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Parking in Cyprus

When you park your vehicle in Cyprus for the first time, it may seem to you that no one has ever heard about the parking rules and that the locals park their cars as they please.

In fact, it’s far from true. There are established rules, and their violation can land you up to €100 fine. Understanding all the details is not as difficult as it might seem at first.

Free parking

You can find a free parking space even in a large tourist city. If there is no parking attendant, meter or road sign that prohibits parking, you can feel free to park at that place.

You can leave your car free of charge at unguarded paid car parks on Sunday and for the night (please see additional information on the meter).

As a rule, there are free parking lots near shopping centres, restaurants, and hotels for their guests.

The most popular cities for car hire in Cyprus

Paid parking

There are municipal and private paid car parks. The parking rates are approximately the same starting from €0.50 per hour. The closer to the city centre, the higher the parking rate.

A municipal parking lot can be easily recognised by a meter with a “PAY HERE” panel. There are parking meters of two types: the ones that give receipts and the ones that only take money.

The parking meters that give receipts would be familiar to you if you used one before. You need to drop coins until you see the amount on the screen that you need to pay for one or two hours. Then you will need to press the big button, take your receipt stating your parking time, and place it in your car under the windshield. Some parking meters give some adhesive tape together with the receipt.

The meters that do not give receipts (usually located at small parking spaces along the streets) are equipped with a timer. After receiving the coins, the meter starts counting down the time.

Your vehicle must leave the parking space before the time expires on the meter. Otherwise, you will find a parking ticket for €8 under the wiper when you return to your car.

You will see all the necessary information on the parking meter, i.e. hourly rate, time limits, if and when you can park free of charge. In general, all car parks have free parking periods, but there can be exceptions, so please read the rules carefully.

Private parking lots can be recognised by white squares on the asphalt and “PARKING” signs. You need to pay for parking to the attendant.

Illegal parking in Cyprus

  1. “Wrong-way” parking. You must park in the direction of traffic. Violation of this rule will attract a hefty fine of €100.
  2. On-street parking where the road is marked with a double yellow line along the curb.
  3. You can stop for a short period near a single yellow line to load or discharge your passengers.

Parking fines

If you found a parking ticket under the windscreen wiper, you need to do one of the following within two weeks:

  • Visit the police department to pay the fine
  • Pay the fine at the Town Hall
  • Pay the fine online on the website of Road Transport Department (there's an English version of the site).

If you fail to do so, the "case" will be brought to trial, and the penalty will be doubled.

Car hire in Cyprus