Moving to Cyprus / The Health System / Education / Living in Cyprus / Infrastructure / Social Security / Labour
Persons who wish to transfer a used private vehicle to Cyprus from an EU Member State 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, in accordance with the relevant legislation, present evidence of the transfer of their normal residence and of permanent establishment in the Republic.
The term 'used vehicle' means a vehicle which has been driven for more than 6,000 Km and is more than six months old when it enters the Republic, calculated from the date of the first registration of the vehicle in whichever country. Especially in the case of granting relief for the vehicle, the 6,000 Km requirement is not applicable. It is sufficient for the vehicle to be more than six months old.
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 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, the receipt for the purchase of the vehicle and the title of ownership).
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 effecting the transfer.
Each person may transfer only one vehicle, and the person making a transfer must hold a valid driving licence. 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 submit a written application via ΑΠ1 the form to any Customs and Excise Department and 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 licence
- supporting evidence relating to the country of normal residence (income tax statements, social insurance statements, employment letters, bills, receipts of daily expenses, water bills, electricity bills, telephone bills, bank account statements, etc.)
Persons who wish to effect 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 effects 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. A private motor vehicle may be registered in the Republic regardless of its age subject to the furnishing of documentation proving that the first registration of the vehicle occurred in an EU Member State.
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
Further Information
- Department of Customs:
Tel: 22 601 657 and 22 601 658. - Road Traffic Department:
Tel: 22 807 000 / 22 807 117
Text last edited on: 06/2006
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Moving cars
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Transfer of Animals
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 to non-commercial movements of pet animals kept for companionship.
The transfer of the animal must not be of a commercial nature.
'Animals kept for companionship' means cats, dogs and ferrets. The sale or transfer of such an animal to another owner is prohibited. The animal must be accompanied by its owner (a natural person) or by a person who is responsible for it.
Dogs of the following breeds may not be imported into Cyprus from any country: American pit bull terriers or pit bull terriers
- Japanese tosa
- tosa Inu
- Dogo Argentino
- Argentinian mastiffs
- fila brasileiro
- Brazilian mastiffs
Animals younger than three months old may not be imported into Cyprus from any country.
Each animal must be accompanied by a European pet animal passport certifying its identity on the basis of an indelible mark (tattoo) or through the use of a transponder (microchip) manufactured in accordance with the specifications of ISO Standard 11784:1996 or in accordance with Annex A to ISO Standard 11785:1996 which is compatible with and can be read by the radio identification apparatus of the Veterinary Services.
The animal must have been vaccinated against rabies at least 30 days before its arrival in Cyprus and have been treated against tapeworm with a preparation containing the active ingredient Praziquantel and against external parasites with a preparation containing the active ingredient Fibronil 24–48 hours before arrival.
Any person 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 confirm that they possess the documents that they will need to produce in order to certify fulfilment of the requirements imposed by the legislation.
Transfer of Plants
The only restrictions on the transfer of plants to the territory of the Republic of Cyprus are those which apply to the plants listed in Annex V to Directive 2000/29/EC. A phytosanitary certificate is required for the plants listed in that Annex.
General
No duty or tax is payable in respect of animals and plants transferred to Cyprus provided that the animal or plant is free of legal impediment (i.e. was imported lawfully into the EU, with payment of the appropriate duties, or was bred or generated in the EU) and given compliance with the regulations in force
Further Information
- Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment:
Tel: 22 300 817
Fax: 22 781 156 - Veterinary Services:
Animal Health and Welfare Section
Tel: 22 805 155 - Paphos District Veterinary Station
Tel: 26 306 269
e-mail
Text last edited on: 11/2005
Now that Cyprus has joined the European Union, the restrictions which formerly applied to citizens of the European Economic Area as regards employment and residence in Cyprus have been abolished. European citizens who wish to reside in Cyprus are required to submit an application for the appropriate permit and to register with the Department of the Population and Migration Archive or with an office of the Aliens and Migration Service of the police.
European citizens who work and reside legally in Cyprus have the same rights as citizens of Cyprus as regards remuneration, working conditions, residence, social insurance and trade union membership, etc. A third country national who is a dependant of a European citizen and who is together with that citizen in Cyprus enjoys the same rights as a citizen of the European Union.
The foregoing applies also to all citizens of the European Economic Area (which consists of the countries of the European Union plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway).
Further Information
Interested persons are advised to contact the Department of the Population and Migration Archive or the Aliens and Migration Service of the police and their district offices for clarification and information about the necessary procedures and forms.
- Department of the Population and Migration Archive:
Residence without employment
Tel: 22 804 420
Employment
Tel: 22 804 410 - Aliens and Migration Service of the Police
Tel: 22 80 88 46
Text last edited on: 11/2005
Citizens of EU Member States 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 transferred into the country for personal / household use. It should be mentioned that it is not necessary to hire the services of a customs agent when transferring personal property into Cyprus.
