The Hellenic Post (ELTA) announced last week that it has began charging at least 15 euros for each parcel with a customs declaration received from a non-European Union country.
This new decision will hit customers who buy electronically from countries such as the U.S. and China, as well as those who receive packages from some friends and relatives living abroad, as long as a value for their contents is stated.
Any such item with a customs declaration will now be subject to a “Customs Clearance,” the minimum amount of which was set at 15 euros, according to an ELTA circular.
Until recently, only those parcels originating outside of European countries having a value of more than 22 euros were charged these extra customs duties.
According to the new regulations, for parcels with a value ranging from 0 to 22 euros, the customs duties will be 15 euros.
For parcels with values ranging from €22 up to €150, the customs duties are €15 plus 24% added VAT.
In order to receive parcels worth more than €150, customs duties are €15-50 depending on the cost of the package, plus 24% VAT and customs duties.
According to the ELTA announcement, for “all mailed items marked as free by the Customs Authorities, i.e. without a customs declaration, the customs duty was and remains zero.”
The ELTA underlines that the fees are being imposed by the Greek Customs Authorities and not the Hellenic Post itself.
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