Parcel held at Greek customs: what the notice means and what to do

What does customs want when it holds a third-country parcel, how long do I have, and what happens if I do not respond?

A notice about a «customs hold» does not mean the parcel has been seized. It means a parcel from a third country has reached Greece, sits in temporary storage and cannot move on until specific documents are supplied and, where due, charges are paid. The notice is usually sent by the carrier holding the parcel, that is ΕΛΤΑ or a courier, rather than by customs itself.

The short answer to the question in the title: customs asks for the information it needs to declare and classify the goods; your time is set by the carrier's terms and by the maximum period of temporary storage; and if you do not respond the parcel is returned or, as a last step, disposed of under the customs rules. The most useful thing you can do is answer quickly, with complete and specific documents.

Who the notice comes from

Every good entering the Union from a third country must be presented to customs and declared under a customs procedure ^[4]. For parcels, the carrier handles this: ΕΛΤΑ for postal parcels ^[1][2], or the courier for express shipments. The carrier contacts the recipient when something is needed before delivery, by message or through an online tracking page.

The distinction matters in practice. If the message comes from ΕΛΤΑ, documents and payment go through the ΕΛΤΑ clearance process ^[1]. If it comes from a courier, the courier acts as your representative at customs and charges for the service. In both cases read the whole message; it normally holds the link or address for uploading documents and the date by which you must respond. A message demanding payment through a link, with no shipment number you recognise, deserves caution: open the carrier's own site by typing the address yourself.

Which documents are requested, and why

Customs needs to know what the goods are, what they are worth and who is importing them. Those three answers produce the classification, the duty and import VAT calculation, and the check on whether any restriction applies ^[3]. Carrier requests map onto those three questions.

• Seller's commercial invoice showing name and address, date, description of goods, quantity, unit price, currency and total value.
• Proof of payment to the seller, so that the customs value is documented.
• The recipient's identity and tax number (ΑΦΜ); for a company, name and ΑΦΜ and, where the declaration is made in its name, an EORI number.
• Authorisation for the carrier to act as representative in the declaration, where requested.
• Further documents where the goods are restricted: a safety data sheet, a statement of purpose or a specific licence.

The description is where most shipments stall. An invoice that says «sample», «chemical» or «research» does not allow classification. A sufficient description gives the name as on the label, the form of the material, the quantity and that it is intended for laboratory research. If the invoice was already issued with an inadequate description, ask the seller for a corrected invoice rather than trying to fill the gap yourself.

Temporary storage and deadlines

After presentation to customs, and before being placed under a procedure, goods are in temporary storage. The Union Customs Code sets a maximum of 90 days for this, after which the goods must be placed under a customs procedure or re-exported ^[4]. That is the Union rule, not the deadline the carrier gives you.

In practice the carrier sets its own, usually shorter, deadline for collection and for supplying documents, because it holds the parcel and charges for storage. The deadline is stated in the message or in the terms of the clearance service ^[1][2]; it is not something to guess from general guides. If you need more time, ask in writing before the deadline expires and give the reason, for example that you are waiting for a corrected invoice from the seller.

Clearance fees versus duty and VAT

Two different amounts are often confused. Duty and import VAT are charges owed to the state, calculated from the customs value, the classification and the applicable rate. The clearance or handling fee is the carrier's charge for its own service, published in its price list ^[1][2]. The rules for low-value purchases from third countries are being revised at EU level, so the current treatment is read from the European Commission page on the day you import ^[3].

If you do not respond: return or abandonment

When the deadline passes without documents, the carrier normally returns the parcel to the sender where its terms allow, with costs that may fall on you or on the seller. The Customs Code also allows customs to destroy or dispose of goods that were not placed under a procedure in time or that may not be released ^[4]. For temperature-sensitive material the practical point is different: every day in the carrier's depot reduces the quality you can later demonstrate.

If you decide not to accept the parcel, say so in writing and ask for confirmation of return, so you can show the seller and your payment method that the parcel was not delivered. For general background on this stage, see what happens when customs opens a parcel, which explains what a customs examination involves.

Inspection of contents and other authorities

Customs may open a parcel, examine the contents and, where necessary, take a sample ^[4]. If the description or label suggests a product that could be a medicine, customs may seek the view of the competent authority, in Greece the National Organisation for Medicines. The timing then no longer depends on the carrier alone. The notice usually says when an inspection is pending; if it does not, ask the carrier in writing which authority is involved and what it needs.

What to keep in the import file

Every parcel that passes through a customs hold leaves a trail you will need later: for the accountant, for the laboratory's audit file and for tying the lot to its documents. Documentation and batch traceability explains why the same lot must appear under the same number on the invoice, the analysis document and the receiving record.

• The original notice, with its date and shipment number.
• The documents you sent and the date you sent them.
• Correspondence with the carrier, especially any extension you requested.
• Proof of payment of duty, import VAT and the carrier's fee, kept separately.
• The import declaration with its MRN, once you receive it.
• The receiving record for the parcel, with photographs and a lot check.