Can you bring a commercial vehicle to TRNC

[the butlers wife]

My son is moving to the TRNC in November and has decided to load up his van with some of our tools and his own plus clothes
some household goods etc. and he intends driving here. His partner is a nursery teacher/manager and some schools have shown interest in her CV. They intend looking for land eventually and building a property as my son is a qualified electrician and has worked in the building trade for many years. He has told me he has researched bringing the van over and as he has had it since new and it is under 5 years old there should not be a problem. He has also stated that he can keep it here up to a year without paying any import duty. I was talking to someone yesterday who said you can't import a van or truck unless you have a business. Does anyone have any experience of importing a van and was it hassle free?



The butlers wife

[fatouche]

I don't know about the commercial side of it, but I do know that you have to pay import duty the day your British road tax expires ( it happened to me). The import duty is 60% of the value given to the vehicle by customs.........

[Keithcaley]

A friend who has a business told me that, as a foreigner, you cannot have a commercial vehicle - Van, lorry, pickup truck, etc - in your name. You can't even drive one. It must be registered in the name of a business, or that of a TRNC Citizen (Kimlik card holder).

This does raise the possibility of getting a trusted local to register it for you, and to arrange the importation in their name - be aware though, that the person named on the Vehicle Kochan (Log Book) would most likely be regarded as the legal owner - and you probably still wouldn't be able to drive it without a work permit

As always, please double check this with the licencing authorities...

[Lottidotti]

I know someone who brought a Landrover Defender HardTop I think it's called over from UK,that from what I believe
Is classed as a commercial vehicle.I know it's not the same as a bread van but still a commercial all the same.

[wanderer]

Take a copy of the log book to the customs at Lefkosa and ask the question as if you can and that its for your son as part of the equation is how long you have been on the island so your personal details
Offices are the turning by the merc/jeep dealer on the ring road

[butterfly]

Keithcaley is correct. Foreigners cannot own a commercial vehicle unless registered through a TRNC company.

[karmels]

Lottidotti

The Landrover Defender is not a commercial vehicle, crew cabs, vans ( all sizes ) and trucks.
There are a lot of expats driving the defender.

[ozankoys]

We have a truck in my husband's name it took quite a bit of persuading but he got there in the end! The rule stated above is in place though, foreigners cannot own commercial vehicles in their own name.
Maybe your son could drive it over, then use it for a year, try to get it in his name if he does not succed then he would have to drive it back.

[Lottidotti]

Karmels all I know is that the person owns a Landrover Defender hardtop the one without windows in the rear.this is classed as a commercial vehicle or Kamyonet not sure of spelling.I believe the tax is a lot cheaper and it also needs a test certificate every year.Its also registered in their own names and they don't have a business.

[the butlers wife]

Thanks for all your replies, Ozonkoys my son intended to do this, drive it over keep it for a year and then drive it back.
My fear is, he will do this and turn up at Girne and they won't let him in and he has to turn around and drive it back to the UK.

From all the replies it still isn't clear if a foreigner can have what is classed as a commercial vehicle or not.



The butlers wife

[karmels]

the butlers wife

If you son has no residency stamps in his passport he can come to Cyprus as a tourist with the one year allowance.

If he has a residency stamp, albeit old he will not be allowed to bring the vehicle in as this will show up at immigration.

[Keithcaley]

At the risk of becoming boring, I would reiterate: -

"As always, please double check this with the licencing authorities..."

- And Immigration too, come to that...

[the butlers wife]

My son has never had a residency stamp in his passport but as he is well under 60 he will at sometime have to get one
during his first year. How will this affect keeping the van here for a year? My husband and I will try and go to Lefkosa
next week but I am sure we will not get a direct answer there either. Our experience of government departments, is it all depends on who you ask on the day.


The butlers wife

[Carbotec]

A friend who has a business told me that, as a foreigner, you cannot have a commercial vehicle - Van, lorry, pickup truck, etc - in your name. You can't even drive one. It must be registered in the name of a business, or that of a TRNC Citizen (Kimlik card holder).

