Roadworthiness and Vehicle Checks
This domain covers whether a vehicle is legal and safe to use: the periodic technical inspection, the checks a driver is expected to make, and the documents that prove the vehicle may be on the road.
The periodic inspection in Cyprus
Private cars are inspected at an authorised test station for the first time at four years from first registration, then every two years; vehicles used commercially, as taxis or for hire are inspected more frequently. Confirm the current schedule with the Department of Road Transport (Τμήμα Οδικών Μεταφορών), because intervals are revised from time to time. The certificate must be valid whenever the vehicle is used on a public road.
The inspection covers brakes, steering, suspension, tyres, lights, emissions, corrosion of load-bearing structure, seat belts, glass, mirrors, wipers, horn and the fuel system.
Checks the driver must make
- Before each journey: tyres (pressure and condition), lights and indicators, fluid levels, wipers and washers, mirrors, seat and head restraint adjustment, load secured.
- Weekly: engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, battery condition and terminals, screen wash.
- Seasonal and mountain use: battery health, antifreeze strength, tyre pressures for load, and a check of the spare or repair kit.
- Cab or boot: warning triangle, first-aid kit, reflective jacket, torch.
Documents you may be asked to produce
Driving licence, registration certificate (άδεια κυκλοφορίας), certificate of insurance, and a valid roadworthiness certificate.
Worked example
A driver's inspection expired three months ago but the car feels fine, so she keeps driving. The reasoning that costs her: the car is not legally usable on a public road regardless of how it feels, the offence carries a penalty, and an insurer may reduce or refuse a claim arising from an unroadworthy vehicle. A passed inspection is a snapshot of one day; it is not a guarantee of roadworthiness for the next two years.
Traps that cost marks
- Treating a passed inspection as permanent proof of safety.
- Overlooking sidewall damage, cuts or a bulge because the tread is legal.
- Driving with a chip or crack in the driver's swept area of the windscreen.
- Carrying an unsecured load that can shift under braking.
- Forgetting that the certificate must be valid at the time of use, not just ordered.
Driving Licence Rules
This domain tests whether you know which licence covers which vehicle, how learner and probationary rules work, how long a licence lasts, and what happens if you drive outside your entitlement.
Categories and minimum ages
Cyprus applies the EU licence categories:
- AM moped: 16. A1 light motorcycle: 16. A2: 18. A: 20 through progressive access from A2, or 24 by direct access.
- B car: 18. Covers vehicles up to 3,500 kg with no more than eight passenger seats, with a trailer up to 750 kg.
- BE: allows a heavier trailer.
- C1 3,500–7,500 kg: 18. C over 3,500 kg: 21. D1 and D passenger vehicles: higher minimum ages and stricter medical requirements.
Learner and probationary rules
You need a valid learner's licence and must display the prescribed learner plates. You may only drive the category you are learning, accompanied as the rules require, and you must pass the theory test before the practical test. After passing, a probationary period applies with stricter limits - notably the lower alcohol limit - and accumulated offences can cost you the licence.
Validity, medical fitness and carriage
A photocard licence has an administrative validity of up to ten years for AM and B categories and does not normally run past age 70 without medical review; after 70, renewal depends on medical fitness. You must meet the eyesight standard and declare medical conditions that affect driving. Carry your licence when driving and produce it when required.
Worked example
A driver holding only a B licence takes a job delivering in a 4.2-tonne van. The B licence covers up to 3,500 kg, so this vehicle needs C1. Driving it is an offence of driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, and the employer's insurer may decline cover. The fix is to train for and pass C1, not to hope the van is close enough in size.
Traps that cost marks
- Assuming B includes any trailer; heavier trailers need BE.
- Letting a licence expire and continuing to drive.
- Relying on a non-EU licence indefinitely after becoming resident - exchange or recognition rules apply.
- Believing a motorcycle category you once held covers a more powerful machine.
- Forgetting that a medical condition or eyesight change must be declared.
Documentation and Insurance
This domain tests the paperwork side of driving: which documents must exist, what compulsory insurance actually covers, and what you must do at the scene of a collision.
Documents
- Driving licence for the category being driven.
- Registration certificate (άδεια κυκλοφορίας) showing the vehicle and registered keeper.
- Certificate of insurance for the vehicle.
- Valid roadworthiness certificate.
- Evidence that the annual circulation fees (road tax) are paid.
What insurance must cover
The legal minimum is compulsory third-party liability: injury to other people and damage to their property. It does not repair your own car. Comprehensive policies add own damage, fire and theft. Within the EU/EEA, a valid policy and registration plate are generally accepted instead of a Green Card; a Green Card is needed for certain non-EU countries.
Check who is covered. Some policies insure the vehicle for any driver, others list named drivers; a young or newly qualified driver often attracts a higher excess. Letting an uninsured driver use the car can leave you both exposed. Giving false information to reduce a premium is fronting, a form of fraud.
After a collision
Stop, make the scene safe, give first aid, exchange names, addresses, registration numbers and insurer details, and notify the police where there are injuries. Report to your insurer promptly and do not admit liability at the scene - fault is decided later.
Worked example
You lend your car to a friend whose own policy covers only her own car. The question is not what her policy says, but whether your policy covers her as a driver. If it lists named drivers only, she is uninsured and both of you risk offences. Check the certificate before handing over the keys.
Traps that cost marks
- Believing third-party cover repairs your own vehicle.
- Thinking an expired inspection is only an administrative matter; it can affect a claim.
- Buying a Green Card unnecessarily for travel within the EU/EEA.
- Failing to tell the insurer about modifications, which can void cover.
- Driving away from a damage-only collision without exchanging details.