Cyprus-Forum.com

[Spetz]

Where in Nicosia do I go to speak to someone about importing a vehicle and registering it in Cyprus?

Thanks

[Crivens]

We go there every 2 or 3 months (depending on how long they extend it). I come from Limassol and it's fairly straight forward. I don't know road names or anything though.

Basically though on the dual carriageway from Limassol direction I take the first left after the stadium, then the first left on the roundabout that appears almost immediatly. Carry on going straight until you eventually go up a hill and you come to a junction. Turn right. There should be a church on you right. Keep going straight. Eventually you should come over a hill and see a big roundabout with some kind of Olympic symbols on it (big metal circles). Go right on the roundabout and then immediately go off the road and join this sort of sub road that runs parallel with the main road. You should see a few garages on the left. About the 2nd road on the left should be the one with the vehicle import place. It's on the right a little bit up the road.

And get there early. 8am is a good time. And don't forget to pick up a number (like in a doctor). You will probably get someone trying to skip the queue but jump up when the number is called and dispute it.

Cheers

[Spetz]

Thanks heaps for that but I myself don't know Cyprus

[Crivens]

Heh, neither do I. But if you follow my directions it is fairly easy. I mean you just keep going straight until you hit a junction or the Olympic roundabout.

Oh, and originally I had to sort everything out at Limassol port. Then, annoyingly, you have to keep going for extensions at Nicosia. Well until you get your permit thingy. Which apparently can take between 6 months and forever. Luckily I have now sorted most things out, so every time I go (normally 3 months, but last one was only 2 months for some unknown reason) I now only have to take my most recent Cypriot bank statements.

Cheers

[Spetz]

So you imported a vehicle from overseas?

[Crivens]

Yeah, brought my car with me in the container. It's a bit of a pain to goto Nicosia every few months, but luckily I only work 4 days a week, and you can go upto about a week or so early before the extension runs out.

I was hoping the recent cuts in duty would make my car a lot cheaper, but nope, still a massive rip off. A friend of mine came here with a 1.6 litre four seater convertible and paid something like £200 for duty (not counting registration fees you also have to pay). It literally came down 50% on her car a week or two earlier. I come out and in Limassol port they calculated mine would come to about £3000. £3k???? The car only cost £10k when I bought it (with all taxes etc)! Mine is a 1.8 litre (thats what gets you, and is why RX8's are amazingly popular here) MX5 convertible (2 seater, that apparently also gets you too). Makes you laugh.

Don't forget too, that it's not written in stone that you will get the duty free. I may still end up having to pay the £3k. Plus even if you do get it, then you would have to pay it if you sold or wrote off the car. Goes down 10% each year.

Reason I brought it was because it was a very good deal when I bought it, and although prices for new in Cyprus are reasonable enough, I noticed (from what I could see on the web) that 2nd hand prices were not. Spending thousands on beat up old Hondas, I think not...

Cheers