Residency/Driving Licence

[tomsteel]

Here is a new question. My family are here on holiday, arrived June until November/December. 1 of them is Australian passport, my daughter British and Australian passports. They are on our car insurance and borrow the car a couple of times a week. Do they now need TRNC licence. They are in rented property?

Heaven, the only truly acceptable answer is to ask the traffic polis or your advocate and insurance agent. The Polis view, as I understood it, is if you are driving a TRNC registered vehicle, which is privately owned and registered as such, you must have a TRNC DL. Hired vehicles are not subject to this law. Now, the legality of that view is where your advocate could easily check what is on the statute and let you know.

[AngelGirl]

Below is the reply from BRS Peter Wilkins in answer to my query about driving on my U.K. licence here in my TRNC registered vehicle as a visitor on a 90 day visa:-
Having met with senior members of the relevant Ministry a few times in the past three months, I can confirm that you DO NOT require a TRNC Driving Licence.

The law is quite clear, that should a person intend to reside in the TRNC beyond the 90 days of their Tourist Visa, they MUST apply for a local licence. If however, you are still within your 90 day Tourist Visa, then you are free to drive on your UK licence.

The fact that you own a property and a TRNC registered vehicle is irrelevant.

[AngelGirl]

Below is the reply to me from Peter Wilkins BRS about driving here on my U.K. licence in my TRNC registered vehicle as a visitor on a 90 day visa as I now live and work permanently in the U.K. :-

Having met with senior members of the relevant Ministry a few times in the past three months, I can confirm that you DO NOT require a TRNC Driving Licence.

The law is quite clear, that should a person intend to reside in the TRNC beyond the 90 days of their Tourist Visa, they MUST apply for a local licence. If however, you are still within your 90 day Tourist Visa, then you are free to drive on your UK licence.

The fact that you own a property and a TRNC registered vehicle is irrelevant.

[tomsteel]

Below is the reply from BRS Peter Wilkins in answer to my query about driving on my U.K. licence here in my TRNC registered vehicle as a visitor on a 90 day visa:-
Having met with senior members of the relevant Ministry a few times in the past three months, I can confirm that you DO NOT require a TRNC Driving Licence.

The law is quite clear, that should a person intend to reside in the TRNC beyond the 90 days of their Tourist Visa, they MUST apply for a local licence. If however, you are still within your 90 day Tourist Visa, then you are free to drive on your UK licence.

The fact that you own a property and a TRNC registered vehicle is irrelevant.

If this is the case, why was a UK expat female fined for driving her TRNC registered vehicle on a UK DL?

[AngelGirl]

Tomsteel, I dont know her circumstances, how many days she had been here etc. or if she had legal representation. Im a vistor under 60 on holiday and i dont see how i can apply for residency when i dont qualify as I only visit max 30 days in one year to be able to apply for a TRNC drivers licence. My British friend who has a holdiay home next to me (over 60) was in a serious car accident last week whilst driving a hire car here because someone jumped the lights on the bypass. He had to be pulled though the window and by grace alive but injured, the hire car written off. The police officer told him to get a TRNC licence. As far as im aware, when visiting on holiday here, especially in a hire car, you dont need a TRNC licence. It doesnt mean to say that what the policeman said was right......

[kerry 6138]

http://www.kibkomnorthcyprusforum.com/v ... t=accident

[AngelGirl]

Interesting read Kerry6138, thank you, especially hearing about Mermaidsexist’s experience message 66/85 on the link you provided. To be told you cannot drive the car you own on a vistors 90 day visor because your under 60 but you can drive a hire car on a U.K. licence is like saying I cannot stay in the house I own as I’m on a 90 day visor but I can stay in a rental/hotel. But if your 60 and over then that’s okay because you can get a TRNC licence!

[Keithcaley]

Angel Girl, as the rules here change 'at the drop of a hat', you should probably follow Tomsteel's advice and obtain confirmation from the Police/Tax authorities/Insurance people to be safe!

