TRNC driving licence

jayceebee · Post by **jayceebee** » Fri 29 Jun 2018 9:41 am

jimm wrote:I did not need temporary residency to get my TRNC licence, I am over 60

Ditto

frontalman · Post by **frontalman** » Fri 29 Jun 2018 9:52 am

judyvin wrote:Friends have just moved here and wish to apply for their TRNC driving licence. Does this, their first one, still have to be applied for in Lefkosia? I had to go there 8 years ago but I renew mine at the tax office in Gine.

Much nicer office in Lefkosa, nicer people, have a nice meai in Dereboyu afterwards. Lefkosa every time for us.

Chrispyb · Post by **Chrispyb** » Sat 30 Jun 2018 9:03 am

I am also over 60, no residency and have held the TRNC license for the last 3 years. Requirements are a letter from your local muktar, passport copy, application form, at least this was 3 years ago.

Mike and Sue · Post by **Mike and Sue** » Sun 15 Jul 2018 7:24 am

Deniz1 wrote:Dont need residency to get a licence a muhtars letter is enough.

Not true if you are under 60, you do need a residents stamp, went on Friday, can you just get a stamp or do you need the full process. Why if you are under 60 is it such a pain

waddo · Post by **waddo** » Sun 15 Jul 2018 9:37 am

Mike and Sue, Because it is your FIRST visa application, that is why! Again -http://www.brstrnc.com/index.php/lifest ... june-2017-

EnjoyingTheSun · Post by **EnjoyingTheSun** » Sun 15 Jul 2018 10:30 am

Mike and Sue wrote: Why if you are under 60 is it such a pain

I particluarily enjoy going to a hospital to pay for a blood test and then receive a map of the clinic where to have the blood test.

Mike and Sue · Post by **Mike and Sue** » Mon 16 Jul 2018 11:16 am

waddo wrote:Mike and Sue, Because it is your FIRST visa application, that is why! Again -http://www.brstrnc.com/index.php/lifest ... june-2017-

If only it was that easy , followed their advice to the T this morning, I needed a photocopy of bank statement not the original and go to the tax office and stamp the original contract, none of those in the instructions , another 3 hours of my retirement wasted .

nothing in this country is easy

Mowgli597 · Post by **Mowgli597** » Mon 16 Jul 2018 11:24 am

Mike and Sue wrote: .........another 3 hours of my retirement wasted

May I respectfully ask, since you are retired, what would you have done with it instead?

Mike and Sue wrote:nothing in this country is easy

But just think what you’re learning about your new home! If you wanted easy then perhaps North Cyprus isn’t the right choice (only joking - the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages IMHO).
When we moved to the West of Ireland many, many years ago, and met some of the same frustrations you might be experiencing right now, we received a sound piece of homespun wisdom: “When God made time, he made plenty of it!”

Lovelife · Post by **Lovelife** » Thu 26 Jul 2018 12:55 pm

Thought I would post an update.
We followed the directions posted on here and found the building without hassle.

The following information needed, which we provided.

Original passport and driving license, plus photocopies of passport picture and photocopy of driving license BOTH sides.
Driving license application form.
Muthar letter for each person, need a 3 TL stamp for each letter.
Stamps can be purchased within the building, photocopying can be done on the next floor up at the small cafe, cost 1 TL per sheet.
2 passport sized photos per person

We have never done residency as we do not exceed the 90 day limit, we travel to the UK. Other half is over 60, I'm under 60. I was not asked if I had residency.
We waited for around 30 mins, the lady gave us back our UK driving license and passport, we then paid for the licenses and we given a printed copy to keep and this paper can be handed to the police, should you get stopped, which informs them that you are in the process of getting a TRNC driving license. Should take around 10 days but to be on the safe side we will give it 2 weeks.

frugal90 · Post by **frugal90** » Thu 26 Jul 2018 4:36 pm

Thanks for this, could you explain what the letter is , what it has to say and how you got the letter.
Did you have to show the Muthar the deeds of your property for example?

Muthar letter for each person, need a 3 TL stamp for each letter.

thanks again

frugal

tomsteel · Post by **tomsteel** » Thu 26 Jul 2018 4:48 pm

frugal90 wrote:Thanks for this, could you explain what the letter is , what it has to say and how you got the letter.
Did you have to show the Muthar the deeds of your property for example?

