Relocating to Greece

Transporting your belongings to Greece

How will you know you've found said professionals? To get started, they will want to learn your moving timeline to decipher whether you should ship your goods via air or sea freight, although land transportation is also an option. Then, they'll want to see what items are being shipped, assess the cubic feet estimate and fragile items and check whether you require packing or custom crating services. After a home survey, they will be able to give you an estimate on cost, delivery and associated fees.

Bear in mind that cheaper is not always better, and the time of delivery can be impacted by sailing/flight conditions and strikes (as strikes happen so often in Greece). You should also inquire about what packing materials they use, whether any documents or receipts are required by Greek customs, and who they partner with in Greece. Also, make sure to clarify who assumes responsibility if belongings are damaged in transit.

We listed some moving companies below that you could use if you are considering moving to Greece:

• Atticamovers
• Allied Greece
• Agsmovers
• CargoLog Intl Forwarding Ltd • Crete • Greece
• Artitrans

What goods are prohibited or restricted in Greece?

When packing, keep in mind that some items, like firearms (weapons and ammunition), narcotics and illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco products, matches, playing cards, taxidermy items and live plants, among others, are prohibited from being imported into Greece through customs, and may be seized by border authorities upon arrival. Note that these are not exceptions — you can't bring these items through customs in Greece; if you do, you could face fines of 2500 euros and be detained. Thus if you are unsure of the items you are taking through customs, it is good practice to speak with the Greek Authorities prior to traveling. Likewise, you can also see the EU's rules on goods through the Integrated Tariff of EU Customs Tariff (TARIC).

Moving on from restricted goods, when deciding to ship your things to Greece, you need to consider that you have charges in the form of import duties and VAT (value-added tax). Depending on the items and the shipment, duties paid can vary between 0-17%. You can speak to customs authorities or shipping experts to determine your cost. Further, VAT is also applied — with the base rate being 23%. However, this can change with other items, such as books which have a reduced VAT rate of 6%.

Finally, remember that if you want to bring your motor vehicle into Greece, it must be less than four years old, have a mileage reading under 50,000 miles, and it must have been in your possession for at least six months.

Read also Traveling to Greece

Documents required when relocating to Greece

Firstly if you are moving to Greece, and you hold Greek citizenship, you are married to a Greek citizen or are an EU national, then you are exempt from customs duties on your personal belongings (such as any furniture or a car).

However, regardless of status, persons wanting to move their personal items to Greece must provide the following documentation:

• A Personal Statement detailing moving dates and items. You must state your motivation for moving to Greece, plus your plans.
• You must have a valid Passport or Identity Card; this includes family members. In addition, a Marital status certificate or birth certificate of family members is required, but this only applies to foreigners.
• Family status certificate
• A Residence Card for Greece is required for non-EU citizens.
• A Tax clearance document is required - (employment history HMRC) if you are residing in the UK or tax clearance notes (P60) for at least the last two years before moving to Greece
• A certificate of termination of work (P45).
• Misotirio, which is a tax form detailing tax paid in Greece, if you have resided in the country before.
• Financial records, i.e., Payroll statements (payslips) at least quarterly per year, monthly bank statements (quarterly) within the last two before moving to Greece.
• If the person wanting to move to Greece is an owner of a company or self-employed, they should provide necessary supporting documents, such as company registration, tax clearance, tax return, misotiro (if previously based in Greece) invoices, payslips, for the last two years before moving to Greece.
• Council tax receipts, public utility bills, etc.

Importing your vehicle to Greece

To import a personal car, motorbike or motorcycle, boat, or aircraft to Greece, the applicant must provide the following documents proving the comprehensive ownership of the vehicle within months prior to the application date, also:

• Registration of the vehicle, under the name of the applicant, issued by the relevant transport authority of the applicant's country of residence, fulfilling a period of six months before the application date
• Driver's license valid, or valid license for the vehicle held
• invoice for the purchase of the vehicle
• Insurance policy.

