Parcel forwarding to the French overseas territories: Réunion, the Antilles, the Pacific
Same country, same currency, same language — and yet, the moment you type a postcode starting with 97, the site answers "delivery unavailable". Here's why so many shops shut the door on overseas France, and how to reopen it.
Living in Saint-Denis, Fort-de-France, Pointe-à-Pitre or Nouméa is living in France. And it's discovering, order after order, that for a large part of French online retail, that isn't quite true. The "delivery" box stops at the mainland. When it doesn't, the fees make you think twice.
This guide doesn't promise it'll be cheap. It explains where the blocks come from, what makes the price of a shipment, and what changes when you consolidate.
Why shops refuse, or overcharge
From a mainland shop's point of view, overseas France stacks up three exceptions it would rather not handle:
- A different postal rate. A parcel to Lyon and a parcel to Saint-Denis don't leave on the same grid. The shop advertising a flat delivery fee would lose money on every shipment to the overseas departments — so it excludes them, or adds a surcharge that puts you off.
- Formalities on arrival. For tax purposes, the overseas departments aren't in the same territory as the mainland. A commercial shipment needs a declaration, and the shop doesn't always have the tool, or the will.
- The octroi de mer. This tax specific to the overseas departments applies to goods entering them, on top of local VAT. It's collected on arrival, on the declared value. The shop doesn't pay it — but it's the shop that gets the complaint from a surprised customer.
The Pacific territories — New Caledonia, French Polynesia — are further still: they have their own customs regime, their own duties, and a postal rate to match.
None of these exceptions is insurmountable. They simply need someone willing to handle them. That's our job.
How it works with a mainland address
The principle is the same as for a customer abroad, with one advantage: to sellers, you're a mainland customer like any other.
- You order to your FrenchShopper address. On any French site — the shop sees an address in Montbéliard, applies its mainland fees, and delivers to us. Vinted and Leboncoin sellers who only ship "within France" deliver to you without knowing it.
- We receive, inspect if you ask, and store. Free for 45 days, while you gather several orders.
- We consolidate and ship. One box, one declaration, one shipment — and that one leaves on the right grid, with the right declaration, and tracking all the way to you.
And for what you can't order yourself — card declined, account required, seller who wants to talk — we buy for you.
What makes the price
Our price covers transport, packaging and insurance; the octroi de mer, local VAT and destination duties are added on arrival. It depends on the weight and size of the box, and on the destination: the Antilles and Réunion are on one grid, the Pacific on another, noticeably higher. Cheapest carrier each time, and every offer shown before you pay. Estimate your parcel from its real weight — we serve every department and territory, the full list is here.
Let's say it plainly: a parcel to overseas France isn't cheap. We don't set that price, the distance does; we add real packaging and a margin that pays for receiving, inspection and preparation. What makes the service worthwhile for you is what you put in the box.
The calculation that changes everything
A shop that agrees to deliver to Réunion charges shipping on every order. Three orders from three shops is three times that shipping — and three times the octroi de mer to settle separately, with three times the carrier's handling fee. Three orders gathered with us is one box, one declaration, one crossing. Consolidation isn't an option here: it's what separates expensive from reasonable.
The delivery times we see
On our measurements, Colissimo shows eight business days to Réunion and the Antilles, and eleven to New Caledonia and French Polynesia, from handover to the carrier to delivery. Those times include processing by your department's or territory's services. The exact time for each offer is displayed before you pay.
What local customs collects
In the overseas departments — Réunion, Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Mayotte — the octroi de mer and local VAT are collected on arrival on the declared value of the goods. Rates depend on the department and the type of item. The carrier advances those sums and collects them at delivery, with a handling fee.
In New Caledonia and French Polynesia, the duties and taxes specific to each territory apply, under their own customs tariff.
We always declare the real value of your items, from your invoices. That's what avoids a hold, and what protects you: the insurance covers the declared value. Those taxes are never in our price — they depend on your territory, not on us, and can only be known on arrival.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a French site refuse to deliver to Réunion?
Because, for shipping and tax purposes, overseas France isn't the mainland: a different postal rate, formalities on arrival, the octroi de mer. Many shops would rather exclude those destinations than handle the exceptions.
Is the octroi de mer included in your price?
No. The octroi de mer and local VAT are collected on arrival by your department's services, on the declared value, and claimed by the carrier. Our price covers transport, packaging and insurance — never destination taxes.
How long does a parcel from the mainland take?
On our measurements, about eight business days to Réunion and the Antilles, eleven to New Caledonia and French Polynesia, from handover to the carrier to delivery. The exact time for each offer is shown before you pay.
Can I have Vinted or Leboncoin deliver to you, then to overseas France?
Yes. Sellers who only ship to the mainland deliver to your FrenchShopper address without knowing it; we then consolidate your purchases and send them to you. For those who refuse your card or require an account, we buy for you.
