Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

If you own an apartment in North Cyprus and hire a car occasionally then do you need a TRNCdriving licence? We visit only a couple of times a year for maybe 6 or 8 weeks maximum. We only rent a car for a couple of weeks during each stay? Anyone know for sure?

NO!!!!

I asked exactly the same question last year; in my case the "NO!!!!" turned out to be that no-one really seemed to know, as I got various replies from various people..... not a concrete, substantiated reply "NO you don't need one" (or otherwise).....

No!!

Recent thread on this subject
http://www.kibkomnorthcyprusforum.com/v ... =8&t=43268

https://cyprusscene.com/2018/07/02/nort ... july-2018/

If you own a property here, [or intend to rent for more than 30 days at a time], the Law states that if you intend to drive you must hold a current and valid TRNC driving licence. This also applies if you are renting a car as well.

All I did was follow the link above so I guess that your answer is "YES" regardless of all the No's that you have seen. The key seems to be in the easily missed phrase: "If you own a property here", which of course by your post above - you do! Sorry.

And yet in Trevor's Tips for JUNE..." -
"According to the notice, citizens of Turkey, EU member states, Switzerland, Norway, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan will be exempt from the new practice.
The Law in the TRNC states that if you spend more than 90 days in the country you must apply for a TRNC driving licence. Making the occasional trip out of the country makes no difference to the licence requirement!!"

Just no consistency......

jofra wrote:And yet in Trevor's Tips for JUNE..." -
"According to the notice, citizens of Turkey, EU member states, Switzerland, Norway, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan will be exempt from the new practice.
The Law in the TRNC states that if you spend more than 90 days in the country you must apply for a TRNC driving licence. Making the occasional trip out of the country makes no difference to the licence requirement!!"

Just no consistency......

the exemption was for a written test before applying for a trnc licence

in the july article his first paragraph mentions lax rules and the Police being told to tighen up has part of the road safety issues, before going on to explain the 30 day rule.

I checked this out with my insurer, apparently not the same for all insurers, my insurer will pay out on a claim after the 30 day period using a UK driving licence. But the police operate a 30 day basis and you can end up with a fine from them and points on your licence. After 90 days you definitely need a TRNC licence.
So best advice is get a TRNC licence before the 30 day period expires.

I take it that you did not get the information from your insurer in print, signed across a stamp - lol.

DRIVING WITHOUT A TRNC DRIVING LICENCE

If you own a property here, or intend to rent one for more than 30 days at a time, the
Law states that if you intend to drive you must hold a current and valid TRNC driving
licence. This also applies if you are renting a car.
Holiday makers who wish to drive must obtain a full licence after they have spent more
than 90 days here collectively, in any one year.
If you are involved in a traffic accident and are not in possession of a valid TRNC licence you
may be fined severely and ordered to pay the 3rd party’s repair costs. You can also be fined if
you are stopped at a police document check and don’t have a valid licence. A British ex-pat
was recently fined TL 600 for not holding a valid TRNC licence and was fined a further 300
TL for invalid insurance - because he was not properly licensed! Please always carry copies of
your licence, insurance and proof of your tax renewal with you when driving.


The above was copied from the BRS July news letter

Sound's like the end of one of those unwritten gentleman's agreements, wonder what will be next?

Has anyone sat a TRNC driving test, if so what does it involve? I know that EU countries you have to give up your uk licence and get a replacement from country u r staying in but no Test is required. HELP

vinner551 wrote:Has anyone sat a TRNC driving test, if so what does it involve? I know that EU countries you have to give up your uk licence and get a replacement from country u r staying in but no Test is required. HELP

"I know that EU countries you have to give up your UK licence -----."What if you are French, German, Swedish etc and do not have a UK DL"? My son sat the TRNC DL exam some 9+ years ago having been taught to drive in Germany before we moved here. It cost approx £500 for the lessons and licence. He surrendered no documentation, nor was asked to, so I am unsure of where you get your fact supporting your statement.

What fact r u talking about?

vinner551 wrote:What fact r u talking about?

Your statement of having to give up a UK DL.

Why would you give up your UK driving licence? My understanding is you cannot drive on a TRNC one in the South and certainly you would not be able to drive for long elsewhere or in the UK unless you had your UK one.

Slightly off the main topic. However, a TRNC DL can be used in the UK to hire cars (I have done so several times without any query) and to drive. I was told it was valid there for one year from date of entry into the UK. That said, I would not give up my UK DL nor was I asked to do so when applying for the initial and renewal(s) TRNC DL.

Yes, currently it is not an arduous task to get a TRNC licence - and presently you do not need to surrender your UK licence, nor take a TRNC test.

But in the future it may be more difficult.
So to avoid hassle and have peace of mind - and have all bases covered the safest option is to get one now at the reasonable cost shown below:
1 YEAR 185 TL
2 YEARS 270 TL
3 YEARS 365 TL
5 YEARS 555 TL
10 YEARS 920 TL

Yes Yes as per above!!!!
Take you current driving licence and a photocopy as well as a passport and photocopy as well as the Muchtar letter AND DONT FORGET THE 3TL STAMP. + the application form completed.
Other wise once you find a place to park in Nicosia it is easy peasy and ready in a week!!!

(PS ..... I did it all this morning)

We tried on Thursday for my 51 year old wife. No residency stamp =no licence. What now ??