Muthar letter for each person, need a 3 TL stamp for each letter.

thanks again

frugal

The requirement varies from muthar to muthar. Ours required to see a copy of the house contract, passports and a utility bill. However, he now knows us so well he just updates last years copy. Unsure of current charge per letter though, even without the 3 TL stamp.

Lovelife · Post by **Lovelife** » Thu 26 Jul 2018 5:26 pm

Frugal

We live near Esentepe, the muthar signs a document to say that we live in the Esentepe area, as Tomsteel says it may vary from muthar to muthar, ours knows us now so we just take our passports, when we first required him to do this letter we had to provide our house sale documents and an electric bill,he charges 10TL.

One of our letters had a 2TL stamp already on, the lady at the driving license counter wanted 3 TL stamps on both of our letters so we had to purchase a single 1 TL stamp and a 3TL stamp.

Hope this helps.

waddo · Post by **waddo** » Thu 26 Jul 2018 6:57 pm

Passport and pink book, can’t really argue with the pink book, he is the one who put our information in it! Price varies from year to year!

Lovelife · Post by **Lovelife** » Fri 27 Jul 2018 5:55 am

I have edited my posting as I forgot to include 2 passport sized photos per person.

Ferguson · Post by **Ferguson** » Sun 29 Jul 2018 12:56 pm

Lovelife wrote:Thought I would post an update.
We followed the directions posted on here and found the building without hassle.

The following information needed, which we provided.

Original passport and driving license, plus photocopies of passport picture and photocopy of driving license BOTH sides.
Driving license application form.
Muthar letter for each person, need a 3 TL stamp for each letter.
Stamps can be purchased within the building, photocopying can be done on the next floor up at the small cafe, cost 1 TL per sheet.
2 passport sized photos per person

We have never done residency as we do not exceed the 90 day limit, we travel to the UK. Other half is over 60, I'm under 60. I was not asked if I had residency.
We waited for around 30 mins, the lady gave us back our UK driving license and passport, we then paid for the licenses and we given a printed copy to keep and this paper can be handed to the police, should you get stopped, which informs them that you are in the process of getting a TRNC driving license. Should take around 10 days but to be on the safe side we will give it 2 weeks.

Perfect, spot on information. This is exactly what happens...

mermaidsexist · Post by **mermaidsexist** » Mon 30 Jul 2018 11:33 am

well, just back from lefkosia office and been told under no circumstances can i drive here unless i rent a car. been told i can no longer drive my car that i purchased here that i use for the months i am here as because I'm on a tourist visa (i don't have residency here temporary or permanent and immigration said i can't get residency as I'm not here all year round?!) so apparently my car insurance is now null and void, they won't issue a trnc driving licence as I'm under 60, even though i have a mukhtar letter confirming a rental tenancy on the property we reside in half the year. car insurance have confirmed that this is true, unless i have residency (stamped passport of temporary residence or over 60) that i can NOT drive my own vehicle. they even asked when and where i purchased our vehicle as they should not have sold it to me in the first place on a foreign licence? what the hells going on?!?! i only want to drive legally for the time i stay here for gods sake. but if i rent a car 6 months of the year i can just use my uk driving licence. hmmmm somethings off somewhere. has anyone else had this problem.

Mr Chinnery · Post by **Mr Chinnery** » Mon 30 Jul 2018 11:58 am

Mermaid,
Please bare with me.
If I understand right, you are under 60 and you stay in a rental property for six months..
What I can’t understand is that being under 60 and staying six months that you haven’t been fined for overstaying.
You produced a six month lease so to the staff you are here for six months and therefore should apply for residency.
That’s how I read it.

mermaidsexist · Post by **mermaidsexist** » Mon 30 Jul 2018 12:12 pm

yes i even told them that i require a local licence by law but apparently they said I'm not entitled to apply?!. i had taken the rental agreement that is stamped by the government tax office, driving licence plus copies, stamps, passport and photocopy, photos, licence application, fee and mukhtar letter but they literally didn't even bother looking at them, just looked for a stamp in my passport and said as i didn't have one and I'm under 60 that i cannot apply. we usually renew our tourist visa (as immigration told me to do, which i know isn't the legal route but they won't grant temporary residency because I'm not intending to be here for the full 12 months of the year. they asked how i got to the tax office and i said i drove there, they asked if it was a hire car, which i said no. i own it. they said its "big problem" that i can no longer drive it and to hire a car and continue to renew my tourist visa and use my uk licence and rent vehicles. i have tried to check the brs website ut the motoring section is under review. i contacted my car insurance, they confirmed that my policy is void as i don't have a local licence. two different officials have now told me conflicting advice so now I'm stuck. seems i either live here for the full year or perhaps sell up and take my money and live part of the year elsewhere as they made the impression they did not want me in the country. even a local was saying that i needed a licence and was trying to help me but to no avail unfortunately. then the whole "sorry i don't understand much english, you've been given wrong information" even with someone translating they could not understand why i even wanted a licence, sorry for long reply, its been a very frustrating morning.

