Yes — a UK driving licence can still be exchanged for a Cypriot one without taking a driving test, even after Brexit. The United Kingdom sits on Cyprus’s list of non-EU countries whose licences are recognised as equivalent to a Cypriot licence, alongside countries such as Australia, Japan and the USA. That single fact does most of the work in this guide: if your licence was issued by the DVLA (England, Wales, Scotland) or the DVA (Northern Ireland), you swap it at a Road Transport Department counter — no theory exam, no practical test.
There are still deadlines, paperwork and a few traps, and the details below apply only to UK-issued licences. Licences issued in Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man are not covered by the same arrangement — UK government guidance states holders of those licences cannot exchange them in Cyprus and must apply for a Cypriot licence as a non-EU national, including taking a test.
How long can I keep driving on my UK licence after moving to Cyprus?
Six months from the date you take up residence. UK government guidance for Cyprus says you can drive on a valid UK licence for up to 6 months after becoming resident, and that you should start the exchange before that window closes because applications take time to process. An International Driving Permit is explicitly not an alternative — gov.uk states you cannot use an IDP instead of exchanging your licence.
If you are only visiting Cyprus (holidays, short stays), your UK licence is accepted for the visit and none of this applies; the exchange obligation is triggered by residence, not by entering the country.
One wrinkle worth knowing about: the Road Transport Department’s own page on foreign licence conversion words the obligation as arising “after a six-month stay” in the Republic, and requires applicants to show at least 185 days of normal residence before converting. Read literally, the Cypriot text has you exchange at the six-month mark, while gov.uk tells you to apply before six months are up. If your timing is tight, call your local Driver Examiner Office rather than assuming either reading.
Does it matter whether I moved before or after Brexit?
Not any more, in practical terms. There was a transitional split: UK nationals already resident in Cyprus before 31 December 2020 — the people protected by the Withdrawal Agreement — were told by gov.uk to exchange their UK licence by 7 July 2021. That deadline is long gone.
Today, whether you are a Withdrawal Agreement beneficiary who never got around to exchanging, or you arrived last month on a work permit, the route is the same: the UK is on Cyprus’s recognised-countries list, so the exchange is done without a test, on the same form, with the same documents. The only difference the arrival date makes is which residence document you will show — Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries hold their MEU-series residence card, later arrivals hold whatever permit their immigration route produced.
What documents do I need for the exchange?
The Road Transport Department lists the following for a foreign licence conversion:
- Application form TOM 7D (the standard driving licence issuance form, available at district offices and on the RTD website).
- One recent photo, 45 x 35 mm.
- Your residence document — original and photocopy. Non-EU applicants, which now includes UK nationals, must present the Alien Registration Certificate and residence permit.
- Passport — original plus a photocopy of the details page.
- Your UK driving licence — the original and a photocopy of all pages. You surrender it: the RTD states the foreign licence is sent back to the competent authority of the issuing state, i.e. the DVLA or DVA.
- Evidence of normal residence in the Republic — at least 185 days.
- A DVLA/DVA check code. UK government guidance says to get a licence check code before visiting the district office so staff can verify your entitlements against the UK record. Generate it shortly before your appointment — check codes expire after 21 days.
No translation is needed — the RTD only requires a certified translation when the licence is not in English or Greek, and UK licences are in English.
A medical certificate is not required for an ordinary car licence exchange. The RTD requires a certificate of physical ability only if you are 70 or older, or if your licence includes lorry or bus categories (C, C+E, D, D+E, C1, C1+E, D1, D1+E). The medical is completed by a doctor on the RTD’s medical examination form.
What is the procedure, step by step?
- Confirm your residence paperwork is in order. You need your residence document and to be able to evidence 185 days of normal residence in Cyprus.
- Generate a DVLA (or DVA) check code at gov.uk shortly before you apply.
- Complete form TOM 7D and gather the photo, passport, residence document, and your UK licence with photocopies.
- Go in person to your local District Driver Examiner Office of the Road Transport Department — Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Famagusta or Paphos. The RTD is explicit that conversion applications must be presented in person for control and approval; this is not an online service.
- Pay the fee and surrender your UK licence. The widely cited fee for issuing an ordinary Cypriot licence is €40, with no fee for applicants over 65 — but the RTD’s conversion page itself does not state a figure, so treat €40 as indicative until the counter confirms it.
- Receive your Cypriot licence. When the file is complete, the counter processing itself is quick — Cypriot press reports the procedure takes about 30 minutes with all documents in order. The RTD does not publish an official end-to-end processing time for delivery of the plastic card.
What happens to my UK licence — and can I get it back?
You lose it. The exchange is a surrender, not a copy: the RTD sends the UK licence back to the DVLA or DVA, and your driving record in Cyprus continues on the Cypriot document. You cannot hold both licences.
If you later move back to the UK, this is not a dead end — Cyprus is an EU member state, and the UK currently exchanges EU-issued licences without a test under its own rules. But that is a UK-side procedure governed by UK rules at the time you return, so do not rely on today’s position lasting forever.
One trap deserves emphasis: exchange while your UK licence is still valid. The DVLA does not renew licences for people who are no longer resident in Great Britain, so if you let the UK photocard expire while living in Cyprus, you may find yourself unable to renew it remotely and outside the clean exchange route. If your photocard is close to its expiry date, deal with the exchange early.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use an International Driving Permit instead of exchanging my UK licence?
- No. UK government guidance for Cyprus states explicitly that an IDP cannot be used instead of exchanging your licence once you are resident.
- Do I need a medical certificate to exchange a UK car licence?
- Not for an ordinary car licence. The Road Transport Department requires a certificate of physical ability only if you are 70 or older, or your licence covers lorry or bus categories (C, C+E, D, D+E, C1, C1+E, D1, D1+E).
- Can I keep my UK licence after the exchange?
- No. The exchange is a surrender: the Road Transport Department sends the UK licence back to the DVLA or DVA, and you drive on the Cypriot licence from then on.
- My licence was issued in Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man - can I exchange it?
- No. UK government guidance says those licences cannot be exchanged in Cyprus; holders must apply for a Cypriot licence as a non-EU national and take a test. This guide covers UK-issued (DVLA/DVA) licences only.