We ship cars, trucks, used construction machinery and general containerised cargo from anywhere in the USA to Greece. Nationwide collection, loading at our own warehouse, US export filing handled, and a real price back in 24 to 48 hours.
Greek ports we serve
Piraeus
Greece's principal port and one of the largest transshipment hubs in the Mediterranean, with container piers capable of taking the biggest ships afloat.
Thessaloniki
Greece's largest conventional cargo transit port, with direct rail links to Sofia, Nis and Skopje for cargo heading north.
Greece drives on the right
American left hand drive vehicles suit the road configuration directly, with no steering conversion needed.
Cars, machinery, cargo
Auction and dealer vehicles, construction plant, commercial goods and general containerised freight.
What we move to Greece
Cars and pickups from Copart, IAA, Manheim and eBay Motors, three or four to a 40ft container so the freight splits across them. Trucks and commercial vehicles. Used construction machinery from Ritchie Bros., IronPlanet and Purple Wave. And general containerised cargo, including building materials, industrial goods, trade goods and spare parts.
American left hand drive vehicles suit Greek roads directly, so there is no conversion cost or delay of the kind that affects right hand drive stock from other source markets.
The emissions rule, and why it comes first
Most destination pages lead with cost. On this lane the first question is whether the vehicle can be registered at all.
Greece refuses registration to passenger cars built to Euro 3 standards or older, and to vehicles that meet no Euro emissions standard. That is a hard gate rather than a tax. A great deal of older American stock sits on the wrong side of it, which is why a car that looks like a bargain at auction can turn out to be unregisterable once it lands.
Vehicles that do qualify are not all treated the same. An environmental fee is collected along with the registration tax on used imported cars, and it is heavier for Euro 4 vehicles than for Euro 5. Trucks are handled on their own scale, with the charge rising for Euro 5 and rising further where the vehicle meets neither Euro 5 nor Euro 6.
Vehicles over thirty years old that are brought in specifically as vehicles of historic interest are treated separately and are outside the environmental fee, subject to being certified as such. That is a narrow route and it is not a way around the registration rule for an ordinary old car.
Greek registration tax, in outline
Greece charges a registration tax that starts from the pre-tax retail selling price of the equivalent new model and is then adjusted by the carbon dioxide figure and the Euro standard. For a used car that starting figure is reduced for age and body type, with a further reduction where mileage is above average, and the total reduction is capped.
Import VAT applies separately at the Greek standard rate, calculated on the dutiable value plus the duties and charges owed outside Greece, plus the incidental costs of getting the cargo to its first destination in the country.
Collectors' items classified under the customs heading for historic vehicles attract a reduced Greek VAT rate on import, which is one of the reasons genuinely historic cars behave differently from merely old ones. We are the ocean carrier and will not calculate any of this for you, because the figures belong to the Greek tax authority and to your clearing agent.
Piraeus or Thessaloniki
Piraeus is the default. It is one of the largest transshipment hubs in the Mediterranean, its container piers take ships of sixteen thousand containers and more, and its vehicle terminals handle a quarter of a million cars a year as a hub for the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea and North Africa. For most Greek cargo it is simply the right answer.
Thessaloniki is Greece's largest conventional cargo transit port and the gateway to the north, with direct rail connections to Sofia, Nis and Skopje. If the cargo is going to northern Greece or onward into the Balkans, it is worth asking about.
Tell us the delivery town and we will tell you which port lands your cargo closest, including when that answer costs you less.
Get a real price in 24 to 48 hours
Tell us the vehicle or cargo, where it sits in the USA, and the emissions standard if you already know it.
Get a free quote WhatsApp usWhy book this lane with us
We are the carrier. Cassandra Logistics is federally licensed by the Federal Maritime Commission under OTI No. 025125NF, and the bill of lading is issued in our own name rather than by a broker reselling somebody else's space.
We collect from anywhere in the USA, including non-runners, and load at our own warehouse in New Jersey, Savannah, Houston or Baltimore, where cargo is braced and photographed before the doors close.
We file the US export declaration, so the American side is clean before the vessel sails and your agent has a consistent document set. See what the US filing involves.
What is the best way to ship a car from the USA to Greece?
