Pets & Vehicle Relocation to Greece

When UAE families plan a move to Greece, the questions that come up most often are rarely about the furniture. The family pet and the car are the two things that generate the most uncertainty — because both are subject to EU entry rules that are specific, time-sensitive and not always obvious from the outside. Seemleius coordinates both as a managed part of your move on the UAE–Greece corridor. The earlier you raise them, the smoother the outcome.

Pet relocation to Greece

Greece applies the European Union’s rules for pets entering from a third country, and for an animal travelling from the UAE those rules are detailed and strictly enforced. The requirements are not unreasonable, but they are sequential: each step has to be completed in the correct order, and one of them carries a fixed waiting period that cannot be shortened. Get the order wrong, and the animal cannot be cleared at the Greek border.

The core sequence for a dog or cat travelling from the UAE to Greece is: an ISO-compliant microchip fitted first, then a rabies vaccination given after the chip is in place (never before), and, after a first (primary) vaccination, a wait of at least 21 days before the animal may enter the EU. The UAE is listed under the EU’s pet travel rules, so a pet coming from the UAE needs no rabies antibody (titre) blood test and no three-month wait. An EU Animal Health Certificate is issued by an authorised veterinarian in the UAE within ten days of travel, and the animal must arrive in Greece through a designated Travellers’ Point of Entry, where the documentation is checked.

Once in Greece, owners should be aware that dogs must be microchipped and registered on the national pet registry, and local municipalities apply their own rules on public spaces and leashing. We brief you on what applies at your destination so there are no surprises after arrival.

• UAE microchip and rabies vaccination done in the right order, with the 21-day wait after a first vaccination built into the travel date
• EU Animal Health Certificate issued in the UAE within ten days of departure
• An approved air route from DXB into a Greek Travellers’ Point of Entry, with handlers who understand EU animal welfare standards
• Guidance on Greek pet registration and local municipal rules at your destination

Vehicle shipping to Greece

Shipping a car from the UAE to Greece involves a good deal more than the freight itself. There is UAE export documentation, EU import treatment, a Greek registration process and a roadworthiness inspection — the KTEO — for vehicles being brought into the country. We manage the logistics chain and make sure the documentation is in order, and we are straightforward about the duty, tax and inspection costs so there are no surprises waiting on arrival.

How the vehicle is treated by Greek customs depends on whether it qualifies under the transfer-of-residence relief. A car that the owner has owned and used for at least six months before the move, and that will continue to be used in Greece, can generally be imported under that relief and exempted from the EU import duty and the 24% Greek VAT. The relief application covers the vehicle alongside the household goods. Where the relief does not apply, duty and VAT are payable on the customs value of the car.

Once the vehicle has cleared customs, it must be put through the KTEO roadworthiness inspection and then registered with the Greek authorities, at which point the registration tax position is settled, Greek number plates are issued and local third-party insurance is arranged. Vehicles built to UAE specification sometimes need adjustments — lighting and emissions equipment are the usual items — to meet Greek and EU technical standards, and we set out what is likely to be required for your particular car before it ships.

• Container freight, or roll-on roll-off where a sailing is available, booked into Piraeus or Thessaloniki and routed through a port outside the Strait of Hormuz
• UAE export and Greek import documentation prepared — including the transfer-of-residence relief application for the vehicle where it applies
• KTEO roadworthiness inspection coordinated after clearance, with guidance on the modifications UAE-spec vehicles typically need
• Greek registration, number plates, registration tax and insurance mapped out in order, so the car can be made road-legal after it arrives

How it works

1. Tell us what is moving. The pet (species, breed, size) and / or the vehicle (make, model, year and current specification), along with your anticipated move dates.
2. Map the requirements. We set out the EU entry sequence for the pet and the import, KTEO and registration sequence for the vehicle — including the lead times and the fixed waiting period that cannot be compressed.
3. Coordinate the journeys. Pet travel on an approved DXB route and the vehicle’s sea freight are booked and aligned with your household shipment so the arrivals are sequenced sensibly.
4. Keep you informed. Your coordinator updates you through each stage — the pet’s UAE vaccination and health certificate, Greek customs clearance, KTEO inspection, registration — and you can ask for an update at any point.

EU pet entry in particular rewards early action — if your pet needs a first rabies vaccination, the 21-day wait that follows sets the earliest possible travel date, and there is no way to shorten it. Our moving to Greece overview covers the wider corridor. Get in touch as soon as you have a move date and we will map out the full timeline for both the pet and the vehicle.