Send Food Abroad from Greece: How to Ship Honey, Olive Oil and Cheese Without Customs Trouble

If you want to send food abroad from Greece – honey, olive oil, cheese or a box of family treats – you are far from alone. A mother wants to send honey and olive oil to her child studying in Germany. A family wants to send products to relatives in France or Italy. And almost every time the same question comes up: “Will the parcel get through, or will it get stuck at customs?”

The answer depends on more than whether a product is “food”. It matters whether it is liquid, whether it needs refrigeration, how it is packed, whether it is declared correctly and which country it is travelling to. Below you will find practical guidance for honey, olive oil, cheese and other Greek products, plus a destination-by-destination overview.

Send food abroad from Greece: the basic rule for EU and non-EU

The first thing to work out is whether your destination is inside or outside the European Union.

For personal-use shipments from Greece to EU countries such as Cyprus, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, there is normally no customs procedure between member states. That does not mean every product is automatically accepted by every carrier. Carriage rules, packaging requirements and the risk of spoilage still apply.

For destinations outside the EU, such as the USA, Canada and Australia, controls are much stricter. Customs in the destination country can restrict or ban food, honey, dairy, meat and other animal-origin products. In some destinations, animal-origin foods are completely prohibited in personal parcels.

Before you book, check the rules of the destination country and confirm that the specific product is accepted by the carrier network. When you send food abroad from Greece, a five-minute check up front saves days of delay later.

Olive oil: the most popular Greek parcel

Olive oil is one of the products families send abroad most often. It is not perishable, but it is liquid, heavy and can cause a lot of damage if it leaks inside the box.

For safe packing:

• Choose a sealed glass bottle or, even better, a metal tin.
• Check that the cap closes properly.
• Secure the cap with packing tape.
• Put the container in a double bag, ideally strong and opaque.
• Wrap it in bubble wrap, paper or other cushioning.
• Place it inside a second, sturdy box.
• Fill every gap so the container cannot move.
• Keep it upright, not lying loose between clothes.

Keeping the bottle upright reduces pressure on the cap, but your packing should not rely on that alone. Do a simple test: carefully turn the packed unit on each side. The liquid should be able to travel upside down without leaking.

Honey: small jar, serious weight

Honey is dense and usually has a high value per kilo. That makes it a good candidate for shipping, as long as it is well protected against leaks.

Use a commercially sealed, tightly closed jar. Tape around the lid, then put the jar in a double bag. Wrap it in protective material and fix it in the centre of the box.

Do not let the jar touch the walls of the box directly. If it breaks or opens, the damage will not stop at the honey. It can ruin documents, clothes or other products in the same parcel. Remember too that honey is heavy: the price depends on the total actual or volumetric weight of the parcel, not just on the size of the jar.

Cheese: the most demanding case

Cheese needs more care than oil or honey. Hard cheeses, especially factory vacuum-packed ones that do not need immediate refrigeration, are usually the most suitable for transport.

Soft, fresh or brined cheeses such as feta are much harder. They can spoil in transit and many carriers do not accept them in standard private shipments. The need for refrigeration is a major limitation.

Within the EU, sending cheese may be possible, but you should confirm that the specific product is accepted before you book. Outside the EU, dairy products are often banned or require special certificates. Don’t rely on “it’s just a small gift” – the rules apply to personal parcels too.

Which Greek products are usually safer to ship?

Dry, non-perishable products usually carry lower risk, provided they are well packed and allowed at the destination. For example:

• Rusks (paximadia) and other dry baked goods.
• Nuts in sealed packaging.
• Olives in vacuum or sealed commercial packaging.
• Canned food.
• Oregano and other dried herbs.
• Packaged dry foods with a printed list of contents.

On the other hand, avoid perishable food, meat, cured meats, fresh fish and anything that needs a fridge. Transit time is not always perfectly predictable, and a product may wait temporarily at a sorting hub or a customs check.

How to pack liquids without accidents

For every liquid product, follow the same logic: seal, double protection, cushioning and stabilisation.

1. Close the container tightly.
2. Tape the cap.
3. Put the container in a double bag.
4. Wrap it in paper, foam or bubble wrap.
5. Add enough material on every side.
6. Place it in the centre of the box.
7. Fill the remaining gaps.
8. Seal the box with tape in an “H” pattern.

Putting a bottle in a carrier bag and leaving it loose next to clothes is not enough. Parcels are moved, stacked and passed through automated sorting systems. Good packing protects the contents from every direction.

Declare the real contents

The contents declaration must be accurate and specific. If you are sending olive oil, declare olive oil. If you are sending honey, declare honey. Never describe food as “decoration” or a “plastic item” to avoid a check.

A wrong declaration for a liquid or a food can lead to delays, seizure, return to sender or extra charges. For non-EU shipments you may also need a description, quantity, value and information on whether the shipment is personal or commercial.

How shipping costs are calculated

The price depends on the destination, the service, the actual weight and the dimensions. This matters a lot for honey and olive oil, because they are heavy products.

Volumetric weight is calculated as follows: Length × Width × Height / 5000, with dimensions in centimetres. You are charged for whichever is higher, the actual or the volumetric weight. A big box of light products may be charged by volume, while a small box full of jars will almost certainly be charged by its real weight.

For the exact price of your shipment, use the app or see our guide to shipping from Greece to Germany and the other destination guides. The final price including VAT is shown in the app before you pay. CourierAPP ships to 220+ destinations worldwide, with pickup from your door and delivery to the recipient’s door.

Photograph the parcel and get an AI estimate

CourierAPP’s AI can estimate the parcel’s dimensions from a photo with an A4 sheet as a reference. Its weight estimate uses your description of the contents, not the photo. Measure and weigh the fully packed parcel yourself and confirm the actual details before booking. The idea is simple: “Snap it. Ship it. Done.”

