Relocation
When is someone considered to be relocating?
When a Greek citizen has left Greece for two or more years for work purposes and returns to our country for the purpose of permanent settlement, then he/she is considered to enter the process of relocation.
Public servants ( diplomats, judges and some categories of the armed forces, security forces and the coast guard) can also resettle. These officials must also have worked abroad for at least two consecutive years and return by transfer or permanently.
Advantages of relocation
Greeks returning from abroad can obtain a certificate of resettlement within six months (maximum).
They are then entitled to take delivery of their car (or other categories of vehicles), as well as their household effects, without paying additional customs duties or other taxes.
Vehicles and relocation - For which means of transport does the exemption apply?
The personal property of a relocatee for which exemption from taxes and duties is provided is all the belongings that the relocatee has had in his possession for at least six months prior to receiving the relocation certificate. This applies irrespective of the age of the vehicles and provided that he has the original ownership documents in his possession.
But let's take it from the beginning and clarify first and foremost, which are the means of transport that can be imported into our country without any charge.
With taxes exemption, one of the following may be brought into our country:
- Passenger car (private car)
- Motor camper van (private car)
- Towed camper van
- Moped or motorcycle
- Recreational boat
- Private plane
Relocation and conditions by country
When relocating from European or Asian countries, things are simpler and more favourable. We are referring to those who have owned and used cars or gasoline-powered motorhomes for at least 6 months prior to relocation. In this case, the tax exemption apply without any restriction on cubic capacity.
But what about the other countries in the American continent, Australia, Africa, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates? For these countries we have two categories of cases:
Α. Relocatees can import their private car or motor camper van, with the requirement of 6 months of use and possession as with the other countries mentioned above. However, they must be informed of the types of catalytic converters approved by the Ministry of Transport of Greece.
B. the relocatees can import a new car with catalytic converter purchased from a European country or from Greece and be of new technology up to 2.000 c.e. or a new motor camper van with anti-pollution technology up to 2.000 c.e. (or up to 1,000 cc when they have a WANKEL engine).
Attention!!! What else to look out for transport vehicles outside Europe and Asia
It is important to know that transport vehicles imported from countries outside Europe or Asia with a cubic capacity of more than 2,000 cc are subject to 1/3 of the excise duty and VAT.
Required documents for the relocation of vehicles
First of all, we must point out that you must ensure that your car is cleared through customs as soon as possible after it is imported into Greece. More specifically, the car must be cleared within one month from its entry into the country (border entry).
The necessary documents that you will need to carry out the relocation of your vehicles are:
- Driving licence
- Your vehicle's driving license
- Car registration certificate, with plates of the country from which the owner is relocating
What about foreign registration plates?
It should be mentioned that it is not allowed to use a car with foreign license plates in our country when a person or family is coming to relocate for permanent settlement.