This does raise the possibility of getting a trusted local to register it for you, and to arrange the importation in their name - be aware though, that the person named on the Vehicle Kochan (Log Book) would most likely be regarded as the legal owner - and you probably still wouldn't be able to drive it without a work permit

As always, please double check this with the licencing authorities...

This is not correct, I have had vans here in my name for six plus years and no problems.

[Groucho]

A friend who has a business told me that, as a foreigner, you cannot have a commercial vehicle - Van, lorry, pickup truck, etc - in your name. You can't even drive one. It must be registered in the name of a business, or that of a TRNC Citizen (Kimlik card holder).

This does raise the possibility of getting a trusted local to register it for you, and to arrange the importation in their name - be aware though, that the person named on the Vehicle Kochan (Log Book) would most likely be regarded as the legal owner - and you probably still wouldn't be able to drive it without a work permit

As always, please double check this with the licencing authorities...

This is not correct, I have had vans here in my name for six plus years and no problems.

Ah but does that mean this will be everybody's experience? It seems one minute it's OK the next not depending on who is in post at the point of entry.... Not a happy prospect - chance....

[Keithcaley]

A friend who has a business told me that, as a foreigner, you cannot have a commercial vehicle - Van, lorry, pickup truck, etc - in your name. You can't even drive one. It must be registered in the name of a business, or that of a TRNC Citizen (Kimlik card holder).

This does raise the possibility of getting a trusted local to register it for you, and to arrange the importation in their name - be aware though, that the person named on the Vehicle Kochan (Log Book) would most likely be regarded as the legal owner - and you probably still wouldn't be able to drive it without a work permit

As always, please double check this with the licencing authorities...

This is not correct, I have had vans here in my name for six plus years and no problems.

Carbotec, please forgive me if I am wrong, but I understood from past posts by yourself that you were actually running a business, or were at least employed in some capacity by a business here. We are talking about private, foreign, individuals, unconnected to businesses being unable to legally register a commercial vehicle in their own name.

[Mufflet]

six years ago, I drove my Vauxhall combo 1700DI from the UK to the TRNC. Caught the ferry from Turkey and arrived in Girne. Kept the vehicle for 12 months on UK plates then registered and duty paid STG 3,000. Still using it as a private vehicle. No problem with registration at all.

[zanky]

The laws were changed just a few years ago.
We used a small truck when we were building our house, all legal and etc. Then we were told as foreigners we could not own a commercial vehicle. We could have put the truck into our business name, we did use it in the business too, but would have to take a driving test to become a "B" class driver. We sold the truck.
A friend of ours, a citizen, was told the same thing, he put his hi-ab lorry into the business name and then did the driving test - horrendous and cost a fortune. He still gets stopped and his license grade checked. You will be stopped as a foreigner driving a commercial vehicle.

[the butlers wife]

OK.

There seems to be a lot of confusion on what my son can do. Could he drive the van over with his personal possesions in, keep it for say 3 months. Sell it here without paying the import duty and buy a small 4WD? How easy would it be to sell it without paying the import duty?
The van is a vauxall transit type and it is 5 years old and he has it since new.

The butlers wife

[waddo]

Dont forget the residency/driving license laws here either. Anyone can drive on their UK driving license for the first 90 days but after that they need a TRNC driving license and you wont get that without a residency stamp in your passport OR you will get it without a residency stamp in your passport but your insurance will be invalid. Long discussion on this subject just faded away so check with the insurance office on what you need to be covered!

As I understand it, if you register the vehicle as a "Private" vehicle then he will be ok to own/drive it but if registered as a "Commercial" vehicle then he would not be allowed. You will have seen lots of Twin Cab vehicles here, some are commercial and some have been re-registered as private that is why you will see nonTRNC citizens driving them as well. The laws are really complex!!! Ask at the specific departments and get the answer in print plus the name of the person who gave you the answer!!