# Exchanging an Israeli Driving License in Cyprus: Why You Can't, and the Route That Works > Israel isn't on Cyprus's license-exchange list. How long you can drive on an Israeli license, when an IDP helps, and the test route to a Cypriot license. - Canonical: https://periodiko.com/exchange-israeli-driving-license-cyprus/ - Updated: 2026-07-05 --- If you hold an Israeli driving license and are relocating to Cyprus, here is the answer up front: **Cyprus does not currently exchange Israeli driving licenses for Cypriot ones.** Israel does not appear in the Road Transport Department's notification of third countries whose licenses are recognized as equivalent to the Cypriot license, so there is no swap-without-a-test option of the kind available to holders of, say, Japanese or Canadian licenses. You can still drive legally when you first arrive — for a strictly limited period — and the route to a Cypriot license runs through a learner's permit, a theory test and a practical test. This guide covers exactly that, for Israeli license holders only. ## Can an Israeli driving license be exchanged for a Cypriot one? No — not as of July 2026. Under the Driving License Law of 2001 (Law 94(I)/2001), Cyprus converts a foreign license without tests only if it was issued by an EU member state or by a country named in a notification of the Commissioner (Έφορος) published in the Official Gazette (Article 20 of the law). The Road Transport Department's (RTD) own conversion page states this plainly and offers no other route. The notification list is not printed on the RTD conversion page, but the versions published by Cyprus-based motoring and relocation sources consistently name Australia, Canada, Georgia, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States and Zimbabwe, with more recent versions adding Qatar, China, Morocco and Montenegro. Israel appears on none of them. One trap worth flagging: some Cypriot insurance-company pages mention Israel in lists of license holders they will insure. That is about insurance cover, not license exchange — it does not mean a reciprocal exchange agreement exists. If exchangeability is decisive for your plans, call the RTD on +357 22807000 or email roadtransport@rtd.mcw.gov.cy and ask specifically whether Israel has been added to the Commissioner's notification. ## How long can I drive in Cyprus on my Israeli license? Two separate rules apply, both from Article 45 of the same law: - **Visits of up to 30 days:** a person temporarily visiting Cyprus for no more than 30 days may drive on a valid national driving license issued abroad — the Israeli plastic card alone is enough for a short trip. - **With an International Driving Permit (IDP):** a temporary visitor holding a valid IDP issued abroad under an international convention may drive for the duration of their stay, for as long as the IDP remains valid. In both cases you may only drive vehicles of the categories your Israeli license actually covers. The catch for relocators is that both rules are written for *temporary visitors*. Once you settle in Cyprus — and certainly once you meet the 185-day habitual-residence threshold — you are expected to hold a Cypriot license, and the visitor provisions stop being a comfortable legal basis. There is no published grace period specifically for new residents from non-listed countries. Start the license process early rather than testing the boundary. ## Should I get an International Driving Permit before leaving Israel? Yes. Both Israel and Cyprus are contracting parties to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, and in Israel the 1949-format IDP is issued by MEMSI (the Automobile and Touring Club of Israel). It is valid for up to one year from issue. The IDP does two useful jobs: it satisfies the more generous Article 45(1) visitor rule (duration of stay, not just 30 days), and it doubles as a certified Latin-script rendering of a license that is otherwise largely in Hebrew — which helps at rental desks, police checks and insurance offices. You must carry it together with your Israeli license; an IDP is not a standalone document. ## What is the process for getting a Cypriot license from scratch? Since exchange is off the table, Israeli license holders go through the same process as new drivers. Your years of driving experience in Israel do not exempt you from any stage. The stages: **1. Establish habitual residence.** A foreign applicant must have lived in Cyprus for at least 185 days and, as a non-EU citizen, must present the Alien Registration Certificate and residence permit. Foreign students can instead show a certificate of at least six months' attendance at a higher-education institution. **2. Apply for a learner's driving license.** Submit form TOM 7D with two recent 45x35 mm photos, your identity document, evidence of residence and a certificate of success in the preliminary (theory) examination, at a district RTD office, a Citizen Service Centre (KEP) or a citizen service point of the Postal Services Department. The learner's license is valid for one year and renewable. The minimum age for category B (car) is 17.5. **3. Pass the theory test first.** Failing the theory examination bars you from the practical test (Article 21 of the law). Book through the RTD's online system or district offices. **4. Practise under learner conditions.** You must hold the learner's license for at least 21 days before your first practical test. While practising in a car, the front passenger seat must be occupied by a supervisor aged over 25 (over 30 if the learner is under 18) who has held a license for that category for at least five years — and no other passengers are allowed. **5. Pass the practical test.** Tests are run by the District Driver Examiner Offices; booking and fee payment can be started through the gov.cy portal. **6. Get the license issued.** After passing, submit TOM 7D again with a photo, your ID, the certificate of successful examination and proof of residence, and pay the €40 issuance fee. The RTD's Single Digital Gateway page says the issuance procedure itself takes about 30 minutes once the documents are in order. The card is valid for 15 years for car and motorcycle categories. ## Which documents need translation, and is an apostille required? The RTD requires translations of documents that are not in Greek or English, done through the Press and Information Office (PIO) via authorized translators. Israeli driving licenses are largely in Hebrew; even though newer cards carry some English, budget for a PIO translation if the RTD asks to see your license during any procedure. No apostille requirement for the driving license itself is mentioned on the RTD's pages — the translation rule is the one that bites. (Other relocation documents, like birth or marriage certificates for immigration purposes, are a separate matter outside this guide.) ## Do I need a medical certificate? Only in specific cases. A health certificate (form TOM 153E, completed by a doctor) must accompany a driving-license application if you are 70 or older, if you have a physical disability, or if you are applying for the heavier "second group" categories (trucks and buses: C, C+E, D, D+E, C1, C1+E, D1, D1+E and special categories). A standard category-B applicant under 70 with no disability does not need one. ## What does it cost? - **License issuance: €40** — the one figure confirmed on official RTD material (the TOM 7D accompanying document and the RTD's Single Digital Gateway page). - **Theory and practical test fees:** local driving guides report roughly €10 for the theory test and €20 per practical attempt, with an option of about €34 extra for an out-of-hours slot. - **Driving lessons:** priced by private driving schools and vary; no official tariff exists. ## What can the Israeli embassy in Nicosia do for me? Less than people hope, but something. The Embassy of Israel in Nicosia (Ioanni Grypari 4, Nicosia 1090, tel. +357 22369500, cons1@nicosia.mfa.gov.il) offers a consular service called "Application to certify an Israeli driver's license of an Israeli citizen residing abroad" — a certification of your Israeli license, useful for Israeli-side matters such as proving the license's validity or supporting its renewal while you live abroad. What the embassy cannot do is make Cyprus exchange the license: recognition is entirely a decision of the Cypriot Commissioner under Article 20. ## Frequently asked questions See the FAQ section below for quick answers on the 30-day rule, testing exemptions and translations.