Moving to Symi? Here’s a Short Guide on Importing Your Belongings Into Greece
Is a move to Greece imminent for you and your family? Perhaps you’ve decided to relocate from the U.K., before Brexit goes into effect and makes the process more complicated. Or, maybe you’ve recently landed a job in the country, and will be making the nation your home for the foreseeable future. You may simply be retiring or going on a long-term adventure instead – and have always wanted to live in idyllic Greece.
Whatever your specific situation, moving to another country brings with it an abundance of logistical hurdles, required documentation and the possibility of import duties and fees. To help you successfully navigate through this process, and learn what type of bureaucratic hoops you’ll encounter – here is a short guide to importing your goods and vehicle into the country.
Are There Import Duties On Your Household Belongings?
Duty Exemption Is Available
Being hit with a duty just for the privilege of importing your household goods into the country, seems like a slap in the face. After all, you’ve already paid for all of these items – yet it feels like you’re being required to pay for them again.
Fortunately, Greece has not implemented mandatory import duties, provided that you fulfill certain requirements. According to the highly respected International Association of Movers – if your permanent residence has been abroad for at least 2 years before importing your shipment of used household goods into Greece, it can be duty-free.
Documents demonstrating your residency elsewhere could be requested by customs, so be prepared to submit these. Acceptable paperwork for this purpose include your home or apartment lease agreement, utility bills, tax returns or others. You must also show you’ve had no monetary ties in the country for the space of two years, to be eligible for duty-free importation.
If you successfully meet all of these requirements, be aware that you must get in touch with the Greek Embassy (or Consulate) in your home country before leaving (1).
What Documents Do You Need to Import Your Household Belongings?
Specific Regulations
Before delving into the required documentation to import your household goods, there are some customs regulations you should know about. You must be at the port in person with your passport in hand, when trying to clear your shipment with customs. If your move to Greece was precipitated for employment reasons, then you will have to pay value-added tax (VAT) on all your belongings.
This is provided you are importing your goods from a country outside of the EU. Relocation for other reasons besides employment don’t include this additional VAT cost – which is helpful if you’re moving to Greece for more adventurous reasons.
Finally, know that all the goods which you bring into the country, must be brought out with you upon leaving. If you fail to re-export all of your goods, then you’ll be hit with customs duty at the time of your departure (2).
Necessary Paperwork
It appears that only used household goods are eligible for duty exemption, though this isn’t specifically stated in the sources consulted. If that’s the case, customs may require proof of their used status. Additional documents include the standard fare, such as your passport, Bill of Lading or Air Waybill and a full packing list. Keep in mind that every person in your family must present their passport, and these must have been issued within the 2 year time requirement for duty-free importation. If not, then your previous expired passports must also be shown.
Additional Documents
You may also need a T2L Form (if it applies to your shipment) and you’ll need a customs Declaration Form. A “Certificate of Repatriation” is evidently required for duty-free importation from countries outside the EU. Though repatriation means the return of a citizen, apparently this form is used even if you’ve never been a citizen of Greece (3).
Additional documents include an Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) application, declaration form or number – and this is seemingly required by individuals, not just shipping companies or businesses (4). Your Greek Residence Permit and your VAT ID number must also be submitted to customs, before your shipment can be cleared. In order to receive a VAT ID number, you’ll need to visit a Greek tax office nearest to your new place of residence within the country (5).
After seeing the volume of specific documents and forms required to successfully clear your shipment with customs – you’ll find that hiring a trustworthy international moving company will make the process far easier and issue-free. For this reason, many expats choose to go this route, rather than attempting to navigate this complex operation on their own.
Are There Import Duties On Your Vehicle?
Duty Exemption is Available
You have a couple of options when importing your vehicle into Greece, though the long-term one is likely to be your preferred choice. If you wish to bring in your vehicle on a temporary basis, you can import it duty-free for as long as six months in duration. In order to do so, you only have to enter Greece under tourist status.
However, since you’re likely planning to relocate for longer than this timeframe, the second option is long-term importation. If you have the Certificate of Repatriation required to import your household goods duty-free, this same document enables you to import your vehicle free of import duty as well. You’ll still need to purchase a Greek license plate for your vehicle in most cases (for non-EU countries). Also, luxury tax may apply, depending upon the value of your specific vehicle.
Other Requirements
Just like duty-free importation of your household belongings, you’re required to be at the port of entry in person, before customs will authorize release of your goods. Further, your vehicle must have been owned and used by you for at least 6 months in the country abroad where you lived, to be eligible for duty-free importation (6).
Your vehicle must also be under four years old and below a certain mileage limit. Sources disagree as to whether this limit is less than 50,000 miles or 50,000 kilometers (7). With the correct amount being uncertain, you should contact Greek customs to learn which number applies.
What Documents Do You Need to Import Your Vehicle?
In addition to items like your passport, you’ll need some specific documents in order to import your vehicle into Greece. You must show Greek customs officials your Vehicle Road License, which proves that you’ve remitted the required road tax in the vehicle’s country of origin. Also, you must submit both the title and registration of the vehicle to customs.
Documented proof of insurance is necessary, along with a valid Driver’s License. Your vehicle is required to be included on your Household Goods Inventory as well (8). Finally, you may need to obtain a Certificate of Origin from your local Consul (presumably the Greek Consul or Embassy in your origin country) – though not all sources have this as a requirement (9).
SOURCES:
(1)
http://www.iamovers.org/ResourcesPublications/CountryGuides.aspx?ItemNumber=3645
(2)
Found on Moverscom page on Customs Regulations in Greece
(3)
http://www.iamovers.org/ResourcesPublications/CountryGuides.aspx?ItemNumber=3645
(4)
Found on Moverscom page on Customs Regulations in Greece
(5)
http://www.iamovers.org/ResourcesPublications/CountryGuides.aspx?ItemNumber=3645
(6)
Ibid.
(7)
50,000 Miles:
-Found on International Moving “Moving to Greece?” page
-Found on Moverscom page on Customs Regulations in Greece
50,000 Kilometers:
-Found in Atlas Int’l “Importing Personal Property Into Greece” pdf
(8)
Found in Atlas Int’l “Importing Personal Property Into Greece” pdf
(9)
Found on Moverscom page on Customs Regulations in Greece
