get free assistance for outings

What is it?

The programme is called Sortir Plus which translates roughly to ‘Get around more’. It aims to connect older people with a trusted person to accompany them on outings, whether that be going out on a walk, or heading to an appointment with the doctor or hairdresser, or simply going out for a meal.

The companion will be a professional, usually a home-help, and they cannot offer medical services but can provide aid, company and support on trips out.

Who can benefit?

The programme is intended for people over 75 years old who are in a ‘fragile situation’, whether that be due to isolation, age, or mobility challenges.

However, it is only available to those who worked in France in the private sector – in order to qualify, you must receive the supplementary ‘Agirc-Arrco’ pension.

You only need to have worked in France for a minimum period of three months in order to qualify, but it does not apply for former public sector employees, or to people who worked in another country and then retired to France.

What’s the Agirc-Arrco complementary pension?

Basically, France’s pension system offers a ‘base’ regime, which is what most people think of when discussing pensions. It is calculated based on the number of trimestres (quarters) you worked. 

Then there is also the ‘complementary’ regime, which works on a points system and depends on your sector. You are automatically signed up to a complementary regime when you start working in France.

READ MORE: Ask the experts: What foreigners living in France need to know about French pensions

The Agirc-Arrco complementary pension represents the vast majority of people who worked in the private sector – public sector employees have a different plan.

Similar to the ‘base’ pension system, you can qualify even if you only worked for a short period of time in France, but the amount paid out would be smaller.

If you worked in France, but you are not sure what type of ‘complementary’ pension you fall under, you can check out the website info-retraite.fr and log in using your social security number (or France Connect).

If you have worked and paid contributions for more than one trimestre in France, you will find an account set up ready for you which shows your years of contributions in France, and what pension you can expect.

The advantage of the French system is that your pension contributions are deducted automatically, even when you change jobs, and the government keeps track of it all via your social security number.

So how do I sign up for ‘Sortir Plus’?

You can start by getting in contact with an adviser by calling the phone number 0 971 090 971. You can call anytime from Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 6.30pm, excluding public holidays.

Try to call at least two days ahead of the activity you want to be accompanied to.

Then, a professional will take stock of your situation and determine whether you qualify for assistance. They will also inform you of the amount of aid you are eligible for. 

If you qualify, they will connect you with an approved professional who will come to pick you up at the date and time you requested for your activity. Depending on the situation, they may stay with you or come back to collect you afterwards.

You can also request to have the same person accompany you for future outings. The person you will be matched with is a professional – they will either be an employee of a home help or transport organisation. 

If you prefer not to call, you can also do the request online from your personal space on the Agirc-Arrco website. 

In terms of cost, you will not need to pay anything out of pocket during your outing (aside from the activity you are doing of course). The transport and accompaniment costs are covered by Agirc-Arrco and are limited to a certain amount each year.

This means that when you call to organise an outing, they will look at the amount available to you and determine if it falls under the yearly maximum.

What if I don’t qualify? Are there alternatives?

France has plenty of services to help older people, and there is a government website dedicated to the various forms of assistance available.

You can also visit your nearest point d’information local to find out about elderly care in your area. Find one in your area by entering your postcode here.

READ MORE: Explained: The help available for older people in France

If you need someone to help with daily tasks, such as meals, personal care and housework you can seek out an aide à domicile (home-help aid).

Depending on where you live, organisations that offer auxiliaires de vie (carer) services may be provided by the mairie, the centre communal d’action sociale (CCAS) or private businesses. 

Regardless of who’s providing the services, they have to be accredited by the départemental authorities.

The cost of using these services can be at least partially offset by applying for the means-tested Allocation personnalisée d’autonomie APA à domicile (APA), which is intended to help cover expenses faced by people with reduced autonomy who want to maintain an independent lifestyle, or who live with and are cared for by family members.

APA, available to over-60s, is managed and paid for by the each conseil départemental, which considers each case on its merits, with personalised care plans adapted to individual needs.

If you only need temporary help – for example if you’re recovering after an operation – you may be eligible for aide sociale, although you’ll need a doctor’s prescription. Any required short or long-term care in this case will be paid for via assurance maladie.

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