Shipping Overseas to Greece: Important Things to Know About Cargo Shipping

Learning the custom and import rules for Greece can help save time and money when you are moving overseas. The import regulations for shipping to Greece are simple to follow if you plan ahead. Greece, which has over a thousand islands, has one of the longest coast lines in the world, therefore shipping your belongings overseas should be easy with the help of an international cargo shipping company.

You can ship household items duty free to Greece if you have a residence permit before you arrive. In order to qualify for a residence permit, you must either be:

1) Of Greek descent

2) Married to a Greek citizen, or

3) In possession of a work permit granted by the Greek government

If you qualify for a Certificate of Repatriation, you are allowed to bring certain items to Greece duty-free. For example, if you are Greek but you have worked out of the country for a few years, you can begin the repatriation process. This requires that you have a Greek Tax number by the time your items are entering the country through customs. You will need to contact the nearest Greek consulate in order to receive a duty-free certificate.

Currently, it may be difficult to obtain an employment visa in Greece. Greece has been hit particularly hard by the worldwide recession and is experiencing high rates of unemployment, especially for the youth. An employment visa can only be obtained if an individual already has a contract to work for a company in Greece or they are being transferred to a branch of their company in Greece. The employer must first prove though that a Greek national or European Union national is not able to fill the position. If you do qualify to work in Greece, you can work with the Greek consulate to obtain the correct visa.

The duty-free tax relief does not count toward any items that have commercial value, determined by customs officials by the type of item and the quantity. Alcohol and tobacco products are not duty-free; you will have to declare them at customs. Greece also places restrictions on a few items which you cannot bring into the country including:


Weapons
Drugs
Meat or dairy products

Only one of each electronic item is duty free. However, if you can provide a justification, such as family size, for having two or more of any one item, it is possible that those items can also be duty-free.

You can only make one duty-free shipment to Greece, so make sure to pack everything you need in one trip. You must be present at customs with your passport in order to receive clearance on your shipment. In order for all household items to remain duty-free, you cannot sell, give or lend any of the items for one year after import. If any of your imported items are sold or lent, you must pay the original custom taxes and you will have to make an overdue payment from the time it was first imported.

People who are moving to Greece to study can also import items related to their education duty free. Students can import clothes, furniture, and school related items such as calculators and books.

Interested in shipping a car to Greece? Vehicles can be imported to Greece duty free if you have owned the vehicle for at least six months. New vehicles will be subject to value added tax or VAT. You must also pay for license plates for all vehicles that you ship overseas and import to Greece. Just as with household goods, you cannot sell, give or lend anyone your vehicle for at least five years after importation or you will be subject to the original import taxes. In fact, no one other than a direct family member can drive the car for any reason or you could be subject to the original import taxes.

You can import a household pet when you are moving to Greece. All pets imported to Greece must be microchipped for identification purposes. All pets must be vaccinated against rabies. If you are moving overseas and bringing a pet to Greece, your pet will need a blood test, taken at least thirty days after the vaccination, in order to make sure the vaccine is working and protecting the animal. Finally, all pets must travel in a cage with the owner's name, postal address and telephone number listed on the outside.

Finally, before you move to or even visit Greece, you will need to have a yellow fever vaccine which you can get from a travel clinic is your area.

Moving to Greece is a great opportunity to live or work abroad. While moving a household to a new country can be stressful, knowing what you can and cannot bring with you will make it easier to relocate. Making a detailed packing list and packing similar items close together will make it easier to go through customs. An international shipping company can help you obtain all the correct paperwork to help make your move to Greece much easier.

Based about 30 miles north of Miami, Florida, Cargo Experts was formed by a team of moving professionals and cargo shippers who are committed to delivering outstanding customer service as they take care of all the details involved in your overseas cargo shipping. Ms. Bodner works with Cargo Experts and has many years of experience in international cargo shipping. Visit http://www.cargo-experts.net/about.aspx for more information about international cargo shipping services, including a free online quote for your international cargo shipping. For more information, call toll free at 1-866-994-7822.

Moving Your Family Overseas? 5 Tips to Help You Choose an International Cargo Shipping Company

When you are moving overseas, you will need to hire a dependable cargo shipping company to assist in moving your household goods abroad. The thought of moving your household goods overseas might seem like a big undertaking at first, but with the right company, it can be surprisingly easy. Read these 5 simple tips before you begin looking for an international cargo shipping company to assist in your overseas move.

