Cars with Ukrainian plates should have the so called “green card” (insurance for the car outside the country of registration) when they are used outside Ukraine. The green card is based on the Ukrainian insurance of the car. While the green card (insurance) is paid before the exit of the car from the country of registration, Ukraine legislated that cars with Ukrainian plates can leave the country without it.
Cars with Ukrainian plates used outside Ukraine are covered exceptionally by the Ukrainian Bureau of International Insurance for a period of 30 days without charge. After the expiration of the above 30 days period, the cars with Ukrainian plates should be insured. The Ukrainian Bureau of International Insurance operates and has shared the attached information for owners of cars with Ukrainian plates that are used outside Ukraine (http://www.mtsbu.ua/ua/presscenter/news/168164/ ). The cost of insurance in that case is appx. 180 euros per month.
The entry of cars with Ukrainian plates into Greece is documented with a stamp of the Customs Office in Promahona or border checkpoints. The stamp documents when the start of the six-month period for the use of the car in Greece begins.
The cars with Ukrainian plates cannot be insured by Greek Insurance Companies unless they get provisional Greek plates. Only the green card is available as a means of insurance.
After entering Greece with your vehicle, you must state your address at the customs office of his place of residence to get Greek provisional plates. To do this, you need to have a hosting address (friends, hotel, etc.), and you will need to visit the city’s custom office. The declaration must be made within 30 days from the date of entry into Greece, otherwise a fine will be imposed.
In this case the cost for using the car is analyzed as follows:
- 100 euros for the provisional plates
- road taxes (possibility to pay per month – the cost depends on the cubics of the car)
- insurance that is bought in Greece – Greek insurance purchased
For Attika/Piraeus region, the Customs Office that provides provisional plates is the one located in the port of Piraeus.
For the area of Thessaloniki you can contact the A Customs Office of Thessaloniki at the port located at the intersection of Karatasos and October 28th. For more information you can call the +30 2313 334320.
Regarding the driving license, a valid driving license issued in Ukraine is accepted for driving in Greece when:
- Either it is held by a person enjoying temporary protection in accordance with Article 1 of the 3d relevant decision.
- Either it is held by a person who does not have his habitual residence in Greece, because of the fact that both Greece and Ukraine are parties to the Vienna Convention (1968) on Road Traffic.
In case the license is not in Latin characters, it is required to be accompanied either by an official translation into Greek or English or by a valid international license.
In case the owner does not want to use the car there is the possibility to declare at the Customs office of his/her place of residence that the car is immobilized. The cost of the procedure is 10 – 20 euros and an officer of the Customs Office visits the place where the car is parked to lock the wheel. The immobilization of the car means that the six months period freezes.
Important useful information: in case the entry of the car in Greece is not proved by the relevant document issued at the borders, the car owners should have with them their passports that prove when they have entered Greece to facilitate the procedure at the Customs, which enters in the system the date of entry of the car in Greece.
In any case, please contact the customs service in your area.