Moving from United States to Greece
A sun and sea move that thousands of Americans now make. Here is the honest brief on shipping your home across the Atlantic to Greece, the transfer of residence relief that can bring it in tax free, the realistic visa routes for a non European Union citizen, and how long it really takes.
A container across the Atlantic, and a residence permit to plan around.
Moving from the United States to Greece is a sea container move that, for a typical two to three bedroom home, runs from roughly 4,500 US dollars in a shared container to around 20,000 US dollars for a full sole use container with comprehensive service, door to door. Most American households leave from an east coast port such as New York or Norfolk, or are railed from the interior, and arrive at Piraeus, the great port of Athens, in roughly four to eight weeks depending on routing and sailing schedules.
The thing that surprises Americans most is that the move splits into two very different problems. The shipping is the easy, well trodden part. The harder part is that you are a citizen of a country outside the European Union, so you cannot simply arrive and stay. You need a national visa and a residence permit arranged before or around the move, and you should pair the shipment with a certificate of transfer of residence obtained from a Greek consulate in the United States, which is what unlocks duty free entry of your household goods.
Plan the visa and the customs certificate first, and let the container follow. Get that order right and a move to Greece is one of the more rewarding relocations an American can make. Get it wrong and your goods can sit at Piraeus accruing storage while paperwork catches up.
What the move really costs.
Indicative 2026 ranges in US dollars, door to door from the United States to Greece by sea. Your volume, the ports at each end, and the inland legs in both countries move the figure most.
Indicative 2026 figures in US dollars. A shared container is cheaper but slower because your goods wait for a consolidated load. Summer is the peak season and costs more.
- +Best value for a studio or smaller home
- +You pay only for the space you use
- −Slower, since the container waits to fill
- +Faster and handled only for your home
- +The sensible choice for a full house
- −You pay for the whole box even if part empty
- +Fastest way to get essentials to Greece
- +Useful while the container is still at sea
- −Rarely economical for a full household
Get moving quotes for United States to Greece.
Tell us your size and timing. We pass your request to vetted international movers who run the United States to Greece lane, and you compare them on your own terms.
A realistic schedule for this route.
A realistic United States to Greece timeline, from first survey to delivery in Athens or the islands, assuming your visa and transfer of residence certificate are in hand.
Book and survey
Arrange binding pre move surveys with movers who run the United States to Greece lane. Summer sailings fill early, so book ahead. In parallel, secure your Greek visa and apply to the Greek consulate for your certificate of transfer of residence.
Paperwork and packing plan
Finalise your residence paperwork, confirm the certificate of transfer of normal residence, and prepare a detailed valued inventory in the format Greek customs expects. Decide what ships, what sells, and what flies with you.
Pack and load
The crew packs and inventories your goods and loads the container. It is then trucked or railed to the departure port and booked onto a sailing to Piraeus.
Atlantic sea transit
The container sails from the United States east coast to Piraeus, often via a transshipment hub in the Mediterranean. West coast origins take longer. Track the vessel and keep your paperwork ready.
Customs clearance at Piraeus
Greek customs, part of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue known as AADE, processes your transfer of residence relief against your certificate and inventory. Clean paperwork is the difference between days and weeks here.
Inland delivery
Once cleared, your goods are delivered to your address in Athens, Thessaloniki, or onward to an island, where the final ferry leg can add a little time and cost.
Bringing your household goods into Greece.
Greece offers a genuine relief for people genuinely relocating, called transfer of residence, or metoikesia in Greek. A person who has had their habitual abode outside the European Union for at least two years and transfers it to Greece to settle can import used household goods free of import duty and value added tax, provided the goods were owned and used before the move and are imported within the window customs allows around the relocation.
The key document is the certificate of transfer of normal residence. Americans apply for it at the Greek consular authority covering their previous home in the United States before they leave, submitting evidence of having lived abroad and of the move. If you have already arrived, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Athens can issue it. Without this certificate, your goods are not eligible for the relief and can face duty, value added tax, and storage charges while matters are sorted out.