The transfer of such property to Cyprus with exemption from excise duties and VAT 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.
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. Used vehicles with European registration plates are assumed to be from the European Union and are subject to excise duties and other luxury taxes.
In the case of some items, such as tobacco products and alcoholic beverages, the quantities which travellers may bring in personally from EU Member States are restricted. The limits per EU citizen travelling to Cyprus are as follows: 800 cigarettes, 400 cheroots (cigars with a unit weight not exceeding three grammes), 200 cigars, one kilo of smoking tobacco, 10 litres of alcoholic beverages, 20 litres of intermediate products (koumantaria, muscat, madeira, vermouth, sherry, etc.), 90 litres of wine (of which no more than 60 litres may be sparkling wine) and 110 litres 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.
Further Information
- Department of Customs and Excise
Tel: 22 601 657 and 22 601 658 - Europe Direct
Tel:00 800 6789 1011
European citizens can go to the Europe Direct website free of charge from any of the 25 countries of the EU. The number 8000 11 12 can be phoned from within Cyprus, and the Eurodirect number + 357 8000 11 12 can be phoned directly from EU countries.
- Permanent Representation of Cyprus to the European Union
Tel: + 32 2 73 53 510
Text last edited on: 06/2006
Capital may be brought freely into Cyprus from countries of the European Union. Any citizens of Europe who is resident in Cyprus can open an account at a bank which operates in Cyprus by completing the necessary forms and providing evidence of identity in accordance with the provisions of the Banking Operations Law and the relevant Directive of the Central Bank of Cyprus which requests from all banks to implement procedures for identification of their customers, record keeping, the effecting of remittances and checking of the source and legality of capital passing through the Cypriot banking system, as well as other procedures to prevent money laundering. Under this Directive acceptance of cash deposits exceeding $100,000 or the equivalent in other foreign currencies in one transaction or in one calendar year from any person (resident or non-resident) or group of linked persons can only be given with the prior written approval of the bank's Compliance Officer.
In addition, the Capital Movements Law of 2003 requires a person entering or leaving from Cyprus with banknotes or gold with a value of €12,500 or above, or with the equivalent in another currency, to complete a form declaring the import / export and to deliver the form to a competent official of the Department of Customs.
Information about the detailed procedures for the opening of accounts in Cyprus and for money transfers can be obtained from the Central Bank Tel: 22 714100 and the commercial banks.
Text last edited on: 06/2006
There is currently no common driving licence for the countries of the European Union. However, there are EU directives which specify the information that must be provided in the driving licence issued by the countries of the EU as well as the driving licence categories. Cyprus accepts the driving licences of all EU Member States. Nationals of other EU countries who are living in Cyprus may convert their driving licence to a Cyprus licence after 6 months time. In such a case, the old licence is returned to the competent authorities of the country that issued it.
Text last edited on: 06/2006
Renting
The usual practice in Cyprus, especially among young people and couples in the cities, is to rent a home. There are an adequate number of apartments for renting, chiefly in small buildings, and a small number of houses and country dwellings are available. As a general guide, the monthly rental for an unfurnished apartment of average size (with about 100m2 of floor space and two bedrooms) varies from €350 - €700 and is usually paid in advance at the beginning of the month. Water, electricity and heating costs are not included in the rental. The cost of renting depends on the location of the building and on factors such as the level of equipment in the accommodation. Apartments and houses are usually rented on the basis of a contract for a period of one or two years with the possibility of renewal. A deposit equal to one or two monthly rental amounts is usually requested; the deposit is refunded when the contract expires, except when the owner withholds part or all of it to cover damage.
Purchase
Cyprus has plenty of dwellings for purchase. With regard to borrowing, interested persons should contact the banking institutions for an explanation of the terms. Generally speaking, loans have a term of up to 25 years. The delivery of a house, apartment or business premise etc. for which planning permission was applied for after 1/5/2004 is subject to VAT at 15 per cent. Interested persons are advised to contact estate agents and the VAT service for clarification about any exceptions. Loans are usually granted for up to 80 per cent of the real estate value.
Further Information
Cyprus has plenty of newspapers, both Greek-language and English-language (including specialist publications), which publish advertisements for the renting and sale of real estate. There are also estate agents who specialise in finding property for sale and rent. The majority of the population (about 70 per cent) lives in the urban areas. The Nicosia district has about 40 per cent of the population of the areas under the control of the Republic of Cyprus. In recent years property prices have been rising both in and outside the urban areas. About 70 per cent of dwellings are owner-occupied. About 25 per cent of all dwellings are apartments.
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