Pafos :: Cyprus

Cars

Persons who wish to transfer a vehicle to Cyprus from an EU country are required to furnish proof of residence outside the Republic for 12 consecutive months prior to the transfer of their normal residence. They must also present evidence of an intention to become permanently established in the Republic.
The requirements for the granting of relief from excise duty when transferring a vehicle to Cyprus are explained below.

The person making the transfer must have owned and used the vehicle at his place of normal residence for at least six months prior to the transfer of the normal residence to the Republic of Cyprus.

The vehicle must have been acquired under the general conditions of taxation applicable in the Member State from which it is transferred and must not have qualified for any relief from or refund of any duty, excise duty or VAT (as evidenced, for example, by production of the invoice and receipt for the purchase of the vehicle).

The vehicle must arrive in the Republic within 12 months of the date of the transfer to Cyprus of the normal residence of the person affecting the transfer.

Each person may transfer only one vehicle, and the person making a transfer must hold a valid driving license. The vehicle may not be sold, placed for sale, hired out or commodated (loaned without payment) without the prior approval of the Director of the Department of Customs and Excise.
In order to qualify for relief from excise duty, the person transferring the vehicle must produce the following documents:

Certificates pertaining to the registration of the vehicle (vehicle insurance, the purchase invoice, the certificate of ownership, the receipt for the purchase),the loading list receipt,a valid driving license and documents which give proof of the country of normal residence supporting evidence relating to the country of normal residence (income tax statements, social insurance statements, employment letters, etc.).

Persons who wish to affect a transfer are advised to contact the Department of Customs and Excise for detailed information .A person who transfers a vehicle to Cyprus in accordance with the requirements set out above must go to the customs station within 24 hours of the arrival of the vehicle (excluding non-working days) to settle the customs procedure for the relief from excise duties.

A person who affects a transfer should contact the Road Traffic Department for information about the provisions on vehicle registration tax and road tax. It should be noted that the registration tax and road tax vary according to engine size. In order to be registered in Cyprus, a vehicle being transferred by a European citizen must be given a technical inspection by a private technical inspection centre before undergoing the relevant inspection by a state Technical Inspection Centre. After the vehicle has passed both of the technical inspections it can be registered in accordance with the relevant legislation. In addition, in order to qualify for registration in the Republic, a private motor car or a goods vehicle with a gross weight not exceeding three tonnes must be under five or four years old, respectively, on the date of its arrival in the Republic or, if it has not been registered, have been purchased as new later, respectively, than five or four years previously.

Left-hand drive vehicles may be registered provided that the applicant has owned the vehicle for at least 180 days before its arrival in Cyprus and resided abroad for more than five years before his arrival in Cyprus.

Private motor vehicles and motor cycles of EU citizens intending to become established in Cyprus are subject to excise duties when the engine size exceeds 100 cc.

The existing legislation is to be amended, and the restrictions stated above will be lifted for vehicles which have been registered and used for the first time in a Member State of the European Union.

The driving license: There is currently no common driving license for the countries of the European Union. However, there are EU directives which specify the information that must be provided in the driving license issued by the countries of the EU. Cyprus accepts the driving licenses of all member countries of the EU. Nationals of other EU countries who are living in Cyprus may convert their driving license to a Cyprus license. In such a case, the old license is returned to the competent authorities of the country which issued it.

Useful Contacts:
- Department of Customs and Excise: Tel. 00357 - 22601657 and 00357- 22601658.
- Road Traffic Department: Tel. 00357 - 22807117

Furniture and Other Personal Property

Citizens of EU countries who transfer their normal residence to Cyprus can bring their personal property into the country without having to pay import duty, excise duty and VAT. A citizen of Europe is deemed to have moved his normal residence (namely the place where he usually lives for at least 185 days in a calendar year because of personal and occupational ties) to Cyprus. Personal property, as referred to above, means items of a non-commercial nature which are imported into the country for personal and household use. It should be mentioned that it is not necessary to hire the services of a customs agent when importing personal property into Cyprus.

The transfer of such property to Cyprus with exemption from excise duties requires the furnishing of proof of the Community status of the items by the production of a T2L document or by the marking of the loading list with the symbol ‘T2L’ or by the production of other commercial documents.

In the case of some items, such as tobacco products and alcoholic beverages, the quantities which may be imported from EU countries are restricted. The limits per EU citizen entering Cyprus are as follows: 400 cheroots (cigars with a unit weight not exceeding three grams), 200 cigars, one kilo of smoking tobacco, 20 liters of intermediate products, 90 liters of wine (of which no more than 60 liters may be sparkling wine) and 110 liters of beer.

It must be emphasised that the transfer to Cyprus of certain items, such as narcotics, nuclear, chemical, toxic and biological weapons, biological items and related substances, obscene publications and objects, forged banknotes and certain types of firearm, is prohibited.

Useful Contacts:
Department of Customs and Excise: 00357 - 22601657 and 00357 - 22601658
Permanent Representation of Cyprus to the European Union: 003227353510.

Pets

Citizens of the European Union who wish to transfer their normal residence to the Republic of Cyprus may bring their pet animals with them. The following rules apply.
The animal must not be intended for commercial purposes.
The animal must be intended for companionship (be a pet, such as a cat or dog). It should be noted that dogs of the breeds referred to in Part B of the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 may not be imported into the Republic of Cyprus.
The animal must be accompanied by its owner (natural person) or by a person who is responsible for it at the time of the importation.
Specific identification documents and disease certification must be produced: for identification purposes, the documents should relate to a tattoo or microchip, the disease certification should include a booklet issued by a veterinarian (listing the animal’s vaccinations and other medical details), an animal passport, a veterinary certificate stating that the animal is free of disease and certificates stating that the animal has been given an anti-rabies vaccination and been treated against a number of conditions such as infestation by tapeworm and external parasites.
Persons who wish to import an animal should contact the veterinary service of the district in which they will be residing for information about provisions which apply to animals below three months of age via the telephone numbers and electronic addresses provided below.
Persons bringing in a pet animal must inform the District Veterinary Station with responsibility for their point of arrival in Cyprus of the date and time of their arrival and of the number of the flight on which the animal will be carried 24 to 48 hours before arriving.
If certain or all of the requirements stated above are not met, the animal may be placed in quarantine in accordance with the law.
Persons who wish to import an animal are advised to get in touch with the competent authorities before leaving for Cyprus in order to find out which documents they will be required to produce when bringing in the animal and about the relevant legal provisions.