If you have just moved to Cyprus, the single biggest adjustment behind the wheel is simple to state and strange to do: Cyprus drives on the left, in right-hand-drive cars. Everything else — roundabouts, speed limits, the fines — flows from getting comfortable with that first. This guide walks a newcomer through the rules that actually matter, with the current speed limits, alcohol limit and a fines table for the offences you are most likely to trip over.
Which side of the road does Cyprus drive on?
Cyprus drives on the left, and cars are right-hand drive (steering wheel on the right). This is a genuine adjustment if you learned to drive on the right — the gear stick is on your left, the mirrors and blind spots feel reversed, and for the first week your instinct at junctions will be wrong. A few habits help: give yourself extra time, say “stay left” out loud when you pull out of a car park or petrol station, and treat quiet residential streets as the place to build muscle memory before you take on a city.
Newcomers from the EU may drive on their home licence; non-EU visitors may drive on their national licence for up to 30 days or on a valid International Driving Permit.
How do roundabouts work in Cyprus?
Roundabouts are everywhere in Cyprus, and they follow the standard drive-on-the-left convention: give way to traffic already on the roundabout, which comes from your right. You wait at the entry line until there is a safe gap, then join. Because you are driving on the left, you travel clockwise around the island in the middle.
Signalling trips up a lot of newcomers. As a rule of thumb: signal left as you approach the exit you want, and do not signal at all if you are taking the first exit or going straight through. Watch for two-lane roundabouts — stay in the left lane if you are leaving at the first or second exit, and use the right lane for exits further around.
What are the speed limits in Cyprus?
Speed limits are posted in kilometres per hour, never miles. The defaults for ordinary cars are:
- Motorways (the A-roads): 100 km/h maximum, and a minimum of 65 km/h — going too slowly on a motorway is itself an offence.
- Built-up / urban areas: 50 km/h unless a sign says otherwise.
- Open rural roads (outside built-up areas): 80 km/h unless signed lower.
Where a road sign shows a lower limit, that sign wins. Heavier vehicles (trucks over 3,000 kg and vehicles towing a trailer) have lower limits — typically 80 km/h on motorways and 64 km/h on two-lane roads.
Source for the 100 km/h motorway and 50 km/h urban limits: Cyprus Police / TISPOL, “A Guide to Driving in Cyprus.”
Seatbelts, phones, child seats and headlights
Seatbelts are compulsory in both the front and back seats for everyone in the car — this is not optional and is actively enforced.
Mobile phones: using a hand-held phone or device while driving is prohibited. A hands-free setup is legally allowed, though the police explicitly say it is still not recommended. If you need to text or take a call, pull over.
Child seats: children must be secured in a restraint appropriate to their size. The commonly stated rule is that children under 150 cm tall (roughly under 12) must use a proper child seat or booster, younger children must sit in the back, and very young children may not travel in the front seat.
Headlights: use them at night and in poor visibility (tunnels, heavy rain, fog). Cyprus does not require daytime running lights for cars, but since a 2010 law change motorbikes and mopeds must run their headlights during the day.
What is the drink-drive limit in Cyprus?
The standard legal limit is 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 ml of breath (equivalent to 50 mg per 100 ml of blood, a BAC of 0.5). For higher-risk drivers — anyone who has held a licence for less than three years, learner drivers, motorcyclists, and professional drivers (lorries over 3.5 t, buses, taxis on duty, dangerous-goods vehicles) — the limit is much stricter at 9 micrograms per 100 ml of breath (20 mg per 100 ml of blood).
Police run roadside breath checks, and since recent amendments they can suspend a licence on the spot for drink- or drug-driving. The practical advice for newcomers is the safe one: if you are driving, don’t drink at all.
Source for the alcohol limits: Cyprus Police / TISPOL, “A Guide to Driving in Cyprus.”
Cyprus traffic fines: the common offences
Cyprus uses an out-of-court (extra-judicial) fine system with penalty points attached; the more serious bands and refusals go to court. The figures below are the out-of-court amounts published by the government’s road-safety schedule.
| Offence | Out-of-court fine | Penalty points |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding up to 30% over the limit | €2 per km/h over | 1 |
| Speeding 30–50% over the limit | €3 per km/h over | 2 |
| Speeding 50–75% over the limit | €5 per km/h over | 3 |
| Speeding over 75% over the limit | Court | — |
| Using a hand-held mobile phone | €150 (€300 if repeated within 3 years) | 2 (4 on repeat) |
| Not wearing a seatbelt / no child restraint | €150 (€300 if repeated within 3 years) | 3 |
| Drink-driving 23–35 µg/100 ml breath | €125 | 1 |
| Drink-driving 36–55 µg/100 ml breath | €250 | 3 |
| Drink-driving 56–70 µg/100 ml breath | €500 | 4 |
| Drink-driving over 70 µg/100 ml breath | Court | — |
| Running a red light | €300 | 3 |
Note: speeding fines scale with how far over you were, so a big overshoot adds up fast — 20 km/h over on the motorway at €2/km is €40, and the bands climb quickly from there. Police apply a small tolerance before ticketing (larger on motorways, tighter in towns), but do not rely on it.
Fines and penalty points in Cyprus are revised periodically — the amounts above are a guide, not a guarantee. Always confirm the current figures with the Cyprus Police (police.gov.cy) before you rely on them. Unpaid out-of-court fines increase by 50% after the deadline and can end up in court.
A local tip: install Waze before you drive
One genuinely useful habit for driving in Cyprus is to run the Waze app on every trip. Waze crowd-sources real-time alerts from other drivers on the same roads, so it flags police and speed-camera locations as you approach them, and warns you about accidents and traffic jams ahead. On Cyprus roads — where fixed and mobile speed cameras are widespread and a single motorway incident can back traffic up for kilometres — those live alerts help you keep to the limit and pick a faster route. It is free, it works island-wide, and locals lean on it heavily. Set your destination before you set off, not while moving.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an International Driving Permit to drive in Cyprus? EU/EEA licence holders can drive on their home licence. Non-EU visitors can drive on their national licence for up to 30 days or with an International Driving Permit; if you become a resident, check the Road Transport Department’s exchange rules.
Which way do I go around a roundabout? Clockwise, giving way to traffic already on the roundabout (coming from your right). Wait for a gap, then join.
Are speed cameras common in Cyprus? Yes — Cyprus operates fixed and mobile photo-enforcement cameras, and average-speed enforcement has been expanding on motorways. Waze will usually warn you, but the reliable strategy is simply to stay at or under the posted limit.
How much is a speeding fine in Cyprus? It scales with how far over the limit you were: roughly €2 per km/h over for up to 30% above the limit, rising to €3 and €5 per km/h in higher bands, with the most serious cases going to court. Confirm current rates with the police.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need an International Driving Permit to drive in Cyprus?
- EU/EEA licence holders can drive on their home licence. Non-EU visitors can drive on their national licence for up to 30 days or with an International Driving Permit. New residents should check the Road Transport Department's exchange rules.
- Which way do I go around a roundabout?
- Clockwise, giving way to traffic already on the roundabout, which comes from your right. Wait for a gap, then join and signal left as you approach your exit.
- Are speed cameras common in Cyprus?
- Yes. Cyprus operates fixed and mobile photo-enforcement cameras, and average-speed enforcement is expanding on motorways. Waze usually warns you, but the reliable approach is to stay at or under the posted limit.
- How much is a speeding fine in Cyprus?
- It scales with how far over the limit you were: roughly 2 euro per km/h over for up to 30 percent above the limit, rising to 3 and 5 euro per km/h in higher bands, with the most serious cases going to court. Confirm current rates with the police.