Cyprus-Forum.com

[Crivens]

Hello,

I am hoping to move to Cyprus in the new year, with my whole family moving this year.

One thing that seems amazingly complicated is the idea of importing a car.

Now I've looked around the internet, and I've contacted a few companies (Andy's cars for example), and things tend to contradict themselves. Such as the idea of selling a car to someone else who is entitled to duty free. Yes says Andy (and most other sites), no says the government website. Hmmm..

Anyway, I'm planning on bringing my car with me, mainly because Cyprus makes the UK look like Japan for car prices. Amazingly pricey, especially second hand. But I've noticed the excise duty is like laughingly bad. I mean around £5000 for a 3 year old MX5 1800cc for example. I don't think so. Now I've been told that I wouldn't have to pay excise duty if I bring it in as my personal items. Fair enough. But at some point, they say, I will *have* to pay the duty. ie. it isn't free, just won't have to pay yet...

Now my question is, is this true??? You have to pay the duty when you sell it? Even if it's to a duty free person? How about if you scrap the car? Do they actually expect you to stump up thousands for what will be a pile of rubbish (maybe something like 15 years old by the time you finish with it)?

Another question is how does this work with retirees? My parents are retiring there any time now, and basically are considering buying a duty free car once they are there. Do they then have to pay the duty once they sell or scrap it? If not then is hardly duty free....

Amazingly complex for what is something so simple

Oh, and does anyone know if they are planning on raising the weedy 1600cc limit on low duty free? Not too bad duty on a 1600cc, just becomes nutty once you raise to 1800cc.

Cheers

[Hazza]

Hi Crivens. You are right in saying that car prices in Cyprus are very very expensive. Had I known how expensive they were when I arrived in August, I'd have bought my car with me from the UK.

Anyhow, I don't have much knowledge on car duties and taxes but there is a similar thread to this.

http://www.cyprus-forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=433

Some interesting info in that thread. Hopefully somebody with knowledge will be able to help you on this one.

[Crivens]

Thanks for that.

Still a bit confusing though. Does that mean that after 10 years in Cyprus you don't have to worry about the duty any more? And I can't find anything about if you have to pay the duty should you scrap the car. Anyone?

Also, does anyone know how much it costs to register the car? I mean it looks like I won't pay duty on a car, at least when I arrive, but how much is registration? And does it differ for different types of car? eg. 1600cc compared with 1800c

Cheers

[little.miss.sunshine]

i dont know an awful lot about this but ive heard that import tax is whatever the car is worth so i think that it really depends on how much its worth now. ive also heard that theres something about if the car is over/under 3 years old.

i dont know if this is much help, sorry

[Svetlana]

If you are an EU citizen and have owned the vehicle for more than 6 months you may import it as a personal possession and not pay Import Duties or VAT. If you are a couple, you may import 2 vehicles Duty Free (DF). Alternatively, you may each buy a DF vehicle here. All this assumes you are retired and not taking up employment (paid or unpaid).

When you come to sell a vehicle you will have to pay the outstanding Duty on it; calculated on a 10 year straight line decrease; ie when it is five years old you will pay only 50% of the nomal Duty. With due respect to my friends at Andy's, I do NOT believe you can onsell the vehcile to another DF qualifying retiree.

Lana

[Crivens]

Are you saying that I will not be entitled to duty free import of my car if I am not retired? I thought anyone is allowed to bring their car in duty free as long as it's been in their posession for more than 6 months.

This 10 year thing is interesting. Basically I've heard a few things about it, but haven't seen anything official on the government site. So basically if you get rid of it after one year, then I will only pay 90% of the duty owed, and if I ditch it after 9 years then I pay only 10% of the duty? If this is so, then technically after 10 years I can sell or get rid of it for no payment on duty? Is this so?

Does anyone have experience of this? I mean surely there is a reason to import your car, apart from the stupid prices to buy a car in Cyprus? Can't believe that you still have to pay thousands on a car that will getting on for 10-15 years old when you eventually get rid of it.

Cheers

[Hazza]

Can't believe that you still have to pay thousands on a car that will getting on for 10-15 years old when you eventually get rid of it.

Cheers

Most of the dealers here import the cars from Japan and Singapore. The cars normally come with scratches and dents on them so the dealer has them sent to the bodyshop and gets the all repaired and looking like new for the customer.

I've done a p/x for my car, 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage 1.3 and £1,500 for a 2000 Mitsubishi Lancer 1.5. The car has been sent to the bodyshop to have it repaired, sprayed and tidied up, will have a service on it and it will get registered. I bought it duty paid rather than duty free as I don't want to be tied to 1 car for 10 years, nor the hassle of running from one end of the island to the other for various paperwork to be signed. As far as I know, according to the re-patriots assossiation in Larnaca, I am entitled upto £3000 from the duty because of my Cypriot heritage.

[Crivens]

Ok. But I have no entitlement as far as I know, apart from the fact that I will be moving permanetely to Cyprus. Which, from what I've seen, means I get to bring my car with me, duty free, as part of my personal posessions.

Now I've seen that even though I can bring my car in to the country duty free, I will still have to pay the duty when I get rid of the car. My only remaining query is about the 10 year rule. I mean you mention not wanting to be linked to the car for 10 years. Does this mean that after 10 years you do not have to pay any duty at all? If so, then does anyone know where this information can be found. I mean, I cannot see anything about it on the official government website.

Cheers

[Svetlana]

Hi Crivens

Once the car is 10 years old there will be no Duty to pay on it.
My car cost me CY£52,000 (Sterling £63,000), in the UK it would have cost me Sterling£32,000.

I suggest you access the Cyprus C&E website and then give them a call; they will speak English.

Lana

[Crivens]

Alright. Thanks for that. Will import my car then. Now to find a nice MX5 1800cc. Just right methinks. Bit slow compared to my current effort (Turbo scooby), but if it's anything like Dubai (spent a few months working there a while back), then I won't be bothered doing anything more than about 40.

Cheers