mermaidsexist · Post by **mermaidsexist** » Mon 30 Jul 2018 12:14 pm

going to have to reapply for residency and hope they grant it and not get fobbed off again. in the meantime just to let people know, if you're a swallow you are not insured unless you have a trnc licence

Bullsnil · Post by **Bullsnil** » Mon 30 Jul 2018 12:27 pm

Sorry don't understand why they won't give you temporary residency, I have never been asked how long I intend to spend here just go to the immigration office and get your temp residency stamp and problem solved.

Mr Chinnery · Post by **Mr Chinnery** » Mon 30 Jul 2018 12:39 pm

Mermaid,
I don’t understand the tourist visa bit, is it you get 90 days then apply for an extension? To be honest I didn’t know you could do that.
Your first stop is to apply For residency but whether it will be successful I don’t know because you are declaring you are only staying for six months.

mermaidsexist · Post by **mermaidsexist** » Mon 30 Jul 2018 12:54 pm

they've gone off my ins and outs that i had to obtain in order to apply for temporary residency in the past, they realised i was a swallow and said i didn't need residency as wasn't here for a full year. i don't think some of the government officials know what one hand is doing from the other, i really don't. we just renew our 90 day tourist visa by spending a weekend in turkey or stay south for a weekend and come back and get a fresh 90 days. not what we want to do, we just want to be legal until we settle permanently, but its proving to be problematic. will have to just attempt to get residency again then if or when its granted re apply for a trnc licence. i just wish there were some definitive guidelines somewhere on what exactly the law is, as seems officials interpret it as they seem fit and theres so much misinformation about.

Mr Chinnery · Post by **Mr Chinnery** » Mon 30 Jul 2018 12:55 pm

Mermaid,
The only other way I can see round it is although I’m not sure it’s the best way is to ask immigration/Licence staff
what would happen if you had a three month agreement ie 90 Days, that way as a tourist you should I would have thought be able to use your I presume, UK Licence.

The downside to that is you would have to leave the country and re enter and take another 3month agreement
This would need to be checked with the right department as to whether it’s legal or not.

The other option is take a 12 month agreement apply for Residency, then apply for a Driving Licence.

mermaidsexist · Post by **mermaidsexist** » Mon 30 Jul 2018 12:58 pm

thanks mr chinnery, i think we will have to go for the second option as the licence office stated as on a tourist 90 day visa you can only hire vehicles and can not own one. as we own one we are no longer allowed to drive it on a uk licence. first time i have heard of that, so was baffled when they told me that this morning.

just been sent this by a local driving school.

""Persons with a foreign driver's license in accordance with the TRNC law are obliged to convert their driving license to a TRNC license to use any vehicle other than a rental vehicle. ""

immigration office tmrw methinks.

Keithcaley · Post by **Keithcaley** » Mon 30 Jul 2018 2:17 pm

Join the BRS and tell them of the confusion - they do say that they want to know. ..

Mr Chinnery · Post by **Mr Chinnery** » Mon 30 Jul 2018 2:22 pm

Mermaid it may be a translation thing as to what ‘convert means’ , I wouldn’t under any circumstances surrender your UK Licence.

Hilltop · Post by **Hilltop** » Mon 30 Jul 2018 6:25 pm

Just for info. Those of us lucky enough not to have ended up in Girne, can get an initial or replacement/renewal license in Magusa. No need to travel to Lefkosia. (No I do not mean Lefke or Guzelyert etc). Replacements/renewals can also be done in Iskele.

