Importing a car into Greece: Part 3

Still on that contentious subject of importing your car into Greece, here is the next and hopefully the last step:

Permanent import

Vehicles brought from abroad must be registered in Greece if the owner is a Greek resident, i.e. someone living in Greece for over 183 days per year.

For a start, all residents and non-resident foreigners with financial affairs in Greece must have a Tax File Number (Arithmo Forologiko Mitro/AFM – known as the ‘A-Fi-Mi’).

An AFM is unique for each person and works as a form of identification for the Greek authorities. Without an AFM you won’t be able to purchase property, buy a car or boat, import a foreign-registered car or obtain any kind of tax certificate from the authorities. You can get this at your local Greek tax office or the expatriates’ tax office in Athens at 18 Lykourgou St. tel 210 523 7456. You will be asked to file an M1 form. It’s a standard form: name, address, telephone number etc.

EU citizens will need to show their passport or ID card. Non-EU foreigners need to present their passport or another valid travel document. They must also show their residence permit. Certified photocopies of both documents must be submitted.

Applicants must also obtain a translation of their passport or other travel document if the information is not in Latin characters. The document can be translated by the foreign ministry or a certified lawyer. A birth certificate may also be required if an applicant’s passport does not indicate mother’s full name.

The tax office employee will then process the information - this should only take a few minutes and a printout with the AFM number will be issued.

European Union nationals, resident in another European Union state for at least two years, who decide to transfer their place of residence to Greece, are exempt from VAT and Special Consumption Tax (SCT) currently levied in Greece on:

• Cars (owned and used privately)
• Pleasure craft
• Motorcycles
• Mobile caravans
  

provided that:

• At the time of application the applicant has not been resident in Greece for more than two years
• The applicant has/had been domiciled in another member state for at least 185 days in each year of the three years prior to their initial arrival in Greece
• The applicant holds a change of residence certificate issued by the Greek Consular Authorities in the EU State of previous residence. This certificate is valid for use within 12 months
• The applicant owned and used the vehicle in the prior EU member state of residence for at least 6 months and that appropriate tax and VAT has been paid in the country of origin
• The applicant is in possession of a 5-year residence permit. Applicants who are not in possession of a 5-year residence permit should be aware that, usually, the relevant taxes and dues are required to be paid or a bank guarantee deposited for a sum equal to those taxes and dues, until they produce a 5-year residence permit to the appropriate customs authorities
• VAT must be paid for new vehicles (vehicles that are less than six months old or with less than 6,000 Km)
  

Within one month from the date of importation, owners of such vehicles must appear in person at the nearest Customs Authority to request exemption from payment of Registration and VAT.

Finally, next week I will list for you all the documents that you will need for Customs clearance - that way you will know that you have everything you will need to hand.

Bye for now and we’ll chat next week.

Carol
http://www.GreeceBuyingGuide.com