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Customs guide — Greece
Greek Customs When Moving from Dubai: The Plain-English Guide
Everything you need to know about Greece customs when shipping your home from Dubai — including transfer-of-residence relief, who qualifies and how the timing works. We manage all of it for you.
Thank you!
We'll WhatsApp you within one business day. Prefer to talk now? Call +971 800 FUSION (387466).
What is transfer-of-residence?
In Greece it is the customs and tax exemption for transferring your habitual abode: the customs relief that lets you bring your used household goods in without paying import tax or duty. It has to be claimed correctly, with the right paperwork, and we handle the whole claim as standard on every move to Greece.
Conditions for the exemption
- Your habitual abode has been abroad for at least 2 years, and you are moving to Greece to settle permanently.
- The Greek consular authority where you live issues a relocation certificate, with a detailed list of your personal effects attached.
- The certificate is valid for 12 months; the goods can be cleared in one go or in instalments while it is valid.
- For 1 year after clearance, the goods are not transferred, leased, pledged or lent.
Sources: AADE — Customs and tax exemptions for individuals moving to Greece; AADE — Manual on customs exemptions (January 2026), checked June 2026. Rules change — we confirm them for your move.
Timing matters most
Get the relocation certificate from the Greek consular authority covering the UAE. It is submitted digitally with the customs declaration, together with its supporting documents. We track the shipment so the paperwork is ready when your goods reach customs.
Not covered by the relief
- Goods that by type or quantity have a commercial character
- Alcohol and tobacco, beyond traveller allowances
- Tools of a trade or profession, other than portable instruments
- Cars — checked separately at survey
Unsure whether you qualify? Talk to a customs specialist before you ship — call +971 800 FUSION (387466) or message us on WhatsApp.
The relief, in plain English
Transferring your home from the UAE to Greece means your used household goods enter free of customs duty and VAT under the EU transfer-of-residence framework, administered by the Greek tax authority (AADE). The two Greek anchors: your AFM (tax number — everything in Greece wants it) and evidence you genuinely lived outside the EU and are now settling in Greece. Claimed with documents, never automatic.
How it works with Fusion
- Survey flags relief risks and plans access (Athens balcony hoists are routine).
- Packing day produces the valued EN/EL inventory.
- Our Greek partner lodges the AADE relief file before the vessel docks.
- Delivery to room — Athens, Thessaloniki, or any island with the ferry leg included.
FAQ
Can you clear and deliver to the islands?
Yes — clearance at Piraeus or Thessaloniki, then a scheduled ferry leg to Crete, Rhodes, Corfu and beyond, priced door-to-door.
Is my car worth importing?
It depends on the car. We check Greece’s current import and registration rules for it at survey and run your numbers first.
What’s excluded from the relief?
Alcohol, tobacco, new purchases and anything commercial — declared and taxed separately, always transparently quoted before shipping.
Moving from Dubai to Greece
Fusion Relocations has managed international household moves out of the UAE since 2010. A move to Greece is handled end to end by one coordinator: export packing at your home in Dubai, freight, customs formalities at both ends, and delivery and unpacking at your new address.
What the service covers
- Pre-move survey — the inventory we build at survey becomes the customs inventory Greek officers check, so it is worth getting right first time.
- Export packing — packed and itemised for inspection: every carton numbered against the manifest that accompanies your Greek import declaration.
- Freight — container sailings into Piraeus, or Thessaloniki for the north; the bill of lading forms part of your customs file.
- Customs — we prepare the Greek transfer-of-residence application alongside UAE export clearance, so qualifying used household goods enter without duty.
- Delivery — once Greek customs releases the shipment, delivery, unpacking and debris removal are scheduled to your door.
- Extras — pet relocation, vehicle shipping and storage at either end.
How the move runs
- Survey and quote. We look at what is moving and confirm a written, all-in price.
- Booking. We agree packing dates and the sailing or flight.
- Packing. Our crew packs and inventories everything at your home.
- Departure. UAE export clearance is lodged at Jebel Ali — Dubai International for air cargo — with the export declaration matched to your inventory.
- Arrival. Import clearance in Greece, then delivery to your door.
Piraeus and Thessaloniki entry procedures, current duty thresholds and document checklists change with Greek customs practice — request a written quote and we confirm what applies to your file today.
Where to go next
Let's plan your move
Tell us a little about your relocation and a specialist will come back within one business day — by WhatsApp, phone or email, whichever suits you.
Thank you — request received
A move specialist will WhatsApp you within one business day. Prefer to talk now? Call +971 800 FUSION (387466).
Ready to move? Let's plan it together.
A free survey, a clear written quote within one business day, and one team from your door in Dubai to your door anywhere in the world.