waddo · Post by **waddo** » Tue 31 Jul 2018 7:14 am

Mermaid, Not that this may be of any help but: When we agreed a leasehold on a plot of land in 2001 - and even through we had no intention of moving here permanently till 2007 - we applied for residency, it was refused because we did not own property as it had not yet been built! Fair enough, so because we were coming three times a year we applied for a driving license - it was refused for the same reason. We wanted to buy a 2nd hand car to get around in and be available for us when we visited - tried a couple of auto sellers who also refused to sell to us because we did not have a TRNC license. That was then! Now it seems that in 2018 a mere 17 years later that the Government has started to catch up with it's own laws and has also started to apply them - sometimes. You are caught in a similar trap to that which we were in and try as we did there was no escape. So this is not a new thing and nobody is picking on you, it's just the way it is. One thing I find confusing is that you say you rent and that because the rental agreement is only for six months you are classed as a tourist, quite correctly - yet you also say "or perhaps sell up and take my money and live part of the year elsewhere", are you referring to your illegally owned car or do you also have property? Perhaps you refer to your goods and chattels that are in the accommodation you rent for 6 months of the year, if so what happens to them when you are not here? Point being that if you rent the same property for 6 months of the year and for the next 6 months it sits empty, why can't you agree a 12 month rent with the owner for the same price as the 6 month price and then you would be legal and be able to get all the paperwork completed for residency and licenses etc? Just a bit of outside the box thinking for you.

mermaidsexist · Post by **mermaidsexist** » Tue 31 Jul 2018 1:20 pm

waddo wrote:Mermaid, Not that this may be of any help but: When we agreed a leasehold on a plot of land in 2001 - and even through we had no intention of moving here permanently till 2007 - we applied for residency, it was refused because we did not own property as it had not yet been built! Fair enough, so because we were coming three times a year we applied for a driving license - it was refused for the same reason. We wanted to buy a 2nd hand car to get around in and be available for us when we visited - tried a couple of auto sellers who also refused to sell to us because we did not have a TRNC license. That was then! Now it seems that in 2018 a mere 17 years later that the Government has started to catch up with it's own laws and has also started to apply them - sometimes. You are caught in a similar trap to that which we were in and try as we did there was no escape. So this is not a new thing and nobody is picking on you, it's just the way it is. One thing I find confusing is that you say you rent and that because the rental agreement is only for six months you are classed as a tourist, quite correctly - yet you also say "or perhaps sell up and take my money and live part of the year elsewhere", are you referring to your illegally owned car or do you also have property? Perhaps you refer to your goods and chattels that are in the accommodation you rent for 6 months of the year, if so what happens to them when you are not here? Point being that if you rent the same property for 6 months of the year and for the next 6 months it sits empty, why can't you agree a 12 month rent with the owner for the same price as the 6 month price and then you would be legal and be able to get all the paperwork completed for residency and licenses etc? Just a bit of outside the box thinking for you.

Thank you for replying Waddo. Yes i meant sell the car and personal belongings and not bother, however not what we wish to do. currently going to start the ball rolling on the residency route. we were renting temporary (as swallows) with a view to permanently living here and perhaps buying in the future, this just seemed to be a bit of a bolt out of the blue as when we asked about driving licenses before we were told we didn't need them until the recent news articles and obviously the residency route didn't work in the past. will try again, if no luck then will re weigh the options. Just seems a bit rotten that if this law is not a new law and has always been in place just a bit lapsed, then many swallows are in the same position and their current car insurance is null and void. just wish i had known this before or been advised when buying a car and insurance as don't like the thought that have been misled or as we now appear to have been been driving thinking we are covered when in fact we aren't. scary.

waddo · Post by **waddo** » Tue 31 Jul 2018 1:38 pm

Sorry! In typical TRNC style, the law has always been there and just like the UK, ignorance of it is no excuse. However, here the laws seem to be, shall we say transparent, dependent on lots of things like cousins, citizenship, money, who you are, who you know and in particular who you are dealing with at the time. There appears to be a Catch 22 in place here - if you stay for longer than 90 days then by law you must apply for an annual visa (residency). However they are telling you can't because you only stay here for six months! So what happens at the 91 day point if you don't leave the country but instead apply for residency? The only thing I could suggest is that you approach a solicitor to explain the exact law on visa application requirements and to give you a copy of same! Only then - if you are lucky - will you be able to fight the case. In the meantime, no consolation to you, there will be hundreds more just like you who have bought cars here but not property who will now keep their heads very low below the parapet indeed. Good luck.

Mr B · Post by **Mr B** » Wed 01 Aug 2018 4:15 pm

Just as a matter of interest, is there a form for a TRNC driving licence available as a download in English without having to join the BRS.

Surely a Government department has this facility by now.

Keithcaley · Post by **Keithcaley** » Wed 01 Aug 2018 4:47 pm

Mr B wrote:Just as a matter of interest, is there a form for a TRNC driving licence available as a download in English without having to join the BRS.

