Driving to Crete from a Non-Eu country

[tel]

Hi, Does anybody know how long you can visit Crete by car with a non-Euro registered and plated car or vehicle please? I have seen six months for a Euro vehicle and have also driven from the UK to Turkey(non-EU) and was okay for six months but I have read somewhere that it may only be fifteen days for a non-euro vehicle into Crete!! Now I have a Turkish plated vehicle I was considering an overland journey plus ferry of course to Crete in the New Year. Cheers

[filippos]

If you are resident within the EU you can keep a foreign registered vehicle in Greece legally for a maximum of six month before it needs to be re-registered in Greece. You should declare the vehicle on arrival which, it seems, many foreigners fail to do: quite a few also don't bother to re-register them either at the end of the six months. If you are caught flouting the rules penalties are severe.

The rules for non-EU registered vehicles may be different but, if so, I don't know what they are but they could be different (and possibly more likely to be enforced for vehicles from Turkey bearing in mind the political antagonism between the two countries?).

Warwick will probably know, correct any misinformation of mine and give you chapter and verse. I sometimes think he knows everything. ;-)

[Kilkis]

This is the UK guidance. It claims to be based on Council Regulation (EEC) 2913/92 establishing the Customs Code, and Commission Regulation (EEC) 2454/93, which lays down the provision for its implementation so the rules in Greece ought to be the same. Paragraph 2.2 for road vehicles states: "6 months however, if you are a non EU student or non-EU worker on a temporary assignment see paragraph 3.5". Paragraph 3.5 extends the period: "Non-EU students and non EU workers on temporary assignments. If your normal place of residence is outside the EU and you temporarily import a vehicle for use during your studies or assignment, the vehicle can remain under relief in the EU for the period of your studies or until the end of your assignment, see also paragraph 3.3." To be really sure you need to read the whole document.

Generally it seems the requirements for non-EU registered vehicles are pretty much the same as EU registered. Bring it in for more than 6 months and you have to register it.

Warwick

PS I actually know very little but my curiosity has no bounds. If someone asks a question and I don't know the answer I have an irresistible urge to find out. Probably conditioned by 50 years of research.

[tel]

Thank you Fillippos and Warwick for your kind help