Transit formalities for containerized cargo
Due to its advantageous geographical location and its road and rail connections, the port of Thessaloniki is the largest transit trade port in Greece. It serves the import / export needs of South East Europe from / to all over the world.
FAIRPLAY S.A., having many years of experience in container handling, has developed a rich clientele and partners in the Balkan region. For the immediate and correct coordination of our work, we maintain an office within the Free Zone of the Port of Thessaloniki, near the Container Station (S.EMPO).
In case the final destination of a container is not in Greece, then all relevant information must be provided by the agent to Thessaloniki Port Authority (THPA) upon arrival of the vessel.
Upon unloading from the ship, the delivery order, which is a title of ownership for the goods, is issued by the shipping line according to the terms of the bill of lading.
For the delivery of containers with final destination non-EU countries, T1 customs formalities procedure is needed, while for EU countries, e.g., Bulgaria, we use T2 customs formalities. Apart from the Delivery Order, the following documents are required:
- Bill of Lading
- Commercial Invoice
- Invoice from the foreign company containing a detailed description of the goods, unit price, total value and terms of transport (incoterms).
- Packing List
- Lists in detail the contents for each box with both gross and net weight.
- Quality Certificates
- Quality certificates of the cargo such as: Declaration of Conformity, CE Certificate, OEKOTEX, CITES Certificate of Origin etc. (where applicable and if required).
In addition, from 30/10/2020, for each consignment leaving the Free Zone of THPA, the BTX Customs Certificate is applied.
The certificate is issued for all goods (EU or non-EU) regardless of their mode of transport and regardless of their destination (import – export – transit – EU release).
In addition to the above documents, the receiver has to announce the destination customs office code, border passing point, as well as the truck plate number, a day prior to the loading of the container from the port.
The truck must carry the necessary documents and be certified for international transport.
In transit customs formalities the use of a customs guarantee is needed to ensure the payment of duties and other charges, when a (customs) debt is incurred during a transit operation.
The amount of the guarantee is calculated in such a way as to cover the full amount of the (customs) debt that may be incurred and pledged until customs clearance of the cargo at the destination customs office in case of transport within the EU and border customs office in case of transport to a non-EU country.
FAIRPLAY SA has submitted to the Greek Customs a bank guarantee of great value, so that we can ensure the customs transhipment of our customers’ goods by covering any customs guarantee that will arise.