Insuring your belongings when relocating to Greece

It is highly advised to insure your belongings when transporting them to Greece. It is best to ask your moving company how they keep your belongings safe regarding packaging and transportation. Likewise, the company will usually provide its own insurance or have a partnership with an insurance company so you can cover any damage or loss of your belongings.

You should make a list of the items you are transporting and an inventory. Make a value estimate to ensure that your goods are effectively covered - in terms of their monetary value. With moving your belongings to Greece, keep in mind that the cost of replacing your items or having them repaired might cost more; thus, it is recommended that you insure your items for their full replacement value. Otherwise, you are likely only to be covered for a fraction of the value of the items.

If you want to move high-value items to Greece, you need to be able to provide receipts as well as warranties or any other documents showing proof of ownership, and this will be something required by your insurers or the insurers of your moving company.

Important:

Photographing your items as part of the inventory for insurance purposes is a good idea.

Arrival in Greece

On your arrival in Greece, as and when customs procedures are cleared, your belongings or items will be delivered to your new residence or commercial address. Your moving company will contact you to let you know when they arrive, and they usually provide services such as moving your items into your house, etc.

In the instance that you do not move until after your belongings are transported, the majority of moving companies in Greece offer a storage option in order to hold your belongings until you arrive. Prices can range from upwards of 30-50 euros a day.

Moving to Greece with your family

You will not require any vaccines if you are planning to move to Greece. Regardless of what you may hear in the media, Greece is a very safe place, and there is very little serious crime. Greeks love kids, and they also love back-seat parenting, so if you move to Greece with children, you can rest assured you will have a whole country of aunts and uncles and friendly neighbors eager to help and offer their advice on how to raise your little ones and to spoil them with treats when you're not paying attention.

Greece has a well-structured education system, as well as high literacy rates. Therefore, if you are planning to move to Greece, then you might want to consider some of the schooling options if you are bringing your children. There are plenty of international schools in Greece where the teaching is done in English, whereas if you were to enroll your children in Greek state education, the teaching would be in Greek. There might be struggles initially, but your children would learn the language and be able to integrate into Greek life far more quickly. Schooling is compulsory for children aged 6-15. Currently, home-schooling is prohibited in Greece unless your child has special needs. Likeio (Λύκειο) is a Greek high school; at the end, there is a choice for students to sit the Panhellenic exams to decide which university they enter.

Otherwise, students can choose to go down the vocational school route. Many technical institutions and universities support this. As an expat in Greece, you are more than covered when it comes to educating your children, but you're advised to do a little research before you move to Greece.

Read also Childcare and family activities in Greece

Equality and diversity in Greece

You should be aware that although in the past few years, Greece has been making huge strides towards equality and diversity. While it is a better place to be for members of the LGBT community than most countries of the Eastern world, it still has some way to go when it comes to acceptance. Although a civil union is possible for same-sex couples in Greece, marriage is still off the table. This is due in part to the influence the Orthodox Church has in Greece.

Read also Getting married in Greece

So, if your family is not a 'traditional' one, you may notice differences in people's behavior, and you may be questioned about it. However, in general, you are not likely to face any problems.

Formalities to be completed when moving to Greece

Finally, think about what documents or paperwork you might require when moving to Greece. If you and your family are moving from an EU/EEA country, then you should not have any problems and won't require any entry visas or work permits. The same cannot be said for non-EU nationals, who will need a National D-type visa, and once they enter Greece, they should apply for a residence permit within 30 days (the same goes for the rest of their family members). The process is made easier if both you and your spouse or partner have an offer to work in Greece, as it is more supporting evidence and purpose for gaining the visa and the residence permit. Also, in some instances, employers will even sponsor your Visa and residence permit application process.

Moving to Greece with your pet

Bringing your pet to Greece can be a time-consuming process, but when all steps are carried out carefully, you can safely do so — and there will be no quarantine as long as the following regulations are met.

