Route · UK to Greece
Removals from the UK to Greece
The longest road route on this site, and the one where being honest about the destination matters most. Mainland Greece we reach by road and ferry. The islands are a separate question, and we answer it plainly rather than optimistically.
If you are moving to an island, the honest answer may be somebody else. We will say so before you book.
Who takes this route
- Retirements and long-stay moves to the Peloponnese, the Ionian mainland and Halkidiki.
- Work relocations to Athens and Thessaloniki.
- Second-home owners furnishing a property, usually with a part-load rather than a household.
The road out
M20 and the Folkestone shuttle, then a long continental run to an Adriatic sailing. Most Greek work runs down through Italy and crosses from Ancona, Bari or Brindisi to Igoumenitsa or Patras; the land route through the Balkans is an alternative on some schedules.
From Calais the A26 and A31 run south-east across France to the Alpine tunnels, then the Italian A1 down the peninsula to an Adriatic port. From Igoumenitsa the Egnatia Odos runs east for Thessaloniki; from Patras the A8 and A1 lead to Athens and the Peloponnese opens south.
Where we deliver
Customs, and the file that goes wrong
Greece is in the EU and applies the standard transfer-of-residence relief on used household effects. The administration is slower than northern Europe and rewards a file assembled well in advance, which is the recurring theme of this whole site.
Split of responsibility
| Document | Obtained by | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Detailed inventory (valued, in Greek or English) | Us | Prepared at survey, with electrical and high-value items listed individually. |
| AFM (tax registration number) | You | The Greek tax number. Needed for the declaration and for most things afterwards. |
| Proof of the Greek address | You | A rental contract, deeds, or your residence registration. |
| Proof the UK residence has ended | You | Completion paperwork or a closing council tax bill. |
| Passport and status documents | You | Copies for the file, with whatever evidences your right to reside. |
| Export declaration and Greek import entry | Us | Both raised against the same inventory through our agent in Greece. |
Rows marked You are attached to you as a person, take time to obtain, and are what actually hold consignments at a border. Rows marked Us are built here from the inventory taken at your property.
The island question, answered honestly
A great many people searching for a move to Greece are moving to an island, and this is where an honest firm and an optimistic one part company. A mainland delivery is a long road job we do properly. An island delivery involves a second ferry, a local vehicle at the far end and often a local partner.
Sometimes we can arrange that well. Sometimes the right answer is a Greek firm who does it every week and will do it better and cheaper. Ask, describe the island and the property, and we will tell you which — before you book rather than afterwards.
On the mainland the recurring issue is the last stretch. Village houses in the Peloponnese and the Ionian hinterland sit on approaches that a full-size vehicle cannot use, and a shuttle with something smaller is normal. It is surveyed and priced rather than discovered.
the UK to Greece
Questions on this route
- Do you deliver to the islands?
- Sometimes, and sometimes the honest answer is a Greek firm who does it every week. Tell us the island and the property and we will say which before you book.
- How does the ferry work?
- The vehicle sails with the load aboard from an Adriatic port to Igoumenitsa or Patras. The choice of port and sailing is ours, made on schedules, and it does not change your price.
- How long does it take?
- It depends on the vehicle arrangement, the sailings and the far-end access. Your written quotation carries an estimated window for your own consignment rather than a figure we would have to revise.
- What is the paperwork like?
- Standard EU transfer-of-residence relief, administered more slowly than in northern Europe. Start the tax registration early and the rest follows.
- Can you reach a village house?
- Usually, with a shuttle from the nearest point a full-size vehicle can stand. It is surveyed and priced rather than discovered on the day.
- Is a shared load possible?
- Less often than on the busier corridors, because fewer vehicles run it. Where one is available the saving is significant; where it is not, we will say so rather than leave you waiting.
Moving from the UK to Greece?
Where in Britain it leaves from, where it is going, and whether the far end is confirmed. We will come back with the route, the document split and a written quote.