In a container to Piraeus, booked with the licensed carrier rather than a broker. A container protects the vehicle and lets three or four share one box so the freight splits across them. Cassandra Logistics is FMC-licensed under OTI No. 025125NF and issues the bill of lading in its own name. Get a price in 24 to 48 hours.
Who ships cars from the USA to Piraeus?
We do, as a licensed US NVOCC. We collect from any state, load and brace the vehicles at our own warehouse in New Jersey, Savannah, Houston or Baltimore, file the US export declaration and ship to Piraeus or Thessaloniki.
Can I ship a car I bought at a US auction to Greece?
Yes, subject to the emissions rule. We collect directly from Copart, IAA, Manheim and eBay Motors yards anywhere in the United States. Settle the Euro standard before you bid, because a car Greece will not register is a car you cannot sell.
Can any American car be registered in Greece?
No. Greece refuses registration to passenger cars built to Euro 3 standards or older, and to vehicles that meet no Euro emissions standard at all. That rules out a large part of the older American market, and it is a hard gate rather than an extra charge.
Is there an age limit on importing a car into Greece?
Greece sets no maximum age as such. The operative restriction is the emissions standard rather than the year, which in practice excludes most older vehicles anyway. Treat the Euro standard as the real test and the build year as a rough proxy for it.
What is the Greek environmental fee on imported cars?
A charge collected together with the registration tax on used imported passenger cars that do meet the standard. It is heavier for Euro 4 vehicles than for Euro 5. Trucks are assessed on a separate scale that rises for Euro 5 and rises further where the vehicle meets neither Euro 5 nor Euro 6.
How is Greek registration tax calculated?
It starts from the pre-tax retail selling price of the equivalent new model, then adjusts for the carbon dioxide figure and the Euro standard. For a used car the starting figure is reduced for age and body type, with a further reduction where mileage is above average, and the total reduction is capped. Your agent calculates it.
Are classic cars over thirty years old treated differently in Greece?
Yes. Vehicles over thirty years old brought in specifically as vehicles of historic interest are outside the environmental fee, subject to being certified as such, and collectors items classified under the customs heading for historic vehicles attract a reduced Greek import VAT rate. It is a narrow route rather than a way around the registration rule for an ordinary old car.
How much does it cost to ship a car from the USA to Greece?
It depends on where the vehicle sits in the States, which Greek port you want, and how many vehicles share the container. Because we are the NVOCC rather than a reseller, the number is the carrier rate rather than a broker markup. Send us the vehicle and the pickup location for a firm figure.
How long does shipping from the USA to Piraeus take?
It depends on the US loading port and whether the routing runs direct or transships. Piraeus is a major Mediterranean hub, which tends to help schedule choice on this lane. We give you a concrete timeline with the quote rather than a generic range.
Can I put three or four cars in one container to Greece?
Yes, and it is the biggest single saving on this lane. Ocean freight is charged on the container rather than per vehicle, so filling a 40ft box drops the cost per car sharply. Tell us the exact vehicles and we will confirm the loading plan.
Should I ship to Piraeus or Thessaloniki?
Piraeus for most cargo, since it is the principal port and one of the largest transshipment hubs in the Mediterranean. Thessaloniki suits northern Greece and cargo moving onward into the Balkans, with direct rail links to Sofia, Nis and Skopje. Tell us the delivery town and we will route it.
Are American left hand drive cars suitable for Greece?
Yes. Greece drives on the right, so American vehicles suit the road configuration directly with no steering conversion. That removes a cost and delay that right hand drive stock from other source markets carries.
Can I ship machinery and construction plant to Greece?
Yes. Excavators, loaders, telehandlers and plant move on this lane. Depending on dimensions we ship containerised, on flat-rack or by heavy haulage, with dismantling and securing where the size requires it. Send the model number so we confirm dimensions rather than estimate them.
Do you carry general commercial cargo to Greece?
Yes. Full container freight from any US origin, including building materials, industrial goods, machinery parts and trade goods. Tell us the commodity, weight and volume and we will price it the same way we price a vehicle shipment.
Does my American car need type approval in Greece?
Yes. A US-market vehicle has no EU whole vehicle type approval, so it goes through an individual vehicle approval procedure under the EU type approval regulation, administered by the Greek transport ministry. Your agent handles it. Allow time and cost for it before you buy.
