The rules of the road when driving on the left in Cyprus practically do not differ from the standard ones. However, there are several strictly punishable violations that it is useful to know about in advance:

  • Smoking is prohibited while driving in the presence of children or teenagers under 16 years of age.
  • Eating, drinking or talking on the phone while driving is penalized.

Tourists renting a car should consider the following recommendations:

  • It is preferable to use cars with an automatic transmission.
  • Do not confuse turning on the turn signals with turning on the wipers, since their location is opposite to the standard one.
  • When turning left, the road markings do not intersect, and when turning right, they intersect.
  • Drivers entering roundabouts should give way to those who entered first.
  • The movement in a circle is carried out clockwise.
  • For the convenience of drivers, tips translated from English are placed on the road surface: “look to the right”, “turn right”, “keep to the left side”.
  • Stay in the lane you plan to exit from.

A special feature of the island is the absence of road signs; the main information is posted on the road markings, so tourists are advised to keep an especially close eye on it.

It is strictly forbidden to eat or talk while driving in the Republic of Cyprus.

The speed limits are as follows:

  • The maximum speed within the city limits is 50 km/h.
  • Outside the city — up to 80 km/h.
  • It is allowed to accelerate up to 100 km/h on expressways; the minimum speed is 65 km/h.

In Cyprus, it is allowed to drive a car with a blood alcohol level of up to 0.22 ppm, which is equivalent to two glasses of dry wine. Exceeding this level entails a fine of 200 to 300 euros and above.

To summarize: features of the driving rules in Cyprus

  • It may take some time to get used to left-hand traffic in Cyprus. It usually takes no more than one day to adapt to local driving conditions, after which you feel confident behind the wheel.
  • It is important to remember: roundabouts in Cyprus always have priority. There are no priority signs before the roundabout, but the road markings indicate the direction of the lanes.
  • On expressways, the maximum speed is 100 km/h, and the minimum is 65 km/h. In cities, the speed limit is 50 km/h.
  • In Cyprus, it is permissible to drive after drinking alcohol if the blood alcohol content does not exceed 0.22 ppm, which is equivalent to two glasses of dry wine.
  • Overtaking from the left side is prohibited. The low beam of the headlights must always be on. The use of radar detectors is prohibited.
  • The rules of the road require all passengers to fasten their seat belts, including those sitting in the back seat. Smoking in a car, if there is a person under the age of 16 inside, is prohibited and is punishable by a fine of 85 euros.
  • All rented cars in Cyprus have red numbers.