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Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2020 3:00 pm
by MacManiac
I am aware that it is advisable to exchange our UK driving licences for Cypriot licences. With Brexit, is the deadline 31st January or is it the end of the year (because of the “transition arrangements”)?
Re: Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2020 3:13 pm
by WHL
I was under the impression, that once you have lived here for six months, then you had to change it for a local one?
Re: Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2020 3:14 pm
by memory man
Re: Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2020 4:29 pm
by MacManiac
Re: Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2020 5:16 pm
by galexinda
I exchanged my licence when the photograph expired on the UK pink card - a very simple process and definitely recommend that anyone who lives here does change to the Cypriot licence.
Re: Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2020 6:20 pm
by trevnhil
WHL wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 3:13 pm
I was under the impression, that once you have lived here for six months, then you had to change it for a local one?
This certainly is not true... If you live here you can keep your UK licence until it expires..
Of course things may change with Brexit
Re: Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2020 8:32 pm
by PolemIan
It’s always been a bit tricky to work our what to do with U.K. issued licence when living here, some rules I discovered from EU (europa.eu) and GOV U.K. when trying to work out what to do:
- you can’t hold 2 issued EU licences at the same time and the one you hold should be issued by the country where you normally live.
- if moving to live in another country, you can voluntarily exchange your licence at any time
- you are obliged to change you your licence for a local one if: you lose it, if you live there for 2 years or if you commit a traffic offence
- failing to tell the DVLA of a change of address can result in a fine of up to £1000 (no idea if anybody has ever been fined)
- you can’t have a non U.K. address on a licence issued by DVLA
Clear as mud. Especially as I’ve never found a specific time period for the DVLA fine or what you do if you spend say 6 months here. I know some people have bent the rules and have a U.K. and Cyprus licence, use a family members address in the U.K. if they sell their U.K. home....
In the end I just swapped mine over a couple of years ago as it seems to make sense as this is now my country of residence and it wasn’t difficult to do.
Ian
Re: Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2020 8:59 pm
by WHL
PolemIan wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 8:32 pm
It’s always been a bit tricky to work our what to do with U.K. issued licence when living here, some rules I discovered from EU (europa.eu) and GOV U.K. when trying to work out what to do:
- you can’t hold 2 issued EU licences at the same time and the one you hold should be issued by the country where you normally live.
- if moving to live in another country, you can voluntarily exchange your licence at any time
- you are obliged to change you your licence for a local one if: you lose it, if you live there for 2 years or if you commit a traffic offence
- failing to tell the DVLA of a change of address can result in a fine of up to £1000 (no idea if anybody has ever been fined)
- you can’t have a non U.K. address on a licence issued by DVLA
Clear as mud. Especially as I’ve never found a specific time period for the DVLA fine or what you do if you spend say 6 months here. I know some people have bent the rules and have a U.K. and Cyprus licence, use a family members address in the U.K. if they sell their U.K. home....
In the end I just swapped mine over a couple of years ago as it seems to make sense as this is now my country of residence and it wasn’t difficult to do.
Ian
I always wonder God forbid, you have a serious accident how would stand insurance wise , if your licence was not kosher.
Re: Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2020 9:07 pm
by PolemIan
A very good point WHL, and one of the reasons I decided to exchange sooner rather than later. I did hear some stories a while back about insurance companies starting to have issues with this but, nothing I could verify though.
Ian
Re: Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2020 9:09 pm
by trevnhil
Your licence WOULD be 'kosher' as you put it. So I can reliable tell you that if you are in a serious accident, ie car a write off, your 'in date' UK licence is accepted by the Police and the insurance company.
Also in the past our insurance company have always taken a photo copy of our UK licences and of course they have our permanent address here..
Re: Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2020 3:00 pm
by mike strand2
I went to exchange mine in October & still waiting to hear when the Cy plastic card will be available for collection from DoT office.
Re: Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2020 3:56 pm
by galexinda
mike strand2 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 24, 2020 3:00 pm
I went to exchange mine in October & still waiting to hear when the Cy plastic card will be available for collection from DoT office.
So does that mean you are still using the paper licence issued in October as that has an expiry date on it?
Not everyone is notified - I wasn't - and so I went to the MOT on Mesogi Avenue a few days before my paper one expired and it was there.
Re: Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2020 4:14 pm
by daveg
Same as above....just call in, they won't notify you ...
Re: Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2020 5:25 pm
by mike strand2
Austin7 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 24, 2020 4:20 pm
I wasn't notified either despite them telling me they would send a text message which they failed to do.
The usual Cy efficiency
Re: Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2020 5:45 pm
by PolemIan
mike strand 2, I was notified via text when I did my exchange 2 years ago, as was my wife when she did hers in late October last year, so around the same time as you. Definitely worth calling in and not moving until you get an answer. I can’t remember if the paper one issued as a temporary licence has an expiry date.
Ian
Re: Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2020 7:18 pm
by galexinda
My paper licence was valid for 30 days and I could only drive in the Republic of Cyprus. Hence my visit to the MOT a few days before it expired as I anticipated I would have to be issued another temporary paper licence until my pink card was ready.
Likewise, last year, same format when a friend lost their Cyprus Driving Licence and had a new one issued. He had his temporary paper licence extended because there was a backlog in applications and Nicosia hadn't received the cards from Romania where they are printed.
Re: Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2020 7:32 pm
by mike strand2
I'm still waiting for my Blue Social card for use on the buses. It was granted in 2014. So, using a paper permit from Citizens Centre. However much I chase, it comes to nothing!
Re: Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2020 4:31 pm
by mike strand2
galexinda wrote: ↑Fri Jan 24, 2020 7:18 pm
My paper licence was valid for 30 days and I could only drive in the Republic of Cyprus. Hence my visit to the MOT a few days before it expired as I anticipated I would have to be issued another temporary paper licence until my pink card was ready.
Likewise, last year, same format when a friend lost their Cyprus Driving Licence and had a new one issued. He had his temporary paper licence extended because there was a backlog in applications and Nicosia hadn't received the cards from Romania where they are printed.
I checked my paper Temp Driving Licence today and it only has one expiry date on it; 13 Oct 2022
Re: Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2020 5:03 pm
by galexinda
That's interesting Mike as I have a Temporary Driving Licence on file (November 2018) in front of me and it states near the bottom of the page just above the signature:
''Valid for 30 days from the delivery date, only for driving in the Republic of Cyprus''.
Below the delivery date is written in and is the same date as the application for the driving licence.
However, to the left of the digital photograph there are two other dates:
4a. ISSUE DATE. This is the date the new licence begins.
4b. EXPIRY DATE. This is the date the new driving licence ends.
From the information you have given in it looks as if you went in to exchange your driving licence in October 2019 and the driving licence is valid for 3 years and expires October 2022.
Re: Exchanging Driving Licence
Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2020 11:03 pm
by mike strand2
The signature is right at the bottom of the paper with no space at all beneath! Anyway, I'll go to the DoT on Monday to ask if they have the pink card licence.