Going darkside

[tonyr]

Hi all, advice please, went today for our first trip South by road. Was told Greek side of boarder that I need a document for car from goverment office at boarder before I can buy insurance. but not open weekends. Where do I get this, is there a cost? I understand insurance is about 35 euro.

[Jonnie]

You get it at the office just past where you show your passport. You will need to show your Turkish Cypriot car paperwork then they will give you the current Greek Cypriot/ROC paperwork, generally referred to as MOT. Do not think there is a charge. You then go and get your ROC insurance.

[Mollie the cat]

The insurance is 25 euro for a month.

[stellasstar1]

Make sure you have the original log book not a photo copy.

[waddo]

The insurance cost depends on your vehicle, car is normally 25, 3 door 4X4 is 30 and 7 seater/5 door 4X4 will cost you 35 euro's. You also need your UK driving license, your TRNC one is not valid in the RoC because you are a EU Citizen - however, if you are a Turkish Cypriot (even if you have an EU passport and are therefore a EU citizen) your TRNC license IS valid! I know that makes no sense at all but this is Cyprus and it is the law.

[harita]

Not sure if you need your UK driving licence or if it is only for the insurance .. DEFINITELY not your TRNC licence ..
You will need it for one or the other ..

[Geoff1131]

Just one point. You dont say which crossing you used. The MOT certificate you need is only available from the Metehan crossing so you need to cross there the first time you go. You can get insurance from the booths just a little further on. After you have the MOT slip, you can cross and renew the insurance at any crossing point but remember that the MOT only lasts for 1 year so again you would have to use the Metehan crossing to renew it.

[Muad_dib]

I think you need your UK driving licence for the MOT at the border

[elkiton]

Yes, the chap in the "MOT" office asked for my licence, testing the water I presented my TRNC licence, he said no good, must be UK licnece for a Uk issued passport...I said sorry, no go, he gave me back the paperwork, no MOT....Reluctantly I produced mu UK licence and he gave me a smirk and the MOT.

[mickhm]

the uk licence phot card must be in date too or another no go

[sophie]

Waddo, we have 4 door Ford hatchback and a 3 door Suzuki 4x4 and pay the same ie. 25 Euro for both. If the rates have changed lately then I'll make sure we only ever take the Ford in future!!

[Marions]

I believe to get your MOT for the south, one must apply in the mornings only. It used to be available 234 hours as was insuranc,e but those heady, convenient days are gone. So, you absolutely must get it in a morning, and maybe to be on the safe sid,e it is better to get it BEFORE you are actually wanting to cross. It is valid for a year.

[bigOz]

I am sorry to spoil the party but, what MOT is everyone talking about?

They check your TRNC paperwork, ID and license and issue you with a free "Road Tax" document eligible for a year - not an MOT! If I am not mistaken, the MOT is issued "for safety and exhaust emissions of motor vehicles of more than a specified age" in UK. There is no such tests at any crossing to South...

Only after getting the Road Tax document (free) you can take out an insurance at one of the offices next door. However this service is only available during office working hours Monday to Friday, where as the insurance offices are also open on Saturdays and possibly for longer duration...

[Tanyaahmet]

My husband is cypriot with a normal lisence and is not a eu citizen but can still get insured on his lisence on the greek side it doesnt matter you can use your uk driving lisence to drive any car on the greek side but if a cyprit with just a trnc lisence can only drive there car i was told by the insurance guy

[Tanyaahmet]

If your car is a van its 35 euros my car is saved as a van when it was brought into this country but is a normal car i still pay 35 euros and i have to take the back seats out n put a board in the middle

[tonyr]

Thanks for info, going today will post how I get on!!

[waddo]

Sophie, the insurance people can get a bit funny with 4X4's, normally they will ask you how many seats you have - if you are not quite with it and have a LWB 4X4 (7 seater) and admit to 7 seats then it will cost you 35 euros! If you are a bit quicker and say 4/5 seats you can get away with either 25 or 30 euros depending on who is on the kiosk! Its a bit of a game but the insurance rates are right there on a board in front of you so have a look next time you go. My SWB Pajero was 25 euros for years till I went to a different kiosk (normally use Minerva) and all of a sudden it was 30 euros!!! When I took my mates LWB Pajero over it was 35 euros straight away!

[JoandJelly]

I wonder what would happen if you had an accident in your 7 seater but it is insured as a 4/5 seater. Would this invalidate the insurance?

[stellasstar1]

I wondered what all this talk of an MOT was. It's a road tax paper that they give you for the year, as Bigoz says.

[Marions]

Same difference. I was told it was the same as an MOT certificate, and I must admit I never bothered to even try to read the Greek but all I knew was thaqt I had to have it to enable my car to be allowed on the roads in the south. As Shakespeare said 'What's in a name...............' what matters to us is that we have to have it and you have to get it before you cross and it is available only during working hours (whatever they may be) on Mons to Fridays.