Shipping from the UK to Greece: What UK Sellers Need to Know

Greece is a mid-sized EU e-commerce market with a growing appetite for international online shopping. Post-Brexit, UK parcels enter Greece as third-country imports subject to Greek customs rules and EU VAT. There are two things that often catch UK sellers off guard when shipping to Greece: the 24% VAT rate applied to orders above the €150 threshold, and the logistics complexity of shipping to the Greek islands.

Greece's VAT rate: 24%

Greece applies a standard VAT rate of 24% to most goods. This places Greece in the upper tier of EU VAT rates — the same as Finland, higher than Germany (19%) and the Netherlands (21%), but below Sweden and Denmark (25%) and Hungary (27%). VAT is charged on the total customs value — product price plus shipping — when the parcel clears Greek customs.

For a £160 order with £20 shipping, Greek VAT at 24% on the total £180 customs value comes to £43. Add a customs handling fee of around £10, and the on-delivery charge reaches approximately £53 — a significant addition to a £160 purchase that Greek customers may not be expecting unless you've told them upfront.

Import duty on UK goods

Goods that genuinely originate in the UK qualify for 0% import duty under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Most small business products — handmade goods, UK-manufactured homeware, ceramics, clothing made from UK materials — attract zero duty. Standard EU import duty rates apply to goods that don't meet the UK origin rules, so confirm your origin status before claiming TCA preference.

The €150 threshold

Shipments below €150 in customs value benefit from simplified customs processing. If you're IOSS-registered or selling through a platform that handles IOSS (such as Etsy or Amazon), VAT is collected at checkout and your Greek customer pays nothing on delivery. Above €150, the full 24% VAT is assessed at the Greek customs border. Plan your pricing tiers with this threshold in mind — an order of £155 will carry a significantly larger on-delivery charge than an order of £145 for a Greek customer not covered by IOSS.

A practical example

A UK homeware brand ships a set of ceramic bowls worth £160 to a customer in Athens. The goods are UK-made and qualify for 0% duty under the TCA.

Understanding the full landed cost for Greek customers above and below the threshold allows you to make informed decisions about how to price and present your products in the Greek market.

A note on the Greek islands

Greece has some of the most geographically complex logistics in the EU. The country comprises mainland Greece and over 200 inhabited islands, including major tourist destinations like Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, and Mykonos, as well as dozens of smaller island communities. There are two important things to know for UK exporters:

Reduced VAT rates on certain Aegean islands. Some of the smaller Aegean islands — including Lesvos, Chios, Samos, and several others — have historically benefited from reduced VAT rates (typically 17% rather than 24%) as a regional economic measure. However, this reduced rate applies to goods purchased and consumed on the island, not to imports arriving from outside Greece. UK parcels arriving in Greece, including on the islands, are subject to the standard 24% import VAT at the point of customs clearance. Do not adjust your calculations for island addresses.

Shipping times and costs to islands. Deliveries to island addresses in Greece take longer and can cost more than mainland deliveries. Standard courier services reach Athens and major mainland cities in 4–6 working days from the UK. Island deliveries may take 7–10 working days or longer depending on the island and the carrier's routing. Set delivery expectations in your listings and confirm island coverage with your courier before taking orders from specific island addresses.

Customs processing in Greece

Greek customs processing can be slower than in northern EU countries, particularly during high-volume periods. Parcels above the €150 threshold may take additional time to clear. Use a fully tracked shipping service for all Greek shipments — this gives both you and your customer visibility of where the parcel is during the customs clearance stage, and it provides the proof of export you need for VAT zero-rating records.

Before you ship to Greece

Calculate the complete on-delivery charge at 24% VAT for your typical order values, both above and below the €150 threshold. Include a note in your listings for orders likely to exceed the threshold. Confirm island delivery coverage and costs with your courier before accepting orders. Use ClearShip to get the full duty and VAT breakdown for any UK-to-Greece shipment in seconds. The hidden costs of shipping to EU customers are particularly worth understanding for Greece given the combination of a high VAT rate and complex island logistics.