Car Hire in Cyprus for UK Drivers: License, Insurance and Driving Rules

Cyprus is one of the easiest places in Europe for British visitors to drive, because traffic keeps to the left, just like at home. Even so, there are a few local rules and rental quirks worth knowing before you pick up the keys. This guide to car hire in Cyprus covers license rules, insurance excess, red rental plates, driving to the north, fuel, tolls and age limits, using official sources.

Car hire in Cyprus: the key rules compared with the UK

The table sums up the main differences. Most rules are similar to the UK’s, but the speed limits are in km/h and the drink-drive limit is lower than in England and Wales.

Rule	Cyprus	UK
Side of the road	Left	Left
Motorway speed limit	100 km/h (62 mph), minimum 65 km/h	70 mph
Other roads outside towns	80 km/h (50 mph) unless signed	60 mph on single carriageways
Built-up areas	50 km/h (31 mph) unless signed	Usually 30 mph or 20 mph
Drink-drive limit	50 mg per 100 ml of blood; 22 µg per 100 ml of breath	80 mg and 35 µg in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; 50 mg and 22 µg in Scotland
Lower limit for new drivers	20 mg (blood) or 9 µg (breath) if licensed for under three years	No separate limit
Motorway tolls	None	Very few
Hand-held phones	Banned	Banned

Do UK drivers need an International Driving Permit?

According to GOV.UK, you can use a UK photocard driving license to drive in Cyprus. If you still have a paper license, though, you may need to update it to a photocard or get the correct type of IDP too. The Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Tourism also confirms that visitors can drive with a valid national license for the right class of vehicle.

In practice, rental companies will also ask for a credit card in the main driver’s name for the deposit, so check this before you travel. Note that GOV.UK warns some firms ask for your passport as a deposit, which is illegal, so never hand it over.

Driving on the left

For UK drivers, this is the big advantage of Cyprus: you keep left, overtake on the right, and go clockwise around roundabouts. Hire cars are typically right-hand drive, so the controls will feel familiar too. That said, GOV.UK notes that driving standards are poor and the risk of road deaths is higher than in the UK, so drive defensively. Seat belts are compulsory in the front and back. In addition, children under 1.5 m tall must use a suitable seat or restraint.

Car hire in Cyprus: insurance excess explained

With car hire in Cyprus, most rental prices include basic insurance, usually called a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW). However, it comes with an excess, which is the amount you pay if the car is damaged, and it can run to several hundred euros or more. The rental desk will usually offer extra cover to reduce the excess to zero.

You generally have three choices:

• Accept the excess: it’s the cheapest option, but a large sum is held on your credit card during the rental.
• Buy the rental company’s extra cover: it’s the simplest option at the desk, although it’s often the most expensive per day.
• Buy separate excess insurance before you go: it’s often cheaper, but you’d pay the rental firm first and then claim the money back.

Whatever you choose, read what’s excluded. Tires, glass, the underside of the car and damage on unpaved roads are common exclusions. Also, take photos and a video of the car at pickup and drop-off.

Red plates: how to spot a rental car

Rental cars in Cyprus have red number plates, which is why they’re also known as “Z cars”. Older rental plates start with the letter Z, although newer ones no longer use the prefix. In other words, everyone on the road can see that you’re a visitor, so keep valuables out of sight when you park.

Driving to North Cyprus in a hire car

You can cross the Green Line into the north at the official crossing points. However, GOV.UK warns that cars hired in the Republic often have no insurance cover in the north. You won’t be allowed through a crossing without the right insurance documents. At some crossing points, including Agios Dometios in Nicosia, you can buy separate insurance for the north.

• Check your rental contract first: some companies don’t allow their cars in the north at all, and breakdown cover may stop at the Green Line.
• Use a vehicle crossing: the Ledra Palace and Ledra Street crossings in Nicosia are for pedestrians only.
• Take your passport: you’ll need it at the crossing, and time in the north counts toward your 90-day visa-free stay.
• Watch customs limits: the Republic limits goods brought back from the north, for example 40 cigarettes per person.

Fuel, tolls and parking

There are no motorway tolls in Cyprus, so the main costs are rental, insurance and fuel. Petrol stations sell unleaded and diesel. According to the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, staffed hours are shorter on weekends and some afternoons. Even so, most stations have automatic pumps that take cards and banknotes when they’re closed.

When you compare car hire in Cyprus, check the fuel policy before you book. A full-to-full policy, where you return the car with a full tank, is usually the fairest. Parking in town centers is mostly in paid car parks or at meters, while villages and beaches often have free parking.

Age rules for car hire in Cyprus

Minimum and maximum ages vary by rental company, so check the terms before you book. Under-25s often pay a young-driver fee. Officially, drivers under 25 who have held a license for less than three years must tell the rental company, so that the right insurance cover is in place. Some firms also have an upper age limit or ask older drivers for extra checks. Likewise, every extra driver must be named on the contract and usually costs extra.

Where to pick up a car

Most visitors collect a car at Larnaca or Paphos airport, where the major firms and many local companies have desks. Others deliver to hotels in the main resorts. If you won’t need a car on day one, you could take a bus or transfer first. Our guides to getting from Larnaca Airport and getting from Paphos Airport compare the options. Picking up at one airport and dropping off at the other is possible, but it may carry a one-way fee.

Is car hire in Cyprus worth it?

If you’re staying in Larnaca, Limassol or Kato Paphos and mainly want the beach, you can manage with buses, taxis and tours. On the other hand, a car is close to essential for villas, the Akamas peninsula, the Troodos Mountains and the wine villages. The motorways between the main towns are good, but mountain roads are narrow and winding. In winter, check snow and ice warnings before you drive up to Troodos.

Then, once you’ve sorted the car, read our guides to Paphos, Limassol and Ayia Napa and Protaras to choose a base.

Related guides

• Larnaca or Paphos: which airport should you fly into?
• Larnaca Airport transfers
• Paphos Airport transfers
• Cyprus winter sun: weather by month and where to go

How we research: this guide is based on official sources and published airline and transport schedules, not on a sponsored visit. Information was checked on October 8, 2026. Schedules, routes and prices change, so confirm with the airline, operator or venue before you travel.

Sources

• GOV.UK, Cyprus travel advice: safety and security (road travel, licenses, hire cars and the north): gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/cyprus/safety-and-security
• GOV.UK, Cyprus travel advice: entry requirements (crossing points and customs): gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/cyprus/entry-requirements
• Deputy Ministry of Tourism (Visit Cyprus), Keep safe on Cyprus roads (speed and alcohol limits): visitcyprus.com
• Deputy Ministry of Tourism (Visit Cyprus), A guide to driving in Cyprus: visitcyprus.com
• Deputy Ministry of Tourism, Traveller’s Handbook (driving licenses, petrol stations and car rentals): visitcyprus.com

Featured image: A motorway sign near Kouklia on the road to Paphos. Photo: Andrew Bone, September 13, 2019, via Wikimedia Commons (file “Highway sign in the coastal part of Kouklia, Paphos District, Cyprus (2019).jpg”), CC BY 2.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0). Resized and compressed.