Cave boy, When you first come here and either purchase property OR stay for longer than 90 days then, as an alien, you must complete your first residency - regardless of age! Nothing has changed in that respect and unless you are lucky, know someone who knows someone, have a brown envelope containing US dollars or just operate below the radar and take your chances then residency has to be a first step, always!

I’m now totally confused. It was my understanding that you didn’t have to have residency unless you stayed more than 90 days in a year, regardless of whether or not you own property. Now if you need a driving license if you own property and stay for over 30 days, but can’t get a driving license if you don’t have residency, does that in effect mean you need residency (and a TRNC license) after 30 days if you want to drive? Also does this only affect the under 60s? None of this affects me personally but I wanted to advise friends who own property and holiday here for more than 30 but less than 90 days a year (and have neither residency nor a TRNC license).

Caveboy.
Did you take a copy of your koçan / title deeds / mukhtar’s letter with you when your wife tried for a driving licence?

More confused than ever! We have property in TRNC but only stay for approximately 10 weeks a year spread over 4 or 5 visits and always hire a car. Do we or don’t we need a TRNC licence?
No way am I giving up my UK licence.

You don't give up your UK licence they issue a TRNC licence in parallel
So when we finally leave the EU if you have a current TRNC licence you will already have one
In the South you have to give up your UK licence for an roc one as if an roc resident you have to have an roc resident
Asside
In the UK if an EU citizen you can keep your eu licence sons german girlfiend lived in uk for three years still on the german licence

Sallywebstersnipples wrote:More confused than ever! We have property in TRNC but only stay for approximately 10 weeks a year spread over 4 or 5 visits and always hire a car. Do we or don’t we need a TRNC licence?
No way am I giving up my UK licence.

Not a fan of people posting videos from youtube to explain things but I think if you follow this you'll be fine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXw7LYWNi5E

EnjoyingTheSun wrote:

Sallywebstersnipples wrote:More confused than ever! We have property in TRNC but only stay for approximately 10 weeks a year spread over 4 or 5 visits and always hire a car. Do we or don’t we need a TRNC licence?
No way am I giving up my UK licence.

Not a fan of people posting videos from youtube to explain things but I think if you follow this you'll be fine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXw7LYWNi5E

Awesome! Sums up the current TRNC DL policy for expats in a concise and clear manner.

Sadly the various TRNC Governmental Departments involved in this piece of legislation have not got it joined up yet, if ever, if possible.

If it is in law - then you will find your answer here:http://www.mahkemeler.net/cgi-bin/default.aspx

It is not easy and you have to work at it but everything you want or need to know is there - in law! Just be a bit careful of the English Chapters which tend to be laws from 1959 and may well have been superseded! If you wish to check that go to the English Chapters, click on A and read the law on Aliens, then find the relevant law in the Turkish Chapters and see if it is the same!!

You do not have to give up your EU driving license to gain a TRNC driving license, you only have to produce it! I am hoping that this will remain the same post Mar 29 2019 when you will no longer have a valid EU driving license if your current one was issued in the UK. We will see.

Mowgli597 wrote:Caveboy.
Did you take a copy of your koçan / title deeds / mukhtar’s letter with you when your wife tried for a driving licence?

Yes we did and passport etc...

I wonder if taking the “driving school” route might help (i.e. pay someone the little bit over the odds to do it for you).
The reason I say this is that a friend who owns property here but who has no residency stamps obtained a licence this way. It was the driving school beside the police station near the Wednesday Market in Girne.
He did this after being stopped by the police and asked for his licence: he was driving a TRNC registered car but only had his U.K. licence. They advised him to get a TRNC one.

Hence my earlier mention of a brown envelope - it works in every country in the world or so I am lead to believe - lol.

Mowgli597 wrote:I wonder if taking the “driving school” route might help (i.e. pay someone the little bit over the odds to do it for you).
The reason I say this is that a friend who owns property here but who has no residency stamps obtained a licence this way. It was the driving school beside the police station near the Wednesday Market in Girne.
He did this after being stopped by the police and asked for his licence: he was driving a TRNC registered car but only had his U.K. licence. They advised him to get a TRNC one.

What does a TRNC licence look like? You could wave any old bit of paper at me and at present I would not know the difference! How much does this LDriving School route” cost, any ideas?

Mowgli597 wrote:I wonder if taking the “driving school” route might help (i.e. pay someone the little bit over the odds to do it for you).
The reason I say this is that a friend who owns property here but who has no residency stamps obtained a licence this way. It was the driving school beside the police station near the Wednesday Market in Girne.
He did this after being stopped by the police and asked for his licence: he was driving a TRNC registered car but only had his U.K. licence. They advised him to get a TRNC one.

Now, there's the rub... no one is doubting that it is possible - given a fair wind, to obtain a driving licence with little difficulty... but if you end up in court and do not have the visa stamp in your passport as required by law - what then?

Hubby and I did this last year and I am under 60. I was told if I produced my deeds, which I did, it was ok. Hubby over 60, did not need to do this. Just mukhtars letter etc.
Initially no one seemed to know what to do, but be persistent. The only extra thing required for under 60 is rental agreement or deeds to prove you are living there or own a house.
We had to speak to several people, they even told us to go to police station in Lefkosa, but eventually someone had a discussion in back office and it was fine.
Went back 2 weeks later, all done.

And so it rumbles on Foreign residents and insurance companies including mine say visa stamp is enough BRS say police want TRNC licence on a 30+ day stay or 90 days on a rolling year
Cyprus Today on Saturday more to follow this week
https://www.pressreader.com/cyprus/cypr ... 7/textview