Shipping a parcel between France and Senegal

Between Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Dakar there are four realistic ways to send a parcel: air groupage, sea groupage, a bag carried by a traveller, and standard international express. Weight, urgency and declared value decide for you. Here is how to pick the right one and avoid a bad surprise at pickup.

Air groupage, sea freight or a carried bag

Air groupage is the default for most families. Your boxes are consolidated with other shippers' cargo, charged per kilo, then collected from a Dakar warehouse or delivered to your door. Expect roughly 8,000 to 14,000 FCFA per kilo depending on the operator and the season, with 5 to 12 days from drop off to warehouse.

Sea groupage makes financial sense above 50 or 60 kilos, and above all for bulky items: furniture, appliances, building materials. Pricing is per cubic metre, commonly 150,000 to 400,000 FCFA per m3. Realistic transit is 4 to 8 weeks to the port of Dakar, plus customs clearance.

A carried bag is unbeatable for small urgent items: medication, documents, a phone, children's clothes. It is fast and cheap, but there is no insurance and no recourse. Never hand over a sealed parcel whose contents you have not seen, and never carry one for a stranger.

International express (under 5 kilos, documents, spare parts) costs far more per kilo but lands in two to four working days.

Senegalese customs: what actually causes trouble

At Blaise Diagne airport or the port of Dakar, anything that looks commercial can attract duties and taxes. The practical points:

• Used personal effects clear far more easily than a batch of identical new items, reclassified as merchandise.
• An invoice stops customs from setting its own estimate, which is almost always higher.
• New phones, laptops and electronics get close attention, so keep the receipt.
• Medication in family quantities clears with a prescription; large stocks get held.
• Perishables, unlabelled cosmetics and counterfeit goods are a problem.
• Storage beyond the free period is billed daily, so collect quickly.

Many groupage operators already include clearance in their per kilo rate. Confirm that before you pay: it is the single biggest source of disputes.

Collection and delivery inside Dakar

Most groupage warehouses sit around the Plateau, along the Route de Rufisque, or towards Diamniadio. Home delivery is then priced by zone:

• Plateau, Point E, Mermoz, Sacre Coeur, Liberte 6: base rate, often 2,000 to 5,000 FCFA.
• Almadies, Ngor, Yoff, Ouakam: slightly higher, especially in rush hour traffic.
• Parcelles Assainies, Pikine, Guediawaye, Keur Massar, Rufisque: expect a surcharge, sometimes double for a heavy box with no lift.

Always give a physical landmark rather than a postal address: a mosque, a school, a petrol station, the name of the villa. That is how couriers really navigate Dakar.

Timing, packing and common mistakes

Volumes spike before Korite and Tabaski, at the start of the school year in early October, and around the end of year holidays. Transit times stretch and per kilo rates rise, so ship two to three weeks earlier than you think you need to.

• Double box and tape the corners: parcels travel upright, flat and under other loads.
• Photograph the contents and the sealed box before drop off.
• Insist on a receipt with a tracking reference, billed weight and expected date.
• Never mix valuables with everyday goods in the same box.
• Avoid liquids and aerosols by air; they are refused or removed.

Recommended addresses on SeneFinder

• Adex service de livraison : Dakar, delivery service
• AERO Services : Almadies, logistics and delivery
• CHRONO EXPRESS DELIVERY : Dakar, express delivery service
• Colimex Sénégal : Mermoz, logistics and parcels
• Khoury Transports S.A : Route de Rufisque, transport and logistics
• Le Livreur Du Mapane : Dakar, delivery service

More forwarders and couriers are listed: see all addresses.

Useful tools

• FCFA currency converter to compare a per kilo rate quoted in euros.
• Route planner to work out the trip to the collection warehouse.
• Practical guide for emergency numbers and transport basics.
• On the money side, see our guides to sending money to Senegal and money transfers to Senegal.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a parcel take between France and Senegal?

Air groupage usually takes 5 to 12 days to reach the Dakar warehouse. Sea freight runs 4 to 8 weeks plus customs clearance, while international express arrives in two to four working days.

Do I have to pay customs duty on a family parcel?

Used personal effects in reasonable quantities normally clear without heavy duties, but new items, electronics and identical batches are taxed. Keep your receipts and ask whether clearance is included in the per kilo price.

Can I send medication or food?

Medication in family quantities with a prescription generally clears. Fresh and perishable food is refused in groupage, and dry goods must be new, sealed and clearly labelled.