A car from Austria: how to bring it to Greece

Documents you need

• Zulassungsschein (registration certificate): first registration date, CO₂ and emission class.
• Typenschein for older cars, or a CoC (EG-Übereinstimmungsbescheinigung) for newer EU type-approved cars.
• Invoice (Rechnung) or purchase contract (Kaufvertrag) with seller, buyer and price.

Private seller or dealer: VAT

• Private seller (Privatverkauf): no VAT. The contract must be certified by a Greek consular authority in Austria.
• Dealer under the margin scheme (Differenzbesteuerung): no separate VAT on the invoice and no Greek VAT. Pay by bank transfer: customs will ask for a bank document showing you paid more than 50% of the invoice value.
• Dealer charging Austrian VAT (USt) on the invoice: as a private buyer you pay Austrian VAT and not again in Greece.
• If the car is less than 6 months from first registration or has up to 6,000 km, it counts as new for VAT and you pay 24% VAT in Greece.

Transport from Austria

The road distance to Athens is about 1,750 km through the Balkans. You can drive it on Austrian export plates (Ausfuhrkennzeichen), issued with insurance for a limited period, or ship it on a car carrier. Get quotes; prices vary a lot.

What to check before buying

• The exact Euro standard and CO₂ on the Zulassungsschein and the CoC. Ask for a photo before you buy: Euro 6b instead of 6d raises the tax by 50%.
• The Greek retail price of the same model and version when it was first released. That is the tax base, not the purchase price.
• Whether the §57a inspection (“Pickerl”) is still valid. It does not replace the Greek KTEO inspection, but helps get it recognised.
• That the car is registered in an EU country (in free circulation).