If you're French and have been living in the Canary Islands but the time has come to move back to France, at Horizont Atlantic we organise your international removal from start to finish. For more than 15 years we've been moving whole homes from the islands across Europe, with our own base in Tenerife (El Mayorazgo) and an office in Las Palmas. A move from the Canary Islands to France is not a simple road transfer: it involves sea freight by container, port coordination and a genuine customs clearance—because the Canary Islands, although politically part of Spain and the EU, sit outside the customs union and the EU VAT area. We take care of all that complexity so you can focus solely on your new life in France.
What's the route, and how long does it take?
Most removals from the Canary Islands to France travel by sea, which is the most cost-effective option for a full household load. Your furniture is packed at origin, loaded into a container and shipped from the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife or the port of Las Palmas.
- Direct sea route: the vessel connects with a French port, usually Le Havre (in the north, ideal for Paris and the north-west) or Marseille (for the south and south-east). From the destination port, final delivery is made by road to your home.
- Route via the mainland: in some cases the container first calls at a mainland Spanish port (Cádiz, Valencia or Barcelona) and continues from there by road to France. It's a very common alternative and often the quickest, depending on the shipping schedule.
- Air option: for urgent shipments or smaller volumes, we can arrange transport by air. It's noticeably more expensive, but cuts transit down to a few days.
As a rough guide, the total door-to-door transit runs to several weeks, taking in packing, the vessel's departure, the crossing, customs clearance at destination and final delivery. We don't quote "exact" timings because they depend on shipping frequencies and customs processing times, but we do give you a realistic, up-to-date window before you book, and we keep you informed at every stage.
Customs and paperwork: what really happens
This is the point where we differ most from a domestic move, and where we want to be completely straight with you. The Canary Islands are a special territory: they belong to Spain and to the European Union, but they sit outside the EU customs union and the EU VAT system. In practice, that means your removal goes through two procedures:
- An export clearance in the Canary Islands, as the goods leave the islands.
- An import clearance in France, as they enter mainland EU territory.
The good news is that moving a household (a change of residence) is usually processed under the personal-belongings regime, with a reasonable amount of paperwork. We prepare and handle the documentation: a valued inventory of the removal, the owner's paperwork, proof of change of residence and the relevant customs forms at both origin and destination.
Important: we don't invent duty figures or tax schemes, because every personal situation is different and the rules are applied according to your specific case (how long you've lived in the Canary Islands, the age of the goods, and so on). What we do guarantee is to advise you clearly and handle the clearance for you, coordinating with the customs agents at both ends so your container doesn't get stuck.
Options: groupage, dedicated container or air
Not every removal needs the same thing. We tailor the option to your volume, your budget and how quickly you need it:
- Sea groupage (shared container): your removal travels alongside other shipments on the same route. It's the most economical option and perfect for flats, apartments or medium-sized loads. In return, timings are a little less flexible, as they're tied to consolidating the load.
- Dedicated container: a full container (20 or 40 feet) just for you. It's the best option for large homes or complete removals, gives you more control over dates and minimises intermediate handling. It costs more, but you gain in speed and security.
- Air transport: reserved for urgent needs or for the essentials you need in France straight away. Maximum speed, higher cost.
During the quote we explain which option best suits what you want to move, without pushing you towards the most expensive one "by default".
Who it's for: the French community in the Canary Islands
We regularly work with the French community living on the islands who decide to return to France or relocate for work, retirement or family reasons. We know the areas where they tend to concentrate:
- South Tenerife: Costa Adeje, Adeje, Playa de las Américas, Los Cristianos (Arona), El Médano and Granadilla, Guía de Isora... a stretch with a strong presence of European residents.
- Gran Canaria: Las Palmas city, Maspalomas and Playa del Inglés (San Bartolomé de Tirajana), Meloneras and the wider southern resort area.
Whether you live in a villa in Adeje or an apartment in Maspalomas, we collect from your home and organise the whole chain through to your new address in France, be it Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Nice, Marseille or any other city.
Full service and bridging storage
Our proposal is door to door, with no loose ends. It includes everything you genuinely need so there are no surprises:
- Volume assessment: an in-person visit or video call to measure precisely what's moving and quote without guesswork.