Can you collect a vehicle anywhere in the USA for a Greece shipment?
Yes. Nationwide pickup and towing from any state, whether the vehicle sits at an auction yard, a dealer or a private seller. Non-runners are winched rather than driven. Distance affects the cost of collection, not whether we can do it.
Which US ports do you load from for Greece?
Our warehouses in New Jersey, Savannah, Houston and Baltimore all serve Mediterranean sailings, with East Coast departures most common on this lane. Tell us where the vehicle sits and we will work out which loading point lands it soonest.
Do you handle customs clearance in Greece?
No. Clearance is handled by a licensed customs agent in Greece. We are the ocean carrier, we deliver to Piraeus or Thessaloniki, and we provide the documentation your agent needs. Be wary of any company claiming to clear customs in every country.
What US export paperwork applies on a Greece shipment?
We handle the US side, including the filing in the Automated Export System. You provide the title or equivalent ownership document and the bill of sale. A vehicle cannot leave the United States without its title, and there is no workaround. See the AES filing guide.
What is included in your Greece price?
Collection from the US seller, transport to our warehouse, loading and bracing, the US export filing, and the ocean freight to Piraeus or Thessaloniki. Greek duty, VAT, registration tax, the environmental fee, port handling, your agent fee and inland delivery are paid at that end.
Why are other quotes to Greece cheaper?
Usually because they exclude collection, loading or the export filing, or because they are broker prices that get revised once the booking becomes real. Ask what is excluded and ask who issues the bill of lading. See what actually drives the cost.
Can you hold my cars at your warehouse until I have a full container for Greece?
Yes. We can hold vehicles while you win others, then load them together in one container. Auction yards charge daily storage and our warehouse does not, so waiting for the right load usually saves money rather than costing it.
How do you secure a vehicle for the crossing to Greece?
Loaded on its own wheels, chocked, strapped at the wheels or suspension rather than over the bodywork, and blocked so it cannot shift at sea. Where the straps attach is what separates a careful load from a damaged car.
Will I get photographs before my Greece container is sealed?
Yes. We photograph the vehicle when it reaches our warehouse and again once it is loaded and braced, before the doors close. That record also supports a claim if anything goes wrong in transit, which is why we do it as standard.
Can I pack spare parts or personal items inside a car going to Greece?
Only if they are declared on the export filing. Undeclared goods inside vehicles are a common cause of clearance delays at Piraeus, and the consequence lands on the importer rather than on the carrier. Send us the list when you book.
Do you deliver inland in Greece?
Our service ends at the port of discharge. Inland delivery is arranged by your clearing agent, who is already handling clearance. Tell us the final town anyway, since it decides whether Piraeus or Thessaloniki lands the cargo closest.
How fast can you quote a Greece shipment?
Within 24 to 48 hours in normal cases. Send the vehicle details including the VIN and where it sits in the United States, and the emissions standard if you have it. For machinery send the model number so we confirm dimensions rather than estimating.
What happens once I confirm a Greece booking?
We arrange collection, bring the cargo to our warehouse, photograph it, book the container, load and brace it, file the US export declaration and send you the bill of lading. Your Greek clearing agent takes over from the port of discharge.
Are you a licensed carrier on the Greece lane or a middleman?
We are the NVOCC. Cassandra Logistics is a federally licensed Ocean Transportation Intermediary under FMC licence OTI No. 025125NF, legally Royal Port Container Lines, Inc. The licence number is public and verifiable with the Federal Maritime Commission before you send anyone money.
Can cargo landing at Piraeus move on to the Black Sea or North Africa?
Piraeus works as a hub for the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea and North Africa, and its vehicle terminals handle transit cars for exactly that trade. If your final destination is outside Greece, tell us when you ask for the quote so we route the cargo properly rather than landing it in the wrong country.
Import rules change. The customs information on this page comes from official government sources and was accurate when published, but duties, age limits and eligibility requirements are set by the destination country and can change without notice. Cassandra Logistics is a licensed ocean carrier, not a customs authority or a legal adviser. We are not responsible for changes to foreign import law, or for decisions made by customs at destination. Always confirm current requirements with a licensed customs agent in the destination country before you buy a vehicle.