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.

Right Overseas Shipping and Moving Company

One thing that strikes people when moving overseas is their possessions. It is just impossible to carry each and every bit of their possessions. Hence it becomes tough to decide which important item they need to move with. Also it becomes a pretty tough job to select the best among the various shipping and moving companies. So here are some factors that can help one to determine the right overseas shipping and moving company to go with.

The company offering the lowest shipping rates can be best preferred as it will certainly save a lot of cash. Internet can be the best source to compare the rate quotes of different overseas shipping and moving companies and hence can choose the best company for oneself.

The company offering the best shipping conditions for one's possessions can be considered as the most preferred choice. By providing customized shipping, the moving companies separate the possessions into various categories to prevent any damage while shipping them. Even though it may cost some cash, but the service is worth the sacrifice.

Speed is another factor to determine the right overseas shipping and moving company to go with. People generally opt for speed because they have short time period to get settled to a new location. Although the companies that claim to be the best, deliver the stuff the same day of one's arrival. However it is prudent that one receives the delivery services of an overseas shipping and moving company even before the arrival to avoid the situation of an empty house-feel.

Moving overseas with family including kids and teens, pets and also transporting a car seems quite complicated if not planned correctly. Even commercial moves may require a lot of packing and storage. Hence for a well planned household move, it is advisable to choose the right shipping company.

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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.

Moving Overseas - Tips For Shipping

If you are considering an overseas move, or retiring to a foreign country, chances are you will want to ship all or part of your belongings. Full timers who obtain residency visas in their adopted countries often receive tax breaks on items shipped. Here are some guidelines to help you in the process.

All shipping companies will require a detailed inventory, including value, of anything shipped. Best to do this before, not after, everything is in boxes. Remember that anything used should be marked as such, and valued low for customs receipt in the country. Furniture should be tagged with age and value, and also estimated on the low side. Boxes should be numbered and marked both inside and out, and a separate written list, the inventory, reflects all the information about this box. For example, let's say you have a box of used kitchen pots and pans, and this is Box Number 4. On both the outside of the box and inside the box as well, you will write with a dark magic marker:

BOX #4:

Kitchen:

Used pots and pans, 10-15 years old, 13 pieces

Your inventory list might include more details about which pots and pans, and will also include the value:

BOX # - ITEMS - VALUE

4 - Used, large Revere ware pans 13 pieces - $30

Always underestimate the value because something used really has almost no commercial value. If you are shipping and expecting to get a tax break on your residency visa, there is usually a limit, for example $10,000, for what you are allowed to bring in duty-free. So always include the fact that something is used and old, and for most people that describes most of their belongings and furniture. Used books should be valued at around 25 cents apiece, for example.

If you are serious about leaving the country for any extended period of time, I highly recommend you take an inventory of your personal belongings and do the labeling and inventory list. Even if you end up not shipping your belongings, your re-entry will be so much easier if your belongings are inventoried and tagged.

Don't arrange any shipping until you already have a residency visa. One friend arranged to have all her things shipped before arriving in her new country. She applied for a residency visa, but her things arrived well before she could claim the customs duty exemption and she ended up paying expensive duty fees on everything.

You may have to arrange for a friend or relative to ship your things to you, so have everything pre-arranged and planned, including the shipping company you intend to use. Contact the shipping company for all their forms and ensure these are filled out. That way your friend only has to make the phone call and meet the shippers at the storage facility to give them your things and sign off. Let the shippers know, in writing, that the friend is authorized to sign for you.

Make sure that the shipper has in-country contacts and custom brokers, and that you are getting guaranteed door-to-door service. Also ensure that any insurance represents the replacement value of your belongings, not the value you are using for customs. Use specific country discussion boards on Yahoo Groups or other sites such as Escape Artist to get recommendations for shippers that other residents have successfully used. The more organized your list, and the more professional the company you use, the less likely your chance of getting held up in customs and having to pay daily storage fees.

If you are driving your car down, or shipping it, again you will have to have a residency visa in hand in most countries to claim any customs tax exemption. Make sure you know the age limit for imported cars. You will not be able to import a car that is considered too old. These laws are also subject to change, and vary greatly from country to country, so be careful. In some countries, such as Mexico, importing an older American car is the best way to go, and in others, such as Nicaragua, it's advisable to buy a car in-country.

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Moving Overseas? 7 Tips for Safely Preparing Household Goods for Shipping Containers

Are you shipping household goods overseas in shipping containers? If you are moving overseas, you are probably going to want to ship a range of personal items to your new location. When you hire a dependable overseas mover, you can typically have the overseas moving company arrange packing services for you, but if you prefer to save money, or if you prefer to pack your own things, you can also opt to the packing yourself.

If you are packing your household goods for overseas moving, it is important to follow some simple cargo packing advice to organize and safely secure your items for sea shipping. Consider these 7 tips before you get started packing your boxes for international shipping.

1. Don't over pack boxes. Remember that one person should be able to pick up, carry and load each box. Typically 50 lbs. is a good maximum weight.

2. Nest items. In order to save space, and to secure packing for minimal breakage, ship items inside one another whenever possible.

3. Pack tightly. One of the keys to great packing is tight packing. If your cargo moves around a lot during international shipping, damage is more likely.

4. Cushion breakables generously. Get creative and use crumpled paper, towels, foam, and other materials to pad the bottom, top, and sides of boxes carrying fragile items.

5. Pack by weight. Heavy Items should be placed on the bottom of boxes. Lighter, and more fragile items, should be placed closer to the top.

6. Pack similar items together. Once you get to your final overseas destination, it'll be much easier to organize and unpack your boxes when you pack items that belong together (i.e., kitchen items, or children's toys) in the same box.

7. Label boxes. Use labels to specify item type, and whether fragile items are in the box. If a carton belongs in a certain position, use a permanent marker to draw arrows on each side of the box noting which end is upright.

A reliable overseas shipper will help guide you through every phase of the international shipping process. This includes packing, loading, and securing standard cargo containers, and making sure that your household goods are safe and secure from point of pick up through delivery to your final destination. You can also expect a top notch overseas mover to assist with country-specific customs regulations. Online cargo tracking is another useful tool which provides you with up to date information about your items during the cargo shipping process. With the help of a cargo expert, you can feel confident about your international cargo shipping experience as you plan your move overseas.

Ms. Bodner is an overseas moving professional with many years of experience in overseas shipping and international cargo. Choosing the right professional international cargo shipping company can help make your experience with overseas moving positive. For more information about cargo shipping, overseas moving, ocean freight, and international cargo, call toll free 1-866-994-7822.