When moving abroad, it is also necessary to prepare the registration of your car. Indeed, each European country has its own legislation concerning the registration of vehicles and the taxes that apply to them, and many expats are ill-prepared (or not at all) and have had to face disappointments. If you have decided to stay in Greece for a long time and take your vehicle with you, you will inevitably have to take the administrative step of registering your vehicle and obtaining Greek plates. From the moment you stay more than 185 days in Greece, you will have to do this registration. How to register a foreign vehicle in Greece? I’m Lisbob, the expat assistant, and I am going to explain everything you need to know about getting Greek license plates.
Prerequisites
First, it is important to know the prerequisites for registering your foreign car in Greece. Before you can even register your vehicle, you must first change your main residence. This change of residence is done at the consulate closest to your home.
Vehicle import certificate: If you want to import your vehicle from mainland Europe, you will have to go through Italy, then by ferry from the port of Bari. From Bari you will have to go to Brindisi (Italy), and from Brindisi to Patras. Don't forget to keep the ferry tickets to prove the date of entry of your vehicle in Greece.
Technical inspection: you will have to undergo a technical inspection in your home country to check the condition of your vehicle and to prove that it can be driven without any problem. You will then have to carry out this technical inspection in Greece, within the first four years after the registration of your vehicle. After that, you will only need to do it every two years.
Insurance: You will need to provide proof of insurance for the vehicle you intend to import into Greece to the Greek Ministry of Transport. As soon as you have completed your registration, you will need to change your insurance to a Greek insurance.
You will also need to ensure that you have all the necessary documentation for the plate change.
Here is the list of documents needed to register a vehicle in Greece:
Original passport
European driving license with translated version (i.e. if you want to import your motorcycle, you will have to retake your license in Greece, knowing that there is no recognition at the European level for this type of license yet).
Vehicle registration document (to verify the age of the vehicle)
Residence permit
Certificate of residence
Tax returns for the last two years: this will prove that you are able to maintain your vehicle over the long term
Vehicle purchase invoice (vehicle must have been purchased more than 6 months ago)
Vehicle insurance
A certificate from the Ministry of Transport, certifying that the vehicle has been built in accordance with the technical requirements of anti-pollution as mentioned in the circulars of the European Community.
If you have a large family (three or more children), you can benefit from a reduction in the import tax on your vehicle. For vehicles coming from European countries, you will not have to pay customs taxes, but the procedure remains the same.
You will know everything to register a foreign car in Greece
Steps to get your new Greek license plate
In order to get your new license plate to circulate freely in Greece, you the order of the following steps:
Submit a declaration of arrival of the vehicle in the country to the port customs service. You can do it at any port, not just the one you arrive at. This declaration must be made before the 15th of the month following the day of arrival in the country.
Pay the registration fee, as well as the VAT (always at the arrival customs).
This registration fee depends on the type of vehicle you have: its initial purchase value, model, mileage and age. The older your vehicle is, the higher the tax will be (due to CO2 emissions which are higher with older vehicles). In fact, if your vehicle is electric or if you have a hybrid car, you will be exempt from the registration fee. If your car is too old, its emission rate must be below a certain approved threshold.
You will receive a certificate of registration upon completion of your payments. Go to the Ministry of Communications and Transportation with this certificate to obtain your new license plate.
Once you have obtained your new Greek license plate, you must declare it to the tax authorities in your area of residence. The price is set between 60 and 200 Euros depending on the model of your car. This license plate has a duration of five years. If by chance you wish to sell your vehicle before these five years, you will be able to pay a final tax by alerting the customs.
Road tax
You will be required to pay an annual road tax for your vehicle. This tax is different from the registration tax, and its rate depends on the type of vehicle you have.
Fines
If you have not registered your vehicle within 6 months of importing it, you run the risk of being fined. This also applies if you have not had a recent roadworthiness test (less than 2 years ago) or if you have not paid the road tax. This fine is approximately three times the theoretical cost of registering your vehicle. If your vehicle is relatively old, this fine can be very high: between 2500 and 10 000€.
Traffic restrictions according to your registration :
If you live in Athens, your car will be subject to a traffic restriction on certain days of the week. This restriction is valid in the center of Athens, and means that only half of the vehicles are allowed to circulate, according to their license plates.
Vehicles with an even numbered license plate may be driven on even days. Conversely, vehicles with an odd numbered registration can be driven on odd days only.
Exceptions:
Vehicles with electric motors and vehicles corresponding to the Euro 4 and 5 4 categories emitting less than 140g CO2/km can circulate whatever the day.
Rental cars and cars with foreign plates are free to drive on any day. Owners of vehicles with foreign plates must be able to prove that their main residence is not in Greece, under penalty of a heavy fine.
Bringing your vehicle to Greece can be quite expensive, if you count the import of the vehicle plus all the taxes and administrative formalities to be undertaken. If your vehicle is old, it might be a good idea to consider buying a vehicle directly in Greece to facilitate registration.
To learn more about registering your foreign vehicle in Greece, Lisbob invites you to visit the Greek Ministry of Transport‘s website.
