Driving in Cyprus - Vehicle Circulation licence (road tax), rates of tax and rebates - (also known as Road fund licence, vehicle excise licence, VEL)

Circulation Licence (Road Tax).

A circulation licence is required to drive a vehicle on a public road. The licence is valid for 6 or 12 months.

You cannot renew your circulation licence if your vehicle requires, but does not have, a current DoRT Vehicle Inspection Certificate (MOT). This information is logged on the DoRT database. If the MOT expires during the currency of the circulation licence, and is not renewed, the circulation licence becomes invalid and you are likely to be prosecuted for both offences.

Prosecution for driving without circulation licence.

The Police inform the public, via the press and TV, when they will start to prosecute for the offence of not having or displaying a valid circulation licence.
A reminder is no longer sent by post.

How to renew your Circulation Licence (Road Tax).

Renewal online.
This service will start on the 11th January 2010. Prosecutions will start on the 2nd March 2010.

You will be required to log on or register with JCCSMART.COM with your email and a password. The site is in Greek and English. Click here to log on.
You will require the following details:
Registration Document (Log Book).
Credit card.
The last three digits of your ID, Alien Card or Passport number. This is the one shown on the logbook.
Insurance certificate may be required if cover commenced recently and has not yet been entered onto the database.
Print the tax disc on your home printer. Cut this out and display it on the front windscreen of the vehicle.

Renewal at the Bank of Cyprus, the Co-Op and other commercial banks and Citizen Service Centers.
You do not need to have an account with the bank.
You will require:
Cash for the sum required.
Registration Document (Log Book).
The last three digits of your ID, Alien Card or Passport number. This is the one shown on the logbook.
Insurance certificate may be required if cover commenced recently and has not yet been entered onto the database.
The bank will print the tax disc. Cut this out and display it on the front windscreen of the vehicle.

Renew at Department of Transport Offices.
You can apply at the local Department of Road Transport. This is not recommended because of the time spent queuing.
You will require:
The application form TOM 8
Cash for the sum required.
Registration Document (Log Book).
Insurance certificate may be required if cover commenced recently and has not yet been entered onto the database.

The application form TOM 8 is sometimes available in English. You can download a printable form TOM 8 for completion and an English translation of the Greek form in PDF format here.

If your vehicle is going to be off the road.
If you are not going to use your car, going to the UK on an extended stay for example, you can obtain a rebate of some of the road tax unused during your absence or delay having to renew your road tax.
Before you go away, or as soon as the vehicle is off the road, fill in a form TOM 12 and take it to the Department of Transport Offices.
In due course a rebate cheque will be sent to you.
You will have to nominate a place, off the road, where it will be kept during your absence so that it can be inspected.
The notification cannot be backdated and is similar to the Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) in the UK.

You can download a printable form TOM 12 for completion and an English translation of form in PDF format here.

Rates of Road Tax.
The general rates shown below apply to cars and small vans and run for 12 months from January to December.
There is also an option to pay for half a year at proportionately slightly increased rates.

To work out the rate for your vehicle, multiply the engine size of the vehicle (cc) by the € rate in the engine category into which it falls.

The cost will be in the range shown below. There are discounts but the implementation of these varies and can depend on documentation you have for the vehicle.

Engine Capacity (cc)	Up to 1450	1451 – 1650	1651 – 2050	2051 – 2250	2251 – 2650	2651 and more
€ per cc	€0.04272	€0.05980	€0.11960	€0.14523	€0.19649	€0.19649
Cost will be in the range
Private Car	€10 - 62	€87 - 99	€198 - 246	€297 - 326	€443 - 521	€521 +
Van	€10 - 62	€87 - 99	€198 - 246	€297 - 299	€299	€299
Double Cab (Discount 50%)	€10 - 27	€39 - 44	€89 - 111	€133 - 147	€198 - 234	€234 - 299

Motorcycles between 1 and 1450 cc are charged €0.04272 per cc and will be in the range €10 - €62.

For a full list of Road Tax rates (pdf) click here.

For a full list of Road Tax rates in Greek (pdf) click here.

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