The first step is to prepare your pet to enter Greece by having it microchipped with an ISO 11784/11785 compliant 15-digit pet microchip. Then, the process varies depending on where you're coming from: for EU citizens, all you need is an updated EU Pet Passport. A non-commercial EU health certificate is not required for pets traveling to Greece from another EU Member State unless a rabies booster was administered by a veterinarian outside of the EU at any time after your pet received its microchip.

If your pet is entering Greece from a rabies-free or rabies-controlled country, you will need to provide proof of rabies vaccination administered after the microchip was implanted. If this is your pet's first vaccination after microchipping, you'll have to wait for 21 days before traveling. Greece does honor the 3-year rabies vaccination for dogs, cats and ferrets; however, it should only be administered as a booster unless specified by the manufacturer. You can speak to your veterinarian about this. Once your pet has entered Greece and provided rabies boosters are kept up to date, you don't need to wait out the 21-day quarantine period.

But if you're entering Greece from a high-rabies country, then your pet must be microchipped and vaccinated for rabies (in that order). After waiting for 30 days, a rabies titer test (FAVN) must be administered. If the test results are within acceptable limits, your pet can enter Greece no sooner than 3 calendar months after the date the blood was drawn.

Back in your home country, your vet must complete the non-commercial EU health certificate for Greece within 10 days of travel. If you're traveling from the United States, the veterinarian must be accredited by the USDA, and the health certificate must be endorsed by the State USDA office (unless the certificate is completed by a military Veterinary Corps Officer or GS-0701 series civilian government veterinarian employed by the military). The CFIA must endorse forms issued by Canadian veterinarians. If traveling to Greece from another country, then the forms must be endorsed by the government agency responsible for the import and export of animals. With this form, you can transport up to five pets.

Tips to consider when relocating to Greece

1. Consider the paperwork you might need. Of course, if you are lucky enough to be from an EU/EEA country, then you will not require an entry Visa or residence permit to live and work in Greece. Non-EU citizens, on the other hand, will likely require an entry visa, as well residence permit if they want to remain in Greece long-term. Thus it is good practice to check in with the Greek Embassy or consular authorities in your home country before you begin the process of moving to Greece.

2. Set your budgets. Despite increases in some respects, the cost of living in Greece continues to be reasonable for expatriates. Then again, the cost of living can vary from region to region. For example, the cost of living in Athens is higher than it would be in a regional town in the central Peloponnese. Factor in the cost of your expenses such as paperwork (visas, permits, etc), rent, bills, food expenses, and your budget for transportation. It is important to get a good idea of this because the cost can be large once you add up the cost of all of these.

3. Ready your Greek skills. Having a basic handle on the Greek language will help you go far when relocating to Greece. Even though the majority of the population speaks English well, there will be instances when speaking some Greek will be needed. Especially with public institutions, for example, those in the Immigration department, as they can speak some English, but the modus operandi is Greek. It will also help you make more friends and will help you sync in with life in Greece.

4. Secure a place to live. The Greek rental market has been on the rise for the last few years, with the attraction of the golden visa too has seen rental prices and property prices soar. However, it is not all doom and gloom. If you search using the right sites like Xrisi Efkeria and Spitogatos, you are likely to find a property that fits your requirements. Alternatively, you can contact a real estate agent to help you, If you are looking for a specific type of property in Greece. For many, renting is the common avenue to follow. As mentioned, there are websites to help you find an apartment or house. Just be aware that prices will vary depending on if you are in the city center of Athens or Thessaloniki, compared to the suburbs (proximity to the metro also plays a role in the rental cost, so consider that).

5. Get immersed in the culture. When you do move to Greece, get to know your local area, meet locals and speak to them. In essence, networking is hugely important. This is why it is stressed that learning even a small amount of Greek will give you a huge advantage. Moreover, you can make more connections by going to local cafes, clubs and organizations that interest you or even by volunteering. This will enable you to make friends easily by connecting to things that intrigue you.