After two, three or four years spent in Martinique, Guadeloupe or French Guiana, the end of an overseas posting has to be prepared almost like a new assignment. Civil servant, state administration officer, service member, hospital staff or private-sector employee: when the time comes to head back to mainland France, the logistics are unusual. Distance, the cost of sea freight, the congé bonifié calendar, restoring the property, cancelling local contracts — everything calls for planning, often several months before departure.
This guide gathers the main steps for organising a return from the French West Indies and Guiana without nasty surprises. The timeframes and costs given here are indicative: they vary with your status, your municipality, the volume of your move and the season. Always check with your employer, your landlord and your service providers.
Start with the reverse schedule: how far in advance?
A return from the overseas territories cannot be handled in a rush. Between sea freight (several weeks in transit to mainland France), contractual notice periods and coordination with your new assignment, you need plenty of margin.
As a guide, a comfortable reverse schedule starts 3 to 4 months before the departure date:
- 4 to 3 months before : confirmation of the transfer or end of contract, request for administrative documents from your employer, first removal quotes.
- 3 to 2 months before : giving notice on your accommodation, booking the freight and/or the carrier, sorting your belongings, booking flights.
- 2 to 1 month before : cancelling local contracts (energy, water, internet, insurance), arranging the check-out inventory, planning any temporary accommodation.
- Final weeks : furniture collection, cleaning, handing back the keys, mail forwarding.
This schedule tightens or stretches depending on your freight provider’s actual lead times. Always ask your carrier for a collection date and an estimated delivery date in mainland France before setting everything else.
The move: sea freight, sorting and boxes
This is the heaviest item, both logistically and financially. From Martinique (port of Fort-de-France), Guadeloupe (Pointe-à-Pitre / Jarry) or French Guiana (Dégrad-des-Cannes near Rémire-Montjoly), most of the furniture travels by shipping container.
Groupage or dedicated container?
Two main options coexist:
- Groupage (your volume shares a container with other customers): more economical for a moderate volume, but sometimes longer lead times.
- A dedicated container (20 or 40 foot, just for you): faster and more flexible, suited to large volumes or families.
The choice mainly depends on the volume in cubic metres. Get at least two or three quotes: price differences between carriers can be significant, and high season (summer, the transfer period) tends to push up rates and squeeze availability.
Sort before you ship
Every cubic metre costs money. Before packing everything, ask yourself whether it is worth shipping: appliances bought locally, rattan furniture, beach gear — not everything necessarily deserves the crossing. Selling locally (mutual-help groups among staff, classified ads, departure sales that are very common in temporary expatriate communities) lightens the bill and shortens the sorting.
Moving preparation checklist:
- Draw up a room-by-room inventory and estimate the volume (m³)
- Get at least 2-3 quotes from removal companies / sea freight operators
- Decide: groupage or dedicated container
- Sort, sell or give away whatever is not going
- Book a collection date compatible with the check-out inventory
- Arrange transport insurance suited to the value of your belongings
- Keep essential documents and items with you (cabin baggage)
The accommodation: notice, inventory and handover
Whether you are in a private rental, staff accommodation or a residence, moving out of the property shapes the whole timeline.
The rental notice period
For an unfurnished rental, the legal notice period is generally three months, reducible to one month in several situations provided for by law (notably a professional transfer). For a furnished rental, it is more often one month. Send your notice by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt (or via a bailiff / hand delivery against signature) and keep proof of the sending date: that is what starts the clock.
If your departure is linked to a transfer, state this explicitly and attach supporting evidence if possible: this may entitle you to the reduced notice period.
The check-out inventory
The check-out inventory determines whether your deposit is returned. A few useful habits:
- Compare with the check-in inventory, document in hand.
- Anticipate minor repairs (drill holes, walls, seals) that the tropical climate and humidity can make worse.
- Plan a thorough clean, or even an end-of-tenancy cleaning service.
- Read the meters (water, electricity) on handover day.
The legal deadline for returning the deposit is in principle one month if the inventory matches, and up to two months if deductions are justified. From mainland France, leave your landlord reliable bank details and a forwarding address.
Congé bonifié, allowances and status: what depends on your employer
This is a key point and highly variable depending on your situation. Do not take a colleague’s rules at face value: the schemes differ between the state, hospital and territorial civil services, the armed forces and the private sector.
A few points to check with your HR department or your administration:
- The congé bonifié: a scheme specific to certain public-sector staff originating from the overseas territories (or whose centre of material and moral interests lies there). Its conditions and frequency are regulated and have changed in recent years: check your eligibility and the calendar.
- Coverage of relocation costs: many public-sector statutes provide for a contribution to overseas / mainland removal costs, subject to seniority conditions and supporting documents. Put the file together before you pay.
- Travel time allowances and any authorised absences linked to the journey.
- The final settlement and last-payslip schedule, for the private sector.
The watchword: write to your employer early, obtain the applicable rules in writing, and gather supporting documents (quotes, invoices, tickets) as you go.
