Transit Time Guide
Shipping from Portugal to Greece
No customs — EU single market. 1–2 days express, 5–8 days economy road. Island delivery adds 1–3 days.
No customs — EU single market. 1–2 days express, 5–8 days economy road. Island delivery adds 1–3 days.
Greece is a full EU member state and Eurozone member — no customs clearance is required. Road routing from Portugal to Greece is complex due to geography: shipments travel through France, Italy, and then by ferry to Greece (Brindisi-Patras or Ancona-Igoumenitsa) or through the Balkans route via Serbia/North Macedonia. This makes Greece one of the slower economy road destinations from Portugal, with 5–8 business days typical for ground freight. DHL Express delivers to Athens in 1–2 business days. A critical consideration: Greece has over 6,000 islands, of which 227 are inhabited — island delivery adds 1–3 extra days and often requires ferry connections beyond the mainland carrier network.
| Carrier | Economy | Express | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| DHL Express | — | 1–2 days | DHL Express Worldwide. Strong Athens hub. Best for time-sensitive Greece shipments. |
| FedEx | — | 2–3 days | International Priority to Athens and major Greek cities. |
| UPS | 5–8 days | 2–3 days | UPS Standard road (5–8 days) or Express Saver (2–3 days). Road via Balkans or Italy-ferry. |
| GLS | 5–8 days | — | GLS has strong Greek network via its Greek partner ACS. Good B2B coverage. |
| DPD | 6–9 days | — | Economy road via Italy or Balkans. DPD slower than GLS for Greece due to routing. |
Times are business days. Customs clearance time (if applicable) is additional and variable.
No customs clearance required. Greece is a full EU member state and Eurozone member — goods move freely within the EU single market with no import duties, border inspections or customs declarations needed. Greek FPA (Fóros Prostithémenis Axías — VAT) at 24% standard rate applies to B2C sales. Reduced rates: 13% on food and some services, 6% on pharmaceutical products, books and newspapers. For e-commerce: EU OSS rules — register for OSS and charge 24% Greek FPA on B2C sales once cross-border EU B2C sales exceed €10,000/year. B2B: include Greek AFM (ΑΦΜ — tax registration number) on invoice for reverse charge. Note: Greek addresses can be challenging — always include the Greek postal code (5 digits) and verify the address with the recipient.
Island delivery: if shipping to any of Greece's islands (Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, etc.), allow an extra 1–3 days beyond mainland transit times. Island deliveries typically require ferry connections handled by local last-mile carriers.
GLS via ACS is the strongest economy carrier for Greece — ACS (now part of GLS Group) has excellent Greek mainland and island coverage.
Athens and Thessaloniki are the primary commercial centres — well-served by all carriers. Other regions (Peloponnese, northwestern Greece) may have longer residential delivery times.
Greek addresses should be confirmed with the recipient — some Greek addresses don't match GPS precisely and delivery drivers need mobile contact to navigate.
Greek B2C market: Greek consumers have adopted e-commerce significantly since 2020. Tracking and proof-of-delivery are important — use carriers with good Greek consumer notifications.
Seasonal note: August is peak holiday season in Greece — businesses may be closed or operate reduced hours. B2B deliveries may be delayed; plan around the August slowdown.
DHL Express: 1–2 business days to Athens. FedEx/UPS Express: 2–3 days. Economy road (GLS, DPD, UPS Standard): 5–8 business days via Italy-ferry or Balkans route. For Greek islands (Crete, Rhodes, etc.): add 1–3 extra days beyond mainland times. Express air is strongly recommended for island destinations.
No — Greece is an EU member state. Goods move freely within the EU single market with no customs declarations or import duties. A commercial invoice is standard for B2B shipments (include the recipient's AFM tax number) but no customs declaration is required.
Greek island delivery adds 1–3 extra days beyond mainland Greek transit times. Islands require ferry connections after the carrier's mainland delivery network. For example, shipping to Crete from Portugal: 2–3 days express air to Heraklion, or 7–10 days road+ferry. Remote islands (Dodecanese, North Aegean) may take 1–2 days longer still. Always ask DHL/FedEx for specific island transit time estimates.
For express: DHL Express delivers to Athens in 1–2 days. For economy B2B: GLS via ACS partner has the strongest Greek network. DPD is slower for Greece due to Balkans routing. For island destinations, DHL Express is the most reliable option.
Greek FPA standard rate is 24%. Reduced: 13% on food, agricultural products and some utilities; 6% on medicines, books, newspapers and some cultural events. For B2C e-commerce from Portugal, register for EU OSS and charge 24% Greek FPA once cross-border B2C sales exceed €10,000/year.
DHL Express offers Saturday delivery in Athens and Thessaloniki. Saturday delivery to Greek islands is not consistently available — ferry schedules affect island delivery regardless of the carrier. Economy road services (GLS via ACS, DPD) operate Monday to Friday only. Check Saturday availability at Cargosender checkout.
ACS (the GLS Greek partner) contacts recipients by phone before delivery — always provide a working Greek mobile number. DHL holds parcels at a DHL Service Point. Greek B2C recipients expect to be called before delivery, particularly for first-floor or apartment addresses. Without a contactable mobile number, delivery success rates drop significantly.
DHL Express offers a money-back guarantee for express services to Athens and major Greek mainland cities. Economy road services (GLS/ACS, DPD) do not carry money-back guarantees. Greek island destinations are excluded from express guarantees due to ferry connection dependencies.
Yes — DHL and FedEx provide full tracking to mainland Greece and most islands. ACS (GLS partner) provides Greek-language tracking for economy shipments. For island destinations, tracking updates may be less frequent once the parcel is within the island ferry and local carrier network. Always provide a Greek mobile number for delivery updates.
DHL Express: 70 kg per parcel, girth 300 cm, single dimension 120 cm. GLS via ACS: typically 30–40 kg per parcel. Greek island ferry connections may impose additional size restrictions for very large parcels. Always confirm island-specific carrier limits with Cargosender before booking heavy or oversized items to Greek islands.
Yes — all Cargosender prices include fuel and energy surcharges. Remote area surcharges apply to many Greek islands and some rural mainland areas — these are shown before you confirm your booking. No hidden extras for Athens and Thessaloniki deliveries.
EU ADR road regulations apply for DG transport via Italy or the Balkans route to Greece. Air DG via DHL Express requires IATA-compliant packaging and carrier approval. Greece follows EU REACH regulations on chemicals. Contact Cargosender before booking any hazardous goods shipment to Greece — routing complexity (including ferry connections) adds logistical considerations.
Book at Cargosender.com — for mainland Greece choose GLS economy road (5–8 days) or DHL Express (1–2 days). For Greek island destinations, DHL Express is the most reliable option. Enter your Greek address carefully including the 5-digit postal code and confirm your collection date.
DHL Express delivers B2B before noon in Athens. ACS/GLS economy deliveries are typically any time between 08:00 and 18:00. Greek couriers frequently call recipients before attempting delivery — especially for addresses that are difficult to locate by GPS. Always include a working Greek mobile number on shipping labels.
Yes — documents move freely within the EU with no customs restrictions. DHL Express delivers documents from Portugal to Athens in 1–2 business days. FedEx is also reliable for urgent commercial documents. No customs forms are required for document shipments between EU member states.
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