Household & Personal Moves to Greece

A household move from the UAE to Greece is usually anchored to a date that will not shift — a job start in Athens, a school term, the activation of a residence permit. Because that date is fixed, the shipment has to be planned backwards from it, with enough buffer for the sea transit from Jebel Ali to Piraeus and the Greek customs processing on arrival. Seemleius household and personal relocation to Greece is built for exactly that kind of timeline: careful planning, accurate paperwork, and one coordinator holding the whole move together from the UAE to the Greek front door.

The paperwork is where a Greece move is won

Greek customs, administered by the AADE, will release a household shipment when the inventory matches the declaration, the valuations are reasonable, and the supporting documents are complete and consistent. We prepare all of it in advance — the import declaration, the application for transfer-of-residence relief, the evidence that residence in the UAE is ending and residence in Greece is being taken up, and the inventory itself — so the shipment is not held at Piraeus while a document is queried or corrected. When arriving families ask what matters most in a Greece move, the honest answer is the preparation.

The transfer-of-residence relief is the mechanism that allows your used personal effects to enter Greece free of import duty and the 24% VAT, provided the goods have been owned and used for at least six months and the move is a genuine change of residence. Most families qualify comfortably; the documentation simply has to be in order for the relief to be granted on arrival.

What travels in a household shipment

• Furniture — wrapped, dismantled where needed, and reassembled at your Greek address
• Fragile items, mirrors, art and ceramics — cushioned and crated to export standard
• Electronics and home appliances — packed against humidity and the handling of the sea route
• Clothing, kitchenware, books and the everyday contents of family life
• Personal valuables — inventoried and handled with extra care

Freight options for Greece

Settling in: AFM, AMKA and the residence permit

One thing that sets a Greece arrival apart is how much depends on two registration numbers. The AFM, the tax identification number issued by the local tax office, is needed before you can sign a lease, open a bank account or set up utilities. The AMKA, the social security number, opens access to employment and the public health system. New arrivals from the UAE will also need to regularise their stay with a residence permit suited to their situation. None of this is difficult, but the order matters, and the household shipment is best timed to land once a permanent address is secured.

Families also meet the Greek school system on arrival. Public schools teach in Greek, while private and international schools — concentrated mainly in Athens, with options in Thessaloniki — follow other curricula and are a common choice for arriving families, particularly on fixed-term assignments. Enrolment generally requires proof of address, so it connects back to the housing and shipment timeline. We raise these milestones during the planning conversation so the shipment supports them.

City and island settling notes

Athens has the largest international community and the deepest support for English-speaking arrivals, but the rental market in the central districts is competitive — secure an address before you fly. Thessaloniki is more affordable and has a relaxed, student-driven character. A move to Crete, the Cyclades or the Ionian islands adds a domestic ferry leg, which we build into the schedule so an island delivery is handled as routine rather than as a complication.

How the move runs

1. Survey. We assess your home’s volume and contents and recommend the freight mode for your timeline and budget — sea via Jebel Ali for the main household, air for time-critical items.
2. Document. Greek customs paperwork — the AADE declaration, the transfer-of-residence relief application and the supporting evidence — is prepared and verified before anything is packed. This is where the move is really won or lost.
3. Pack and ship. Our crew packs to export standard, builds your full inventory, and the shipment departs on the booked route to Piraeus, Thessaloniki or your Greek airport.
4. Clear and deliver. We manage EU import clearance with the AADE and coordinate onward delivery — including any island ferry leg — with unpacking and furniture placement at your new home.

From a one-bedroom apartment to a five-bedroom family home, the rigour is identical. Our moving to Greece overview sets out the corridor in full. Request your quote and we will plan the move around your dates, the registration sequence and the Greek customs timeline.