Renting a Car in Cyprus: Driving on the Left and Fines

What the red plates mean for you

Visit Cyprus, the official tourism site, notes that self-drive hire cars are known locally as "Z cars" because their registration, shown on red plates, often begins with that letter. The colour also tells you something useful: any camera notice for that car goes to a rental company, not to you, and reaches you later with the company's fee attached.

The same tourism page makes two points that shape your insurance choices:

• Drivers under 25 who have held a licence for less than three years must tell the rental company, so that the right young-driver cover is added.
• Rental insurance is valid only in the area under the control of the Republic of Cyprus.

Who can rent a car in Cyprus, and what does it cost?

Terms differ between companies. The Hertz Cyprus general terms, checked in September 2026, show what to look for in any contract:

The excess and deposit numbers show why a small fine is rarely the biggest risk. Tyres, wheels, mirrors and glass are excluded from Hertz's damage waivers, so check the tyres and alloys when you collect the car.

Driving on the left, Cypriot style

The police visitor guide published on Visit Cyprus says traffic keeps to the left and the left lane is the normal lane on motorways. Use the right-hand lane only to overtake, when the left lane is blocked, or to make room for a vehicle joining. Stopping, parking, cyclists and pedestrians are all banned on motorways.

For drivers used to the right, the difficult moments are predictable:

• The first minutes after leaving the airport car park, before you are used to the car
• Turning right across oncoming traffic at junctions
• Roundabouts, which you enter going clockwise
• Returning to a narrow village road after a stop, when habit pulls you to the wrong side

What are Cyprus speed limits and how are fines calculated?

The general limits are 50 km/h in built-up areas and a maximum of 100 km/h on motorways, with a motorway minimum of 65 km/h. Other limits you will see on signs are 30, 65 and 80 km/h. Out-of-court speeding fines have been set per km/h over the limit since 1 October 2020, when Law 132(I)/2020 came into force, at a rate that rises with the percentage over. The Road Safety Cyprus penalty tables give the bands:

The same percentage bands apply on 30, 50, 65 and 80 km/h roads. In a 50 km/h zone, for example, 51–65 km/h is the €2 band and 89 km/h or more goes to court. Driving below the motorway minimum is also fined per km/h.

Worked example: three speeds on the motorway to Limassol

• At 118 km/h you are 18 km/h over: 18 × €2 = €36 and one point.
• At 140 km/h you are 40 km/h over: 40 × €3 = €120 and two points.
• At 160 km/h you are 60 km/h over: 60 × €5 = €300 and three points.

If a camera catches you and Hertz pays the notice for you, each case also costs the €30 administration fee. The €36 ticket becomes €66, and fines paid on your behalf can be charged to your card after you have flown home.

How do Cyprus camera fines reach a rental driver?

Cyprus Police runs an automated red-light and speed enforcement system. Its contractor's notice portal says notices are posted to the owner, registered keeper and/or driver. For a rental car the owner is the rental company, which is why Hertz's terms provide for passing the fine on with its €30 fee. The police's gov.cy fine search warns that owners who leave camera fines unpaid face criminal prosecution.

Out-of-court fines can be paid by card through the police's Payment of fines service on gov.cy, which requires a JCC Smart account. Paying promptly matters. As enacted, Law 132(I)/2020 adds half again to an out-of-court fine above €100 that is not paid within 30 days of the notice being issued.

Red-light fines are graded by how far the car went. Law 91(I)/2024, published in the Official Gazette on 10 July 2024, sets €85 when the car is stopped on the pedestrian crossing and €300 when it stops or moves beyond the crossing while the light is red. Cyprus Mail reported that police announced the graded fines taking effect on 6 March 2026, with €25 for crossing only the stop line and three penalty points for the two higher tiers.

Other rules that catch visitors

Other rules from the police visitor guide and the penalty table:

• Seatbelts are compulsory front and back. The out-of-court fine for not wearing one is €150.
• The drink-drive limit is 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 ml of breath. For drivers licensed less than three years it is 9 micrograms.
• You must carry two red warning triangles. Place one 6 m behind the car in towns and 50 m behind it outside towns and on motorways.
• Call 112 or 199 after any collision involving injury, serious damage or an offence. For a rental car, call the company as well.

Can you drive a rental car into Northern Cyprus?

Rental insurance ends at the Green Line. Visit Cyprus says hire-car insurance is valid only in areas controlled by the Republic, and the Hertz contract bans driving into the north. If you drive across anyway, every cover on the contract stops, including third-party, damage and theft protection. You would also pay to bring the car back if it breaks down or is damaged there.

Even if you buy a separate policy for the north, it does not bring back the rental company's cover for damage to or theft of its own car. For a day in the north, the practical choices are:

The rules for people and vehicles at each checkpoint are in the Green Line crossing guide. If you would rather not drive at all, airports and intercity buses covers the bus links from Larnaca airport.

At the Larnaca rental desk