Before you start

At least six months' residence in Cyprus
A valid foreign licence that is not suspended or withdrawn
Proof of residence and identity, including your ARC
Form TOM 7D and a recent photograph

Step-by-step

1
Find out whether your country has a reciprocal arrangement
Cyprus maintains a list of countries whose licences may be exchanged. If yours is on it, exchange after six months of stay. If it is not, a simple exchange is not available and you must sit the tests.
OnlineWho: You
2
Wait out the six-month residence requirement
Only people resident in Cyprus for at least six months may apply for a Cypriot licence. Arriving and applying immediately is not possible, so plan how you will drive in the interim.
OnlineWho: You6 months from establishing residence
3
Submit form TOM 7D to the Department of Road Transport
Bring the original licence, ARC, proof of residence, a photograph and any required translation. The ordinary driving licence fee is €40.
In personWho: You€40
4
Sit the theory and practical tests if no arrangement applies
Drivers from countries without a reciprocal arrangement must obtain a Cypriot licence by passing all required examinations, including a practical test on the left.
In personWho: You
5
Give yourself a real adjustment period on the left
Roundabouts, junctions and overtaking all reverse. Cypriot driving is also assertive by northern European standards. Practise off the Limassol coastal highway before commuting on it.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Original foreign driving licence
Alien Registration Certificate (ARC) or identity document
Proof of residence in Cyprus for at least six months
Form TOM 7D and a recent photograph
Certified translation where the licence is not in Greek or English

Things most newcomers don’t know

The six-month residence requirement is a hard gate, and it catches new arrivals.

Only people who have been resident in Cyprus for at least six months may apply for a Cypriot licence. That means your first half-year is spent driving on whatever your home licence or an international permit allows, and it means the exchange cannot be part of your arrival paperwork however organised you are.

Source: Department of Road Transport — foreign driving licences

Reciprocity, not seniority, decides whether you take a test.

Cyprus publishes a list of countries whose licences may be exchanged. If your country is not on it, no amount of driving history helps — the Road Transport Department's position is that a simple exchange is not available and you must pass all the required examinations. Check the list before assuming your licence transfers.

Source: Department of Road Transport — licence exchange arrangements

Left-hand driving is harder coming from continental Europe than from the UK.

Cyprus kept British road conventions after independence: left-hand traffic, right-hand-drive cars, UK-style roundabout priority. Drivers arriving from Germany, Poland or the Gulf find the roundabouts and the overtaking side genuinely disorienting for weeks, and Limassol's coastal highway is not the place to learn it.

Source: Cyprus road traffic conventions

Limassol is a driving city, unlike Nicosia's compact centre.

The city stretches along fifteen kilometres of coast, the business districts are spread between Neapolis, the old port and the eastern suburbs, and public transport is a bus network rather than a rail one. A car is close to necessary here in a way it is not in a compact European capital — factor it into the cost comparison.

Source: Limassol urban geography, verified August 2026

Common mistakes to avoid

Applying for a Cypriot licence before six months of residence.
Assuming any foreign licence exchanges — reciprocity is the test.
Underestimating the adjustment to left-hand traffic if you are not from the UK, Ireland or Malta.
Turning up without form TOM 7D and a translation where one is needed.
Budgeting for Limassol without a car and then discovering the city's shape.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.