Before you start

At least six months' residence in Cyprus
A valid foreign licence not suspended or withdrawn
ARC and proof of residence
Form TOM 7D and a photograph

Step-by-step

1
Check whether your country is on the exchange list
Cyprus maintains a list of countries whose licences can be exchanged. If yours is not, a simple exchange is not available and the Cypriot examinations are the route.
OnlineWho: You
2
Complete six months of residence
The six-month residence requirement is a hard condition before you may apply. Plan how you will drive in the meantime.
OnlineWho: You6 months
3
Submit form TOM 7D at the Department of Road Transport
Nicosia has the department's main offices. Bring the original licence, ARC, proof of residence, a photograph and a translation where needed. The ordinary licence fee is €40.
In personWho: You€40
4
Sit the tests if no reciprocal arrangement applies
Both theory and practical, with the practical taken on the left. Cypriot road conventions follow the British model rather than the continental one.
In personWho: You
5
Arrange separate insurance if you will cross the Green Line
Your Cypriot motor policy does not automatically cover you across the buffer zone. Insurance is purchased at the crossing point. Do not assume your green card covers it.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Original foreign driving licence
Alien Registration Certificate
Proof of six months' residence
Form TOM 7D and a photograph
Certified translation where the licence is not in Greek or English

Things most newcomers don’t know

Crossing the Green Line by car needs insurance you buy at the crossing.

A Cypriot motor policy does not extend across the buffer zone, and neither does an ordinary EU green card. Insurance is sold at the vehicle crossing points for the duration of the visit. Thousands of people do this routinely; the mistake is assuming your existing cover follows you.

Source: Cyprus crossing point insurance arrangements, verified August 2026

The six-month residence requirement blocks the tidy arrival plan.

Only people resident in Cyprus for at least six months may apply for a Cypriot licence, so the exchange cannot be part of your arrival paperwork. Your first half-year runs on your home licence or an international permit — check that yours actually remains valid for that period.

Source: Department of Road Transport — foreign driving licences

Nicosia is compact by Cypriot standards but still a driving city.

The Old Town within the walls is walkable and increasingly pedestrianised, but the employment is spread across Engomi, Strovolos and Latsia and public transport is a bus network. Nicosia is more walkable than Limassol at the core and just as car-dependent outside it.

Source: Nicosia urban geography, verified August 2026

Left-hand driving in 40-degree heat is a specific kind of adjustment.

Cyprus kept British road conventions after independence — left-hand traffic, right-hand-drive cars, UK roundabout priority. Learning that in a Nicosia July, in a car whose air conditioning is working hard, is genuinely more demanding than doing it in a mild climate. Give yourself a fortnight of quiet streets.

Source: Cyprus road traffic conventions