What can I send as a gift to France? (2023)

What gifts can you send to France?

Finally, when sending a gift containing a gourmet items you are limited to sending non-perishable items. So items such as cheeses and fruits are out of the question.

Can be sent(must not contain dairy or be of animal origin) : Sweets / Candy. Biscuits / Cookies.

E-commerce websites, food, flowers and money transfers are all fantastic options to send gifts abroad online. Educate yourself on these options, and save yourself stress by mastering currency exchange, international duties and taxes.

Entering France with gifts and goods from outside the EU

When arriving in France you don't need to declare goods and gifts purchased or received outside of the EU unless they exceed a certain amount: 430 euros for over 15s arriving by sea or air (900 euros if arriving from Andorra)

Sending a parcel from the UK to France

The first thing to note is that there are restrictions on sending food items or plants to the UK – you can find a list of restricted items here, and, unfortunately, it does include popular items such as chocolates and suet puddings.

Toiletries including aerosols, perfumes, aftershave, nail varnish (or polish or gel), or liquids over 1l are not allowed. Tobacco or manufactured tobacco substitutes, along with e-cigarettes, are prohibited and restricted at various levels.

Can I send food to France? Yes, you can ship food to France. However, you cannot send anything homemade – all food shipments must be store bought, non-perishable and in its original packaging.

Can you send Cadbury chocolate to France?

Due to EU requirements and import tax charges to your gift recipients we are currently not offering delivery to the EU.

If you want to send your chocolate overseas, it's good to know that most countries accept non-perishable foods, such as chocolate, into their country and through customs with no issues.

Bread is generally allowed (as long as it's not spread with butter and made into a ham sandwich) but most types of biscuits and cakes are not. Plants are also covered by the rules so this includes fresh fruit or vegetables which are banned, as are cut flowers.

Sending a gift to France

Similar rules apply in the other direction, if a gift is being sent to France from the UK. In the UK people must fill in the CN 22 form for items worth up to £270 or the CN 23 for items worth more than this. In this case, gifts valued no more than €45 are free of any VAT or duty.

You can carry other products that are not meat or plant based, such as bread, crisps, tea bags, etc. as long as they do not weigh over 2kg. You can also carry certain plant- or animal-based foods such as honey, snails and live oysters, as long as you have under 2kg.

As you may know, French food is the most glamorous food in the world and French people are fond of it: From pastries (croissant, pain au chocolat, pain aux raisins) to sophisticated dishes (boeuf bourguignon, ratatouille, blanquette de veau, pot-au-feu), the French cuisine never gets boring.

You will need to complete a customs declaration (CN22 or CN23) for any gifts and goods sent abroad. Items sent without a customs declaration (CN22 or CN23) or an incorrectly or partially completed declaration may be delayed or returned to sender. Items containing Personal Correspondence do not require a CN22 or CN23.

Visitor's Gift Exemptions. Travelers should declare all items being brought from abroad that will remain in the United States. This includes gifts and duty-free purchases. Goods purchased in a duty-free shop are not automatically free of duty upon your return to the United States.

What value of goods can I take to France?

Duty-free allowances

For adults, this allowance is €430 if arriving by plane or ship, or €300 by car or train, per person. For children under 15, this allowance is €150. Items over this may be subject to taxes and duties on arrival in France.

I have a different opinion => Yes you can bring chocolate to France. For the production of chocolate not fresh milk, but milk powder is used. Chocolate therefore is not considered a dairy product.

You can absolutely order gift hampers for delivery to France.

Any chemical compound, mixture or device capable of producing an explosive or pyrotechnic effect with substantial instantaneous release of heat and gas is prohibited e.g. ammunition, blasting caps, Christmas cracker snaps, fireworks, flares, fuses, igniters, nitro-glycerine and party poppers.

Yes, if you decide to send body lotions, moisturisers, face creams or other toiletries abroad, these will be treated as liquid items.