[tomsteel]

[quote="AngelGirl"]Tomsteel, I dont know her circumstances, how many days she had been here etc. or if she had legal representation. Im a vistor under 60 on holiday and i dont see how i can apply for residency when i dont qualify as I only visit max 30 days in one year to be able to apply for a TRNC drivers licence. My British friend who has a holdiay home next to me (over 60) was in a serious car accident last week whilst driving a hire car here because someone jumped the lights on the bypass. He had to be pulled though the window and by grace alive but injured, the hire car written off. The police officer told him to get a TRNC licence. As far as im aware, when visiting on holiday here, especially in a hire car, you dont need a TRNC licence. It doesnt mean to say that what the policeman said was right......[/quote

The length of stay, residency/visitor passport status is an irrelevance. The nub of the issue is a personal TRNC vehicle registration/TRNC DL, as opposed to another national issuing authority DL being used. Hired vehicles are, apparently, exempt from this law. Check with the appropriate authorities and inform the forum.

[wanderer]

Red plates mean foreigner danger so have a local licence

[PoshinDevon]

Angel Girl, as the rules here change 'at the drop of a hat', you should probably follow Tomsteel's advice and obtain confirmation from the Police/Tax authorities/Insurance people to be safe!

Seems confusion reigns. Which to be honest isn’t a surprise.

I would just get a TRNC driving licence whether here for a short period, with or without residency, over 60 or under 60. Seems to me that having a licence covers all the bases.

Given the cost it just seems a sensible way forward.

[AngelGirl]

Posh in Devon, I would if I could to cover all consequences! I’m not eligible for a temporary residence because I am not living here any more and therefore cannot apply for a TRNC DL. The people over 60 manage to obtain a TRNC DL because of the relaxed rule about staying as long as you like and so they don’t have to show a stamp in their passport!
So, because I’m under 60, I don’t seem to fit into the system anywhere despite owning a car and property here although the BRS say that I can drive my car on my U.K. licence as on a 90 day visa. Other forum members disagree with the BRS and there seems no formal written guidelines for me to follow and abide by. Even getting verbal clarification from the police station or wherever does not support me or anyone else who has the same circumstances.

[kerry 6138]

http://www.brstrnc.com/index.php/lifest ... june-2017-
There is no link between a residency stamp in your passport and obtaining a TRNC driving licence. If you don’t have a residency stamp in your passport when applying for a TRNC driving licence you will need a Mukhtar’s letter to confirm your place of residence

http://www.brstrnc.com/index.php/lifest ... rth-cyprus
Please note that if those who are aged under 60 and who do not intend applying for a TRNC driving licence will not be able to drive any vehicle in the TRNC once the 90 day tourist visa has expired.

[PoshinDevon]

http://www.brstrnc.com/index.php/lifest ... june-2017-
There is no link between a residency stamp in your passport and obtaining a TRNC driving licence. If you don’t have a residency stamp in your passport when applying for a TRNC driving licence you will need a Mukhtar’s letter to confirm your place of residence

http://www.brstrnc.com/index.php/lifest ... rth-cyprus
Please note that if those who are aged under 60 and who do not intend applying for a TRNC driving licence will not be able to drive any vehicle in the TRNC once the 90 day tourist visa has expired.

Angelgirl - Fully understand that the rules seem confusing. Plus as we know they do tend to change like the wind sometimes. Forget about residency/residency stamps etc.

The above information advises that for you to obtain a TRNC driving licence you need the Muhtars letter to confirm you have or are renting a property here in North Cyprus. A copy of Kocan, sale contract or rental agreement is sufficient to confirm this. Once you have this letter you can then complete the necessary application form, copies of passport, fee etc and obtain your licence. Licences can be valid for up to 10 years - your decision as to how long you want it valid for.

We are sometimes on island for less than 90 days however for the relatively small cost and to take away the concerns re driving/insurance we obtained a TRNC licence.

[wanderer]

Two weeks after taking the forms for first TRNC my driving licence we called in the office in Lefkosa and collected them
The firsts man into the office on the right issues them they are in a neat packs of cards segregated into male and female licences
The licence itself is interesting containing passport number and that its granted on my British licence also I should wear glasses /contact lenses and my parents first names if still alive they'd be 100+
Anyway I found it useful within a couple of hours when stopped by police in a checking exercise coming off the Lefkosa road into Girne I had all my paperwork