Customs clearance happens at Piraeus through AADE, the Independent Authority for Public Revenue. You will need the certificate, a detailed valued inventory, your passport and residence documentation, and the bill of lading. Restricted items follow European Union rules, and bringing an American vehicle is usually not worthwhile given conversion and tax. Apply for your Greek tax number, the AFM, early, as it threads through customs, banking, and daily life.
The routes in for this corridor.
As United States citizens you are outside the European Union, so you cannot simply move to Greece. You can visit visa free for up to 90 days in any 180, but living there means a national visa and a residence permit, arranged before the move.
The financially independent person route suits those with stable passive income, such as a pension or investments, who will not work locally. You show sufficient means, secure a national visa, then a residence permit. It is one of the most popular routes for Americans relocating to Greece.
Greece's residence by investment programme grants residence to those who buy property above a set threshold, which varies by area. It does not require you to live in Greece full time and is a common route for those with the capital to invest. Confirm the current thresholds before you rely on them.
Greece offers a digital nomad visa for remote workers earning from outside the country, and standard work routes for those with a Greek employer. Each has its own income or sponsorship conditions.
Those with a Greek spouse, family, or in some cases Greek ancestry may have a faster or different route to residence or even citizenship. If you have Greek heritage, it is worth investigating before defaulting to another visa.
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.
Check the trade affiliation. Membership of FIDI or IAM is the clearest signal a mover is financially screened and bound to industry standards for international household goods. For this corridor, confirm the mover runs the United States to Greece lane regularly, clears through Piraeus, understands the transfer of residence certificate and metoikesia relief, and can handle any onward ferry leg if you are settling on an island.
Insist on a binding pre move survey. A real video or in home survey of your volume is the only honest basis for a price. A quote given without one is a guess that tends to grow on moving day.
Compare like for like. Read what each quote includes: packing, materials, customs clearance, destination delivery, stair or long carry charges, and insurance. The cheapest headline number is rarely the cheapest move.
Understand the insurance terms. Ask whether cover is full replacement value or depreciated, what the excess is, and how claims are handled. Read the valuation clause before you sign.
Read recent reviews for this corridor. A mover can be excellent locally and weak on international shipments. Look for verified reviews that mention the actual route and customs experience.
Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from the United States to Greece?
For a two to three bedroom home, expect roughly 4,500 to 8,000 US dollars in a shared container and around 7,500 to 13,000 US dollars in a sole use container, door to door. Smaller and larger homes scale from there. These are indicative 2026 ranges, not a quote.
How long does shipping from the United States to Greece take?
Plan on roughly four to eight weeks of sea transit from the United States east coast to Piraeus, often via a Mediterranean transshipment hub, plus one to three weeks for customs clearance and a few days for inland or island delivery. West coast origins take longer.
Can I bring my household goods to Greece duty free?
Yes, if you qualify for transfer of residence relief, known as metoikesia. You must have lived outside the European Union for at least two years, be settling in Greece, and hold a certificate of transfer of normal residence from a Greek consulate. Confirm the conditions with Greek customs before you ship.
Do Americans need a visa to move to Greece?
Yes. United States citizens can visit visa free for up to 90 days in any 180, but living in Greece requires a national visa and a residence permit, such as the financially independent person route, the Golden Visa, or a digital nomad or work visa. Arrange this before the move.
What is the AFM and do I need one?
The AFM is your Greek tax identification number, a nine digit number issued for life. You need it for customs, banking, renting, utilities, and most official business, and Americans can obtain one early in the process. It is one of the first things to sort on arrival.
Can I bring my car from the United States to Greece?
It is usually not worthwhile. American vehicles face conversion requirements and taxes, and the cost and hassle rarely justify shipping a car. Most people sell up before leaving and buy locally in Greece, where European models are easier to service.
Last reviewed: 26 April 2026. We refresh this guide as costs, customs, and visa rules change.