Moving from Austria to Greece
A practical guide to the road and ferry move from Austria to Greece, why your goods travel freely inside the EU, and getting your AFM tax number on arrival.
Moving from Austria to Greece, in one honest summary.
A move from Austria to Greece is a southern European road move, usually run through the Balkans or down to an Italian Adriatic port and across by ferry to Patras or Igoumenitsa. Vienna to Athens is around one thousand eight hundred kilometres by the land route. There is no ocean freight container, so cost comes down to your volume, the ferry if used, the access at both ends, and whether you take a dedicated truck or share a part load. For a typical two to three bedroom home in 2026, budget roughly EUR 4,500 to EUR 8,000 door to door.
The thing that surprises people is how little bureaucracy the move itself involves. Because Austria and Greece are both in the European Union and its customs union, your used household goods travel under the free movement of goods. There is no customs clearance, no import duty and no import VAT on your personal effects, so the paperwork that dominates intercontinental moves simply does not apply on this route.
What replaces customs is local administration in Greece. Plan on three to six days in transit, then turn to the practical steps that run Greek life: your AFM tax number from the local tax office, your AMKA social security number, and registering your residence as an EU citizen. Get the AFM moving first, because almost nothing official happens without it.
What it costs in 2026, by home size and method.
These are indicative 2026 ranges in euros for the Austria to Greece road and ferry move, door to door. Volume, the ferry if used, access at both ends, and whether you take a dedicated truck or a shared load move the number most.
A shared or part load is cheaper because your goods travel with other shipments on the same truck, but it is slower and less flexible on dates. A dedicated truck carries only your home and delivers on your schedule, which suits anything from a two bed home upward. The Adriatic ferry, summer dates and island delivery all add cost.
- +Lowest cost for small volumes
- +Good for partial moves and boxes
- −Slower, depends on other loads
- −Less control over delivery date
- +Your home only, on your schedule
- +Direct door to door to the mainland
- +Less handling, lower damage risk
- −More than a shared load for small volumes
- +Cheapest for a studio
- +Full control of timing
- −You do the driving and loading
- −Ferry, tolls and fuel add up
Get moving quotes for Austria to Greece.
Tell us your home size and timing and we put your Austria to Greece move in front of vetted movers who run this road and ferry lane. Free, no obligation.
A realistic schedule for this route.
A realistic schedule for the Austria to Greece road and ferry move. There is no customs step inside the EU, so the timeline is about the haul and the Greek administration.
Get quotes and book
Request a binding pre move survey from movers who run the Austria to Greece lane. Lock dates early for summer, the busy season, and confirm whether the route uses the Adriatic ferry or runs overland through the Balkans.
Sort the admin
Because there is no customs, focus on the move out and move in steps: close Austrian utilities, complete your Abmeldung, and prepare what you need in Greece. Keep an inventory for your insurance.
Pack and load
Packers wrap and inventory everything and load the truck for the drive south toward the ferry or the Balkan land route.
Road and ferry haul
The truck drives south and, if routed by sea, crosses the Adriatic by ferry to Patras or Igoumenitsa, with no border formalities for your goods inside the EU customs union.
Delivery and registration
The crew delivers and unpacks. You then obtain your AFM tax number and AMKA social security number and register your residence as an EU citizen.
Moving household goods within the EU to Greece.
Because Austria and Greece are both in the European Union and its customs union, your used household goods move under the free movement of goods. There is no customs clearance, no import duty and no import VAT on your personal effects, and no inventory needs to be lodged with customs. This is the single biggest reason an Austria to Greece move is so much simpler than an intercontinental one.
What replaces customs is local administration in Greece. The first step for most people is the AFM, the tax registration number issued by the local tax office, the DOY, because you need it to rent, open a bank account, connect utilities and work. You then obtain your AMKA, the social security number that unlocks health care and employment, and as an EU citizen you register your residence rather than apply for a permit.
A few categories still carry rules even inside the EU. Firearms need the correct European permits, certain plants and protected goods have controls, and a car brought from Austria must be registered in Greece and may face a registration step. Delivery to the islands adds a further ferry leg and cost. None of this is customs in the traditional sense, but it is worth checking before you load.
The routes in for this corridor.
Most people moving from Austria to Greece are EU citizens, so this is about registration rather than visas. Each route is summarised in two sentences. None of this is immigration advice, so confirm with official Greek sources before you commit.
EU and Austrian citizens have the right to live and work in Greece and register their residence with the authorities. There is no visa to apply for in advance, but you do obtain your AFM and register once settled.
A job with a Greek employer is the usual basis for working age movers, and for EU citizens it needs no separate work permit. You obtain your AFM and AMKA and register your residence after you arrive.
Greece is a popular retirement and remote work destination, and EU citizens with a pension or remote income can settle and register on the basis of self sufficiency and health cover.
Those joining a spouse or close family member settled in Greece register on that basis. The settled relative's status shapes the documents, and non EU family members follow a separate process.
How to pick a mover for this route, without the guesswork.
We do not rank or recommend individual companies. We teach you the criteria that separate a safe international move from an expensive mistake, then put your request in front of vetted movers who run this lane.
Look first for membership of FIDI or IAM, the two international moving networks whose members are audited for financial stability and quality. A mover that runs the Austria to Greece lane regularly will understand the Balkan overland route, the Adriatic ferry option and any island delivery, and will know that the Greek AFM is the first thing you need on arrival, which a purely local firm often does not.
Insist on a binding pre move survey, in person or by video, so the quote reflects your real volume rather than a guess. Get the scope in writing: who packs, who covers the ferry and tolls, what insurance covers, and what the destination delivery charge includes, especially for an island address. Compare like for like, because the cheapest headline number often hides charges that appear later.
Check the insurance terms and the claims record, read recent reviews from people who moved on the same route, and confirm the cover pays replacement value rather than a token figure by weight. When you are ready, the quote form above puts your move in front of vetted movers who run this corridor, with no obligation.
Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from Austria to Greece?
As an indicative 2026 range, a one bedroom home runs roughly EUR 1,000 to EUR 4,000 and a two to three bedroom home roughly EUR 2,400 to EUR 8,000 door to door, depending on whether you take a shared load or a dedicated truck and the ferry and access at both ends.
How long does the move from Austria to Greece take?
A dedicated truck is usually three to six days door to door, including the Adriatic ferry if that route is used. A shared or part load can take six to fourteen days because it waits for other shipments travelling the same route.
Do I pay customs or duty moving from Austria to Greece?
No. Austria and Greece are both in the EU customs union, so your used household goods move under free movement with no customs clearance, no duty and no import VAT on personal effects.
Do I need a visa to move from Austria to Greece?
Austrian and other EU citizens do not need a visa. You obtain your AFM tax number and AMKA social security number and register your residence as an EU citizen after arriving.
What is the AFM and why do I need it first?
The AFM is your Greek tax registration number from the local tax office. You need it to rent, open a bank account, connect utilities and work, so it is the first thing to arrange when you arrive.
Last reviewed: 11 March 2026. We refresh this guide as costs, customs, and visa rules change.