RRoad Clarity
A road winding through dry stony hills in Cyprus among olive and carob trees, with forested ridges inland and the sea below.

Cyprus

Drives on the left · EUR · Emergency 112
LAST VERIFIED 2026-09-13

Driving in Cyprus

Cyprus drives on the left and has no toll roads, but the thing to understand before renting a car is the island's political division. Most rental agreements and insurance policies cover only the Republic of Cyprus in the south. Crossing into the north generally requires separate arrangements — additional insurance bought at the crossing is the usual route — and taking a hire car over without sorting that out can leave you uninsured rather than merely in breach of a clause. Check your specific agreement rather than assuming. Driving itself is comfortable: 50 in towns, 80 on rural roads, 100 on the motorway, and a 0.5‰ alcohol limit dropping to 0.2 for novice drivers. Left-hand driving is the other adjustment, shared here with the UK, Ireland and Malta. There is no winter tyre requirement — the only place snow falls with any regularity is the Troodos mountains, and then only occasionally. Headlights are not required in daylight.

Speed limits

Urban
50 km/h
Rural / outside built-up areas
80 km/h
Motorway
100 km/h

Alcohol limits

General limit
0.5‰
Novice drivers
0.2‰

Mandatory equipment

  • •Warning triangle
  • •First aid kit

Winter tires & snow chains

No legal requirement — rarely needed except possibly on Troodos mountain roads in occasional winter snow.

Tolls

System
No general toll

No toll roads.

More things to know before you drive

Seatbelts
Mandatory front and rear for all occupants.
Mobile phone use
Hands-free only; holding a phone while driving is prohibited.
Child seats
Children require an appropriate child restraint suited to their age and size.
Headlights
Not generally mandatory in daylight; recommended in poor visibility.
Low-emission & restricted zones
No low-emission zone network currently in place.
Right of way & roundabouts
No general priority-to-the-right rule — give way according to signs and road markings. Roundabouts go clockwise (as driving is on the left).
Parking
Paid parking is common in cities via meter or app.
Speed cameras
Fixed and mobile cameras are used on main roads.

Good to know

Drives on the left, like the UK, Ireland, and Malta. Cyprus is politically divided — most rental and insurance terms only cover the Republic of Cyprus (south); crossing into the north needs separate arrangements.