How to Send a Parcel to France from the UK

France is the second-largest ecommerce market in Europe and one of the most common expansion targets for UK retailers. With over 43 million online shoppers and a market worth €175.3 billion, the opportunity is substantial.

Yes, shipping to France from the UK has gotten a little more complicated since Brexit. But the right delivery partner can handle the additional customs paperwork.

Eager to make French connections? This guide covers everything you need to know to send parcels to France efficiently, compliantly and competitively.

Why France should be your next cross-border expansion target

France has a booming eCommerce market that grew 9.6% percent in 2024 to reach €175.3 billion in total online sales. It’s an incredibly active market with over 80% of French consumers shopping online, spending an average of €4,216 annually.

Fashion dominates French eCommerce, accounting for 53% of all online purchases. Shoes and beauty products are close behind at 39% each. Electronics, home goods, sports and leisure categories are also popular.

Brands with an exceptional mobile experience will do particularly well in France. Almost two-thirds of French eCommerce transactions were completed via smartphone in 2025, with 55% of shoppers preferring shopping apps.

Key dates to know in the French retail calendar

France has a distinctive retail calendar that UK retailers must acknowledge when shipping goods and running promotions to capitalise on the biggest sales opportunities.

• Les Soldes (Winter and Summer) – France's government-regulated biannual sales are the cornerstone of French retail and the only periods when retailers can legally sell below cost price. Winter Soldes runs for four weeks from early January. Summer Soldes runs from late June for four weeks. These are France's biggest retail events and drive enormous ecommerce traffic, meaning you must stock up well ahead of both windows.

• French Days (Spring and Autumn) – France's homegrown Black Friday equivalent, launched in 2018 by six major French retailers. Now held twice yearly in spring and autumn, French Days generated purchases from 72% of French consumers in 2024

• Valentine's Day (14 February) – A major retail event for jewellery, beauty, experiences and gifts.

• Mother's Day (second Sunday in May) – Falls on a different date from the UK's March celebration. UK retailers targeting French customers must adjust their promotional calendars accordingly.

• Bastille Day (14 July) – France's national holiday. Stores are closed, but online traffic typically increases.

• All Saints' Day / La Toussaint (1 November) – A national public holiday with a significant impact on logistics. Expect carrier volumes to shift around this date.

• Black Friday and Cyber Monday (late November) – Gaining traction in France since the early 2010s, driven by Amazon, but secondary to Les Soldes and French Days in terms of cultural significance.

• Christmas (25 December) – The peak of the commercial year. Start stocking planning in spring/summer for peak Christmas delivery volumes.

France has 11 public holidays in total, which you’ll need to factor into any time-sensitive delivery planning.

How long does shipping to France take?

France is one of the closest and fastest EU markets to reach from the UK. Standard delivery typically takes two to four working days. Express options can be delivered the next day or within two days.

What customs documentation do you need?

All UK-to-France shipments now require customs documentation. The core requirements are:

• Commercial invoice. This must include your business name and address, your EORI number, a full description of the goods, their quantity and value, and the relevant commodity (HS) codes. Accurate descriptions and codes are essential — vague descriptions are a common cause of customs delays.

• CN22 or CN23 form. For postal shipments, a CN22 is required for items under £270, and a CN23 plus an SP126 wallet is required for items over £270.

• Recipient contact details. Always include the recipient's phone number or email address in your customs data. French customs may need to contact recipients directly, and missing contact details can cause clearance delays.

As with all EU destinations post-Brexit, customs clearance is the key variable. Well-prepared documentation clears quickly, while errors or missing data can add days to transit. It’s why retailers get so much value from working with a cross-border shipping expert like Pro Carrier, which handles all customs procedures.

Which Incoterm is best for shipping parcels to France?

As with all cross-border deliveries, retailers must choose between the Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) and Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) Incoterms.

Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) means that French customers must pay VAT and any additional customs duties before the final-mile carrier can deliver their parcel. French consumers accustomed to seamless checkout will react negatively to unexpected charges at the doorstep. Refused deliveries, complaints and abandoned parcels typically increase when you use this method.

Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) is the better choice. Shipping under this Incoterm means you, the retailer, collect all duties and taxes upfront, presenting the customer with a clean, all-inclusive price.

When it comes to paying VAT on your sales, you can use the EU’s Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) scheme for goods valued at €150 or less. Under IOSS, file a single monthly return covering all EU sales to simplify compliance and accelerate customs clearance.

Understanding and applying the Triman logo when selling in France

The Triman logo is one of the most commonly overlooked compliance requirements for UK retailers selling into France. French law requires that all recyclable products and packaging sold display the logo, which indicates how consumers can dispose of the product.

Products subject to EPR in France include textiles, electrical and electronic equipment, packaging, furniture, tyres and batteries. If your products fall into these categories and you're selling directly to French consumers, you must display the Triman logo on the product or its packaging. Failure to comply can result in products being stopped at customs or enforcement action from French authorities.

How to address a parcel to France

French addresses follow a specific structure. The postcode precedes the city name on the same line. For business addresses, the company name appears before the individual's name.

Always include a CEDEX number for business deliveries. This is a routing code used for high-volume business mail recipients. Use accented characters correctly where applicable (é, è, ê, ç, etc.) as incorrect addressing can delay delivery.

A correctly formatted French address looks like this:

Mme Sophie Martin

12 Rue de Rivoli

75001 PARIS

FRANCE

Which carriers ship to France?

Understanding France’s carrier landscape helps UK retailers make informed decisions about final-mile delivery. The major players each have distinct strengths:

• Colissimo (La Poste) is the dominant carrier in France and the natural first choice for UK retailers seeking a delivery experience that’s familiar to French consumers.

• Chronopost (Geopost/La Poste) is France's leading express carrier, specialising in guaranteed next-day delivery across metropolitan France.

• Mondial Relay (InPost) is France's leading out-of-home carrier, operating a network of over 12,000 pickup points and automated lockers.

• DPD France (Geopost) is a strong all-rounder with a broad national network and the Predict service that gives customers a one-hour delivery window.

• Colis Privé is a French specialist in home delivery.

• GLS France is a pan-European operator with 10,000 ParcelShops and 96 depots across France.

• Relais Colis operates around 6,000 collection points across France, and is particularly strong for heavy or bulky ecommerce items through its Drive service.

There’s no need to rely on just one of these carriers, however. Pro Carrier's carrier-agnostic approach means your French orders are routed through whichever carrier delivers the best combination of coverage, performance and cost for your specific shipments — without you needing to manage individual carrier relationships.

How to track French deliveries

French consumers are highly engaged with parcel tracking, with 84% actively following their parcels via tracking notifications and 65% prefer SMS or app-based updates.

Providing tracking in French, via French-language notifications linked to the local final-mile carrier, is essential to meeting French consumer expectations and reducing WISMO (Where Is My Order) enquiries.

While you can use your final-mile carrier’s tracking solution, it gets complicated when you start using more than one provider. Pro Carrier’s Horizon platform offers a carrier-agnostic solution that connects customers to their local carrier's tracking page in French throughout the delivery journey. It doesn’t matter which carriers you use; you and your customer can track everything through one dashboard.

Send parcels to France the easy way with Pro Carrier

Pro Carrier's cross-border ecommerce solution gives UK retailers access to France's leading final-mile carriers through a single integration. We handle DDP shipping, act as your IOSS intermediary, manage customs clearance and deliver localised French-language delivery notifications to your customers.

Speak to an expert today to find out how we can help you sell and ship to Francel.