- Export packing: reinforced protection suitable for a sea crossing, with special care for fragile furniture, appliances, artwork and household goods.
- Customs handled: export clearance in the Canary Islands and import clearance in France, both processed by us.
- Goods insurance: cover for the declared value of your removal throughout the entire journey.
- Delivery, unpacking and assembly at destination: we leave your furniture in place and assembled in your French home, not a pile of boxes in the hallway.
- Bridging storage in the Canary Islands: if your departure and arrival dates don't line up, we keep your belongings safe at our premises for as long as you need.
That storage is one of the lesser-known keys to an international move: it's rare for the handover of one home and the delivery of the next to fall on the same day. With our own base in Tenerife, you have a storage facility you can trust, where your things wait safely until everything is ready in France.
Why Horizont Atlantic
We're a real company, with a physical base in the Canary Islands and fifteen years of moving homes off the islands. We're not a middleman reselling your removal: we have our own team, our own warehouse and hands-on experience in the sea and customs logistics that leaving a territory outside the EU customs union demands. We talk plainly about timings, costs and formalities, and we support you one to one from the first assessment through to putting the last piece of furniture together in your new home in France. Ask for your no-obligation quote and, with your case in front of us, we'll explain the best way to move your life from the Canary Islands to France.
Frequently asked questions
Browse the tabs to resolve all your questions.
If you cannot find what you are looking for, do not hesitate to contact us. We will be glad to help!
By sea, door-to-door transit usually runs to several weeks: you have to add up packing at origin, the vessel's departure from Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Las Palmas, the crossing to a French port (Le Havre or Marseille) or via the mainland, customs clearance at destination and final delivery by road. We don't give an 'exact' timing because it depends on shipping frequencies and customs processing times, but before you book we give you a realistic, up-to-date window and keep you informed at every stage. If you're in a hurry, the air option cuts transit down to a few days.
The price depends above all on volume (how many cubic metres you're moving), on the option (shared groupage, dedicated container or air), on the destination city in France and on extras such as full packing, bridging storage or assembly. That's why we don't publish a fixed rate: we carry out a prior assessment—in person or by video call—to measure exactly what's being moved and give you a tailored quote with no surprises. Sea groupage is the most economical option; a dedicated container costs more but gains in speed and control.
Because the Canary Islands, although they belong to Spain and the European Union, sit outside the EU customs union and VAT system: they're a special territory. That means your removal goes through an export clearance as it leaves the Canary Islands and an import clearance as it enters mainland France. A change of residence is usually processed under the personal-belongings regime, with a reasonable amount of paperwork. We prepare the valued inventory and the forms, and coordinate the customs agents at both ends. We don't invent duty figures: each case is assessed according to your personal situation, and we advise you clearly.
With groupage, your removal shares a container with other shipments travelling the same route: it's the most economical option and perfect for flats and medium-sized loads, though timings are a little less flexible as they're tied to consolidating the load. With a dedicated container you have a full container (20 or 40 feet) just for you: it's ideal for large homes or complete removals, gives you more control over dates and reduces intermediate handling, at a higher cost. During the assessment we recommend the one that best suits your case.
Yes. We offer goods insurance covering the declared value of your removal throughout the entire journey, from collection at your home in the Canary Islands to delivery in France, including the sea crossing. Before departure we draw up a valued inventory that serves as the basis for both the insurance and the customs clearance. We explain the scope of the cover so you know exactly what's protected.
Yes, that's how it usually works, and you don't need to travel with your belongings or be at the port. We take care of packing at your home, loading, sea transport, the export and import customs clearances, and delivery with unpacking and assembly at your new address in France. All we need is the owner's paperwork and to arrange the collection and delivery dates with you. If your departure and arrival don't line up, we store your things in our bridging storage in the Canary Islands for as long as it takes.
Why choose us?
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Online tracking
After over 15 years repeating the same processes countless times, we set out to create an intuitive, functional tool.
- We optimise the time to upload and sign documents
- We make online tracking easy
- We simplify payments and invoicing
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