The AI gives an estimate as a starting point – you always confirm the details. The carrier re-weighs the parcel at the sorting hub, and if there is a difference, only that difference is adjusted. Photos are used only to calculate your shipment. See how it works on our page about how to ship a parcel with AI.

Send food abroad from Greece by destination: what to know

Rules are not the same everywhere. Here is a general overview of our customers’ most common destinations. It does not replace the official rules of the destination country, but it helps you know what to ask before you book.

Cyprus, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands (EU)

Within the EU, sending food for personal use is usually the simplest case. Packaged olive oil, honey, nuts, olives and canned goods travel without a customs procedure, as long as they are packed properly and accepted by the carrier.

For hard cheeses, ask for confirmation before booking and choose a fast service. For country-specific tips see our guides to shipping from Greece to Cyprus and Germany.

United Kingdom

Since Brexit, every parcel to the UK goes through customs and needs a declaration of contents and value. The UK also has strict restrictions on meat and dairy products coming from the EU, so cheese in personal parcels is usually not accepted.

Packaged olive oil and honey are simpler, but quantity limits may apply and the recipient may have to pay duties or VAT. Read more in our guide to shipping from Greece to the UK.

USA, Canada, Australia

This is where you need to be most careful when you send food abroad from Greece. In the USA, imported food – even a gift – usually requires FDA Prior Notice, and dairy and meat are tightly restricted.

Australia applies some of the strictest biosecurity controls in the world, and many foods, even honey, are inspected or not allowed. Contact us before shipping so we can tell you what information will be needed. See also our guide to shipping from Greece to the USA.

What is usually allowed and what isn’t: quick table

This table summarises what usually applies when you send food abroad from Greece for the most popular Greek products. It is indicative only – the final decision belongs to the authorities of the destination country and the carrier.

Delivery times and tracking for food parcels

Food does not like waiting. That’s why, when you send food abroad from Greece, Express is usually the smartest choice: fewer days at sorting hubs mean less risk of spoilage. Economy suits non-perishable products such as oil, canned goods and nuts.

Shipments travel with DHL and FedEx, so every parcel has a tracking number. You can see where it is and tell the recipient to be available. The transit times shown at booking are estimates, not guarantees, and can be affected by holidays, customs checks or remote areas.

You can read more about international express services on the DHL Express website. A practical tip: ship early in the week. A food parcel that leaves on a Friday may spend the weekend in a warehouse.

Lots of products? Split them across several parcels

If you are putting together the classic “parcel from mum” with oil, honey, olives and spoon sweets, don’t squeeze everything into one huge box. With CourierAPP’s multi-piece feature you can add up to 10 parcels to one booking for the same recipient, with a single price and separate tracking for each parcel.

Just tap “+ Add parcel” and enter the dimensions and weight of each one. This is the safest way to send food abroad from Greece in larger quantities: liquids travel in one well-protected box and dry goods in another. If something leaks, it doesn’t ruin the whole shipment.

Checklist: send food abroad from Greece without unnecessary costs

• Choose a box that fits the contents. Empty space is charged through volumetric weight.
• For larger quantities of oil, choose a metal tin. It is lighter than glass and more robust.
• Split heavy products into several smaller parcels when the app shows it works out cheaper.
• Compare Express and Economy for non-perishable products.
• Don’t send quantities that look commercial. Outside the EU, customs treatment may change.
• Declare the real value. Undervaluing can lead to delays and penalties.
• Double-check the recipient’s address and phone number. A failed delivery means more days in transit for your food.

The 7 most common mistakes with food parcels

1. Glass jars without a double bag. One crack is enough to soak the whole parcel.
2. Feta in brine in an ordinary food container. It is not leak-proof for transport and the product needs refrigeration.
3. A vague declaration such as “gifts” or “food”. Be specific: “olive oil 1 L”, “honey 500 g”.
4. Homemade products without labels outside the EU. Commercially labelled products are less likely to be held.
5. A big, half-empty box. You pay for air and the jars move around.
6. Shipping on a Friday. The parcel may sit still over the weekend.
7. No research on the destination country. A product that is fine for Germany may not be fine for Australia.

Examples of a good contents declaration

Whenever you send food abroad from Greece, the declaration is the first thing the carrier – and, outside the EU, customs – sees. The more specific it is, the fewer questions there will be:

• “Extra virgin olive oil, 2 x 1 L, sealed metal tins, personal use” instead of “oil”.
• “Greek thyme honey, 2 x 450 g glass jars, sealed” instead of “food”.
• “Vacuum-packed hard cheese, 500 g, commercially labelled” instead of “gift”.
• “Greek rusks and dried oregano, sealed packs” instead of “snacks”.

Include the quantity, the type of packaging and the fact that it is for personal use. The value should be realistic, even when the parcel is a gift.

Step by step: send food abroad from Greece with CourierAPP

1. Check the destination rules and whether the carrier accepts the product.
2. Pack liquids leak-proof and separately from dry products.
3. If helpful, use a photo with an A4 sheet for an AI estimate of the dimensions and a description of the contents for a weight estimate. Measure and weigh the fully packed parcel yourself and confirm the actual details before booking.
4. Enter the destination, contents and value. Add more parcels if you need to.
5. See the final price including VAT in about 30 seconds and pay online.
6. The courier collects the parcel from your door.
7. Follow the tracking and keep the recipient informed.

Once you have checked the destination rules, packed properly and declared the real contents, you can book online. The courier collects the parcel from your home – no carrying it to a post office counter. If you are unsure about a product, contact us before booking at +30 2811 815025 or info@courierapp.gr.

FAQ: send food abroad from Greece

Read also:

• Shipping from Greece to Germany
• Shipping from Greece to Cyprus
• Ship a parcel with AI