Languages

The official language of Greece is Greek, as with most countries there are some regional dialects and the Greek alphabet contains a number of unique characters that are not used in the English alphabet. 

This is important to bear in mind when addressing any labels and is worthwhile double checking before sending any parcels to Greece to avoid any confusion or delay when your parcel is being handled.

Weights and Measurements

Greece, like most of Europe, now uses the Metric system so there should be no difficulty in quoting weights and measurements of your parcels.  It is interesting to note that Ancient Greeks were the first to introduce one of the early forms of measurements; based on body parts it is from Ancient Greece that we got measurements such as a foot, pace and cubits.

Currency

Greece is now a part of the Euro zone, meaning it shares the Euro (€) which it adopted in 2001.  Prior to the introduction of the Euro Greece had the Greek Drachma (???).  One Euro equated to roughly 340 ???.

Time Zones

Greece falls under the Eastern European Time Zone (EET), which is two hours ahead during Eastern European Standard Time (GMT +2:00), during the summer the clocks go forward an hour (GMT +3:00).  The time difference isn’t excessive so phoning Greece for information, clarification of addresses and spellings shouldn’t present any problems.

Public Holidays and Dates of Interest

Greece has a large number of public holidays, some are unique to Greece such as The Day of The “No” celebrating the refusal of Italy’s ultimatum in 1940 and there are others that are related to religion, including two that are dedicated to The Mother of Jesus Christ, Mary.

Below is a list of the universally recognised public holidays throughout Greece:

·         New Year’s Day – 1^st January

·         Epiphany or Theophany – 6^th of January

·         The Three Holy Hierarchs – 30^th of January (school holiday)

·         Shrove Monday or Clean Monday – First Day of Lent

·         Annunciation or Anniversary of Greek War of Independence – 25^th of March

·         Good Friday – Friday before Easter (in 2012 will be 6^th of April)

·         Easter Monday – Monday following Easter (in 2012 will be 9^th of April)

·         Holy Spirit Monday – Whit Monday (in 2012 will be 13^th of June)

·         Labor Day – 1^st of May

·         Assumption or Dormition of the Holy Virgin – 15^th of August

·         The Ochi Day (Day of the “No”) – 28^th of October

·         Polytechnieo – 17^th of November (school holiday)

·         Christmas Day – 25^th of December

·         Glorifying Mother of God – 26^th of December

Customs Information

As Greece is a member of the European Union shipping parcels from the UK to Greece and vice versa is not subject to customs forms and other paperwork that is required when shipping outside the EU.  As such no customs declaration forms are required (like the CN22 and CN23 declaration forms) although your parcels may still be inspected for restricted or prohibited items.

Import restrictions

Greece has a number of restricted items, items that can be imported but in controlled amounts and there are items that are prohibited and cannot be brought into the country under any circumstance.

Below is a list of items that are subject to these restrictions and it worth enquiring about with a courier or country’s import/export authority before you send a parcel containing anything you may have doubts about.

·         Watches – Watches being imported to Greece may be subject to inspection and Watch Duty which can be dependent on the value of the watch.

·         Meat and Milk products – The shipping of these food items is prohibited although can be done with the appropriate permission and documentation from the veterinary services in the UK.

·         Guns and Weapons – Guns and weapons require appropriate license in order to be brought into Greece.

·         Seal, Walrus and Sea Lion products – There is now an EU-wide ban on the shipping of products relating to these animals including furs, meat, oil, organs either untreated or as a part of any processed products.

Export restrictions

You should bear in mind what the restrictions are in both Greece but also here in the UK before sending any parcels from Greece to the UK.  Again, failure to comply with these rules could see your parcel seized and either returned or disposed.  There are a number of restrictions that relate specifically to products leaving Greece and these include:

• Dangerous goods as defined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
• Wildlife controlled by health restrictions and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
• Dry ice
• Guns and weapons – again, appropriate licenses are required to send these items to the UK.

FAQ's

If you are sending a parcel to Greece and have any questions then we have a list of some common questions we’ve heard from customers.  If you have a different query then please feel free to get in touch with our helpful live help service.

Do I need to fill out any customs declaration forms for shipping to Greece?

No, Greece is a member of the European Union and so sending parcels to Greece is not considered as ‘exporting’, instead it is called ‘moving’ and so will not require any customs paperwork.  If your items are listed as restricted you may need to complete additional paperwork and produce the appropriate licenses for some restricted and prohibited items before they can be sent to Greece.

How long will my parcel take to arrive in Greece?

One of the quickest deliveries that are available here at Parcel2Go, going to Greece can deliver your parcel within 3 day.  Most other services can deliver parcels to Greece within 4-5 days, meaning your parcels could easily arrive within one week.

Do I have to pay any taxes on my parcel delivery?

No taxes need to be paid when sending a parcel to Greece and no customs or duty costs either as sending parcels within the EU is not subject to these charges.

Does the recipient have to pay any taxes?

Not normally, items coming from outside the EU may be subject to import tax and duty but sending items to or from Greece in the UK is not normally subject to paying tax.  You may need to produce licenses or seek permission for some items though.

How much does it cost to ship to Greece?

Prices for deliveries to Greece start at £14.34 + VAT, using Parcelforce’s Euro Priority Service available here at Parcel2Go.

What happens if the recipient is not in when my parcel is delivered?

If the recipient is not at home when the courier tries to deliver your parcel then they will normally leave a calling card for the recipient to rearrange the delivery for a different date or collect from a local depot.  If time passes and no attempts have been made to rearrange the delivery then it will be returned to the sender.  It is therefore important to include your return address on the parcel to ensure it is returned to you if there are problems.

Does my parcel need to go via airmail?

Useful Links

Greece Parcel Delivery – Our Greece delivery page has all of the services that deliver to Greece as well as information about the country itself.

Download Commercial Invoice Form – Download our commercial invoice form that needs to accompany your parcel if sending to Greece from anywhere outside of the EU.

eBay Shipping Tool – If you have sold items online at eBay we have a dedicated shipping tool for you to use.

Parcel Volume Calculator – Use our helpful parcel volume calculator to convert measurements and calculate your parcel’s measurements when placing an order at Parcel2Go.

Parcel Tracking – Our parcel tracking page allows you to track your delivery ordered through us with any of the couriers and parcel delivery firms available on the site.

Sea Freight Enquiry – Visit our sea freight page to look into sending your parcel via the sea as opposed to the air.