Surely a Government department has this facility by now.

Not that I know of, but if you go along to the relevant office, they will help you fill in the form.

waddo · Post by **waddo** » Wed 01 Aug 2018 4:53 pm

Mr B, not so far. You need to remember that the computer age here is taking an age indeed and through the majority of departments have computers there is no real joined up thinking and many departments are still not connected either to each other or anyone else. It is moving forward and with the - we hope - soon to arrive, high speed Internet from Turkey it will get better faster. For me it is like going back to the stone age but you get what you get and work around it. Remember that in the UK the NHS is still using FAX machines so in some respects we are further ahead here - frightening thought that - lol.

Mr B · Post by **Mr B** » Wed 01 Aug 2018 5:38 pm

waddo wrote:Mr B, not so far. You need to remember that the computer age here is taking an age indeed and through the majority of departments have computers there is no real joined up thinking and many departments are still not connected either to each other or anyone else. It is moving forward and with the - we hope - soon to arrive, high speed Internet from Turkey it will get better faster. For me it is like going back to the stone age but you get what you get and work around it. Remember that in the UK the NHS is still using FAX machines so in some respects we are further ahead here - frightening thought that - lol.

Thanks waddo. I did think I was P ing in the wind. It is a pain when you are in the UK trying to keep up-to-date with new rules and regulations. I will email Trevor Hughes and take advantage of his offer to do the work for me once we return to TRNC.
The TRNC Consulate in London is not much help either with the appropriate forms.

Many large companies in UK are still using Windows XP as well as Fax machines - it's cheaper than training staff on new computer packages.

kedikat2903 · Post by **kedikat2903** » Fri 10 Aug 2018 7:59 am

My friend who is under 60 uses my car while she is in TRNC. My insurance in the past told me anyone can drive my car with my permission as it’s the car rather than a person that is insured. With all this business about having to get a licence if you are here more than 30 days or 90 days(not sure which is correct) she tried to apply for a TRNC licence. We went to Ozbek driving school to ask. He said she can’t get a TRNC licence without a visitors yearly stamp in her passport. He asked how many days she was here in a year - usually less than 90 days. He said she could drive my car with her licence up to 90 days but I should get my insurance to include her name on the car insurance. I have just had a reply from them saying that the law has changed and they will only cover her for 30 days. Is there anyone official we ask to clarify if it is 90 days or 30 days,so I can tell my insurance ? I don’t think they will accept what the driving school say. Thanks

Hammerhead · Post by **Hammerhead** » Sat 20 Oct 2018 7:49 am

Do they keep the old paper licence when applying for a trnc licence

Laura B · Post by **Laura B** » Sat 20 Oct 2018 8:01 am

No they keep no licence here,unlike Turkey. You keep your licence and get the TRNC one also.

Chriswright03 · Post by **Chriswright03** » Sat 20 Oct 2018 8:26 am

michelle wrote:Do they keep the old paper licence when applying for a trnc licence

If you mean the paper UK one they are not issued now and not required in the UK either.

wanderer · Post by **wanderer** » Sat 20 Oct 2018 9:12 am

Chriswright03 wrote:
michelle wrote:Do they keep the old paper licence when applying for a trnc licence
If you mean the paper UK one they are not issued now and not required in the UK either.

If you have not changed your address in the UK for many years you may just have a paper licence no plastic card as your licence
This will stay as just a paper licence until you are 70 unless you move house before that age

Chriswright03 · Post by **Chriswright03** » Sat 20 Oct 2018 10:03 am

You have to change your photograph every so often. 10 years seems to ring a bell but I stand to be corrected.

Hammerhead · Post by **Hammerhead** » Sat 20 Oct 2018 11:19 am

We didn't neither

wanderer · Post by **wanderer** » Sat 20 Oct 2018 12:08 pm

Except for Northern Ireland, driving licences issued before July 1998 did not have photographs on them.[19] Anyone who holds a licence issued before this date may retain their photo-less licence until expiry (normally one's seventieth birthday) or until they change address, whichever comes sooner. The new plastic photocard driving licences have to be renewed every ten years, for a fee. Until 2015, the licence consisted of both the photocard and a paper counterpart which detailed the individual's driving entitlements and convictions ("endorsements"). The counterpart was abolished on 8 June 2015[20] and the information formerly recorded on it is now available online via the View Driving Licence service, except in Northern Ireland where the counterpart must be kept with the photocard.[21]

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