Import a car

For a short period

EU-Citizens with vehicles registered in other EU member states, who wish to bring their vehicle into Greece, can do it for a period of up to 6 months, without customs control, as long as it is for personal use and not for commercial use. The registration documents of the vehicle must be available at all times in case of a customs control.

To prove the amount of time your foreign car has been in Greece, you must provide documentation showing the date the vehicle entered Greece (e.g. transfer by ferry).

After these six months, the vehicle must either :

• Be imported into Greece and can only be used when it has a Greek numberplate
• Be exported back from Greece

It is possible to qualify for a second period of tax free circulation if :

• The owner and vehicle are out of Greece for a minimum of 185 days or,
• The owner must remain out of Greece for 185 days and the car compounded for the entire duration.

Failure to conform to the provisions of Greek Law as above may result in the Greek Customs imposing fines for each extra day after the expired period. Such fines can be very steep.

Further advice on extensions, transfer or sale of tourist cars in Greece can be obtained from the Directorate for the Supervision and Control of Cars.

For a short period / Permanently

If you would like a car to use on a long term basis, it is highly advisable to buy a car in Greece or import your car legally into Greece, therefore having the number plates transferred onto Greek ones.

Depending on the case, sometimes it is considered to be wiser and cheaper to buy a new or second hand car in Greece.

There are some exceptions, where individuals may import a vehicle for private use for longer than six months, without paying import duties and taxes. These include:

• Students in further education
• Individuals on a fixed term contract with the Greek state
• Teaching staff on a fixed term contract with higher education institutes
• Diplomatic and Consular staff and their employees

Information on the permanent import of foreign cars can be obtained from the Greek Ministry of Economy and Finance or the General Secretariat for Information Systems.

Note :

This information is to be used as general guidelines and may not be updated to meet the current requirements. Before you travel, be sure to contact the appropriate authorities.