Stuck in Greece.

[grumpygit]

We surely can't be the only ones?
After hold ups with traveling/ferry issues because of the Corona virus we eventually drove from the UK and arrived in Greece in July 2020 to spend summer here at our holiday home and we are still here unable to move or travel back . . . . . Welcome to Hotel Greece. The main issues we have come across so far are residency, the boat and the car.
The residency is being sorted quite simply by applying for the new Biometric Card as already having the Temporary Residency Card, and also by being here on the 31 December.
The next two issues are the dilemma, firstly the boat is a Hunter H260 on SSR and is sat on it's trailer at our Greek address and has been since it came out of the water in Autumn 2019, what do I need to do if anything to keep this legal.
The car is the vehicle we drove over in and has now outstayed it's 6 month period and believe its technically open to all sorts of punishments, all by no fault of our own (except for the wish to come over in the first place).
I am sure that I read or heard somewhere that if we declared ourselves residents under the Withdrawal Agreement we are allowed to bring in personal goods, such as a car and/or a boat. We are at a point where we could jump either way with a greater lean towards having Greece as our main residence, at least for the foreseeable.

Has anyone else suffered any of these issues that could please pass on their experiences and advice, for this we would be so grateful.

 

[Appleyard]

Look on the bright side, you won't have to put up with herds of braying expats.

 

[grumpygit]

There's always a silver lining to most things if you are prepared too look hard enough

 

[wwalsh]

next week its going to snow

this is about the car https://www.mfa.gr/usa/en/services/...in-greece-for-permanent-residents-abroad.html
you need to take it outside greece or to have it placed into customs bond (for no more than 24 months) you need a customs broker for cars.

for the yacht it is early days, you could try to get issued a transit log or wait for the legislation about yachts to be made.

 

[grumpygit]

next week its going to snow

this is about the car https://www.mfa.gr/usa/en/services/...in-greece-for-permanent-residents-abroad.html
you need to take it outside greece or to have it placed into customs bond (for no more than 24 months) you need a customs broker for cars.

for the yacht it is early days, you could try to get issued a transit log or wait for the legislation about yachts to be made.

Thanks for taking your time to reply and sharing the link, this was for TCN's (USA) and I thought there was an alternative option for the UK regarding the WA. Taking the car out of Greece is not possible with all the travel restrictions or it would have been long gone. There may be another option of paying the extra Greek road tax until we can get back but as yet I have found nothing official.
The number of UK cars that are flying about just in our prefecture is amazing and quite a few that I know are boat owners. There must be some serious problems lurking for us Brits.
The yacht is not really a problem apart from blocking the place up a tad. I can wait to see the outcome as there is no short term prospect to launch but if it gets too much hassle it can go up for sale.

 

[Flemming91]

Greece is not the worst country to get stuck in..
I don’t think it’s worth worrying about delays in the car, it’s not your fault.

 

[Sailfree]

Will your UK car be legal WRT MOT, Insurance and UK Road Tax (lack of UK Road Tax invalidates UK insurance)

Sorry cant advise better WRT Greece but Portugal allow you to matriculate one car per couple to Portuguese Registration free of normal charges but it must be done in 1st 12 months of obtaining residency and you must have owned the car for IIRC 6 months. Be surprised if Greece does not have something similar for people relocating their residence.

I would like to see the look on any Policeman's face when you explain its legal to drive a car to a MOT station for a MOT booking and the booking is in 2 days time which is the time for a journey from Greece!

Good Luck

 

[grumpygit]

Will your UK car be legal WRT MOT, Insurance and UK Road Tax (lack of UK Road Tax invalidates UK insurance)

Sorry cant advise better WRT Greece but Portugal allow you to matriculate one car per couple to Portuguese Registration free of normal charges but it must be done in 1st 12 months of obtaining residency and you must have owned the car for IIRC 6 months. Be surprised if Greece does not have something similar for people relocating their residence.

I would like to see the look on any Policeman's face when you explain its legal to drive a car to a MOT station for a MOT booking and the booking is in 2 days time which is the time for a journey from Greece!

Good Luck

The car is taxed and insured, a test not required as it's not old enough yet. Like your ironic take a the policeman ?

 

[Chris_Robb]

next week its going to snow

this is about the car https://www.mfa.gr/usa/en/services/...in-greece-for-permanent-residents-abroad.html
you need to take it outside greece or to have it placed into customs bond (for no more than 24 months) you need a customs broker for cars.

for the yacht it is early days, you could try to get issued a transit log or wait for the legislation about yachts to be made.

William - I believe that something is being published next week - it should have been this week. Lets hope that they (the Vat dept) has read my reports and requests to them - I think they have, but we will wait and see - is the TL going the same way as the DEKPA......... I hope for a nice surprise next week!

 

[Campbell33]

It is not your fault and for me, Greece is a great country and I wish to get stuck there) Nice country with a great history and good people!

 

[grumpygit]

It is not your fault and for me, Greece is a great country and I wish to get stuck there) Nice country with a great history and good people!

Well stuck we are and you are right in that Greece is a great country to get stuck in, or it will be as soon as it starts opening up with its hospitality businesses.
But the sun is shinning daily and the temperatures are going back up again so hey ho.
Just in case anyone is pondering the idea, and attempting to bringing in a vehicle. The Greeks will only allow in cars with Euro 6 emissions and the quote for putting it on Greek plates can be anywhere between €5500-7500, so that sort of persuaded me . . . . so it's getting shipped back to the UK.

With the boat we will just have to wait and see what comes out of the woodwork, as it is God knows when we'll be sailing again.
Onwards and upwards

 

[sailaboutvic]

Well stuck we are and you are right in that Greece is a great country to get stuck in, or it will be as soon as it starts opening up with its hospitality businesses.
But the sun is shinning daily and the temperatures are going back up again so hey ho.
Just in case anyone is pondering the idea, and attempting to bringing in a vehicle. The Greeks will only allow in cars with Euro 6 emissions and the quote for putting it on Greek plates can be anywhere between €5500-7500, so that sort of persuaded me . . . . so it's getting shipped back to the UK.

With the boat we will just have to wait and see what comes out of the woodwork, as it is God knows when we'll be sailing again.
Onwards and upwards

When you say ship the boat back , how do you mean ? Sail it back of stick it on a shipm

 

[RupertW]

When you say ship the boat back , how do you mean ? Sail it back of stick it on a shipm

The car, I think

 

[grumpygit]

Vic, that'll be the car and it will be getting shipped in the back of a wagon or a container.