Moving to Greece

The India–Greece corridor is younger and quieter than India’s long-established routes into northern Europe, but it is growing — and for the families and businesses making the move, that comparative quietness is part of the appeal. Greece has positioned itself as an accessible entry point into the European Union: the Golden Visa residence-by-investment programme has drawn Indian property investors to Athens and the islands, the cost of living undercuts most of Western Europe, and a warm Mediterranean base within the Schengen Area carries obvious attraction for entrepreneurs, retirees and remote professionals. Set against that are real logistics: a household or office leaving India has to clear Indian export customs, cross roughly 3,000 nautical miles of sea, and enter through a Greek customs regime that — while EU-harmonised — has its own administrative texture. Seemleius exists to make that journey predictable from the first survey to the final delivery.

An India–Greece move begins at the India end: export clearance through ICEGATE at Nhava Sheva (JNPT), Mundra, Chennai Port or Cochin, the shipping bill prepared under the Customs Act, AD code registration with the originating port, and packing built for a long sea voyage. That groundwork carries more weight than many families expect — it is where most coordination problems begin when the India side is treated as an afterthought. Once the container reaches Piraeus or Thessaloniki, the Greek side begins: an electronic import declaration to AADE (the Independent Authority for Public Revenue, which runs Greek customs), the question of EU import VAT and duty, and the transfer-of-residence relief that — correctly claimed — removes those charges on used personal effects belonging to someone genuinely relocating their normal residence to Greece.

The India–Greece corridor

Sea freight is the backbone of this corridor for household and commercial volumes. Container vessels from Nhava Sheva and Mundra reach Piraeus — the largest port in Greece and one of the busiest in the Mediterranean — on routes that usually transit the Suez Canal, with port-to-port times generally in the region of 18 to 28 days depending on routing, transhipment calls and the schedule of the chosen service. Thessaloniki serves the north of the country and is the natural gateway for destinations in Macedonia and northern Greece. Chennai Port and Cochin offer alternative origin gateways for moves starting in South India. From Piraeus, onward delivery reaches Athens and the mainland by road, while delivery to Crete, the Cyclades or the Ionian islands involves a coastal ferry leg that has to be planned into the schedule rather than assumed.

Air freight from Mumbai (BOM), Delhi (DEL), Bengaluru (BLR) or Chennai (MAA) into Athens International Airport (ATH) serves moves where the timeline cannot absorb sea transit. Routings into Athens are generally one-stop via a Gulf or European hub, so a shipment can be on the ground in Greece within a few days of dispatch rather than several weeks. We are straightforward about the cost gap — air freight runs several times the per-kilogram cost of sea — and we help you weigh it honestly against your residence-permit date, lease start or business timeline.

Why the India end matters so much

Who moves on this corridor

• Golden Visa investors and their families — Indian families who have qualified for Greek residence through property investment, often buying in Athens, the Athenian Riviera or on the islands, and relocating once the residence permit is issued
• Entrepreneurs and remote professionals — founders, consultants and digital professionals choosing Greece as a Schengen base for its cost of living, climate and connectivity, several arriving via the digital-nomad residence route
• Hospitality, shipping and trade specialists — Greece’s tourism economy and its world-leading merchant shipping sector draw skilled Indian professionals into Athens, Piraeus and the islands
• Indian businesses — companies establishing a southern-European or Balkan-facing presence, using Athens or Thessaloniki as a logistics and commercial foothold inside the EU

Where we deliver in Greece

We move regularly to Athens and Attica, including the central districts and the coastal suburbs of the Athenian Riviera; to Thessaloniki and the north; to Patras in the west; and to Heraklion and the rest of Crete. Island deliveries — to the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, the Ionian islands and Crete — almost always involve a domestic ferry leg from Piraeus or another mainland port, and we build that leg, its sailing frequency and its access constraints into the plan from the outset. Mainland delivery is by road from the discharge port. If your destination is not listed here, ask us — we deliver across the country, mainland and islands alike.

Settling in: AFM, AMKA and the residence permit

Greek bureaucracy has its own rhythm, and a few registrations matter from the first weeks. The AFM (ΑΦΜ, the tax registration number) is needed to sign a lease, open a bank account or set up utilities, and is obtained from the local tax office. The AMKA is the social security and healthcare number required for employment and access to the public health system. Non-EU nationals also hold a residence permit — whether through the Golden Visa, employment, family reunification or the digital-nomad route — and the permit category shapes the rest of the settling-in process. None of this is ours to advise on as your relocation partner, but we flag the sequence so it does not catch you unprepared.

Starting the move

1. India-side survey. We assess volume and contents at your home or office in India — in person in the major cities, or by video — and return a clear quote with sea and air options explained, including realistic Piraeus or Athens arrival windows.
2. Export documentation. Indian export paperwork is prepared: shipping bill filed through ICEGATE, AD code confirmed, packing list, invoice and any FEMA-related declarations relevant to your move. This is never left to the final week.
3. Pack and dispatch. Our crew packs to export standard from your India origin, and the shipment is booked and dispatched on the confirmed route to Piraeus, Thessaloniki or Athens.
4. Clear and deliver in Greece. We manage the AADE import clearance, advise on transfer-of-residence relief, and coordinate onward road or ferry delivery to your address in Greece.

Choose the guide below that fits your situation, or request a quote and your coordinator will walk you through the right starting point for a move from India.