1) Listen to Others. Find out what other people have to say about the company that you are considering. It is very helpful to hear about the experience of other customers so that you have a sense of what to expect in terms of service, delivery, timing, and safety. Good and dependable international cargo shippers often have real customer testimonials posted on their website.

2) Look for a Simple Freight Quote. Look for a freight quote that includes all of the pricing information for shipping all of the household goods that you want to ship overseas. You do not want to be confused by hidden fees. Find a company that provides clear and easy to understand information to you about any fees involved in shipping your household goods overseas. Check out this example of an international cargo shipping company that offers an online freight quote tool.

3) Ask for Cargo Tracking. Find out if the company offers some type of cargo tracking tool. It is very helpful to have access to a cargo tracking tool when you are shipping your household goods overseas. When you are waiting for all of your items to arrive, it is comforting to be able to know where your items are along the route. Pick a company that offers this type of cargo tracking tool.

4) Seek Cargo Shipping Experts. Make sure that the international cargo shipping company you choose understands all the ins and outs of international sea shipping. The best international cargo shipping company will provide guidance to you about all of the necessary paperwork and documentation you will need for your cargo shipment. This should be the expertise of any reliable international cargo shipping company that you choose.

5) Consider your Options. When it comes to international cargo shipping, you typically have a variety of options to consider in terms of container types and sizes, and packing, shipping and delivery methods. For example, if you are shipping a car overseas, you can opt for roll on roll off services or you can ship a car in a shipping container. Depending on your specific situation and budget, you can choose port to port shipping or door to door delivery service. Find out the difference in cost and logistics for all of your options so that you can make the right decision for your situation and budget.

When you are moving overseas, it is good to turn to an expert overseas shipper, for more information, including a free freight quote. For more information about cargo shipping, overseas moving, ocean freight, and international cargo, check out Cargo Experts or call toll free 1-866-994-7822.

Comparing Overseas Cargo Moving Companies

Too many products are available in the market today. Too many companies are competing to be picked by the next customer who comes around. Because of this, people find that comparing products and services is a normal part of their lives. In this article we will talk about the various ways to compare overseas cargo moving companies.

As said before, comparing is a part of everyday life. Because of this, there are a lot of ways which a person can use to compare overseas cargo moving companies.

1) Direct Inquiry – Often information regarding various overseas cargo moving companies can be compared by doing the proper research. Thankfully enough, research today can actually be pretty easy. In this method, you can compare overseas cargo moving companies by making inquiries and getting the data direct from the companies themselves. This can be very inconvenient for you, but it does supply the most comprehensive information if you succeed.

2) Read Reviews – By reading reviews, you will be able to compare overseas cargo moving companies from the perspective of former customers. If you compare overseas cargo moving companies by reading reviews, you will be able to pinpoint the exact problems that customers have with a certain company. Reading reviews can be very helpful as this will tell you in a nutshell what to expect from the company. Reviews can vary in length, depending on the people writing them. Remember to try and filter out the useless stuff though, as some reviews can contain a lot of information which may be relevant for you.

3) Compare ratings – Ratings essentially show you the average opinion of people regarding a company. In this method, you can compare overseas cargo moving companies from other people’s perspectives. This method though, is much quicker than reading reviews since you can really tell what people think about a company with a single glance at the ratings. One disadvantage of this method to compare overseas cargo moving companies is the fact that it lacks specificity. Ratings do not really tell you what people find wrong with the company. So in case you find a company with a bad rating, you will know that you should not hire that company. However, you will not really be able to give a valid reason why.

4) Listen to other people – Sometimes, the information you need can be found within your neighborhood. Forget about the internet. Forget about the various technological methods of connecting with other people. Just look around you and find someone to talk to. Usually, very valuable advice can be obtained from a simple conversation. When you use this method to compare overseas cargo moving companies, you can be sure that you will be given a bit of wisdom by the people involved.

We often disregard the opinions of other people. However, you need to understand that you should never underestimate a source of information. The right piece of information in the right hands can be more explosive than an atomic bomb.

Remember that when you compare overseas cargo moving companies, you are taking the first step towards making a decision. If you compare overseas cargo moving companies, you show to the world that you have the capacity to make rational choices. And that, my friend, is an action that shows your humanity.