The most important number for a would-be articulated lorry driver in Cyprus is 21. Several EU countries let a driver with a full professional qualification take category CE at 18. Still, Cypriot law keeps C and CE at 21 whether or not you hold that qualification, so there is no early route here. The second thing to know is that Cyprus drives on the left, which changes almost every manoeuvre a continental driver has practised in a long-combination vehicle.
In Greek, the category is written ΓΕ or Γ+Ε. It sits on top of category Γ (C), the licence for rigid heavy goods vehicles, and two Cypriot laws govern it: the Driving Licence Law (Ο περί Αδειών Οδήγησης Νόμος) and the law on the initial qualification and periodic training of drivers, which creates the Certificate of Professional Competence known as the ΠΕΙ. Both follow the EU framework, with Cyprus making its own choices where the EU leaves options open.
The Road Transport Department runs almost every step.
Licensing in Cyprus is national, with no regional variation in the rules. The Road Transport Department (Τμήμα Οδικών Μεταφορών, usually shortened to ΤΟΜ), part of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works, issues learner and full licences, conducts driving tests, exchanges foreign licences, and organises professional competence examinations for truck and bus drivers. Its pages on licence types and driving licence forms and procedures host the current forms, and it processes some applications, including those for the professional competence examinations, through its online portal at rtd.mcw.gov.cy.
The department also licenses the people who train you. According to the government’s Business in Cyprus page on driving schools, both driving schools and individual driving instructors need a licence from the Road Transport Department. Doctors and approved training centres play their part, but the licence, the tests and the ΠΕΙ examination sessions all come back to one department.
What a ΓΕ entitlement lets you drive
The Driving Licence Law defines category ΓΕ as a combination made up of a category Γ vehicle and a trailer. Read alongside the EU Driving Licence Directive, that means a tractor unit or rigid lorry above 3,500 kg maximum authorised mass (MAM) coupled to a trailer or semi-trailer whose own MAM exceeds 750 kg. In practice this is the licence for articulated lorries and for rigid trucks pulling a heavy drawbar trailer.
The neighbouring categories help to place it. Under the EU definitions, Γ1 (C1) covers goods vehicles between 3,500 kg and 7,500 kg, Γ1Ε (C1E) adds a heavy trailer to a C1 vehicle within an overall weight limit, and Γ (C) covers goods vehicles over 3,500 kg without a heavy trailer. The annex to the licence law sets out which other combinations a ΓΕ holder may also drive.
An unlimited MAM ceiling for the combination is not permission to haul anything. Separate rules on vehicle weights, dimensions, and axle loads, the vehicle’s registration and plating, and, for abnormal loads, special permits determine how heavy a particular load may be on a particular road. The licence answers only one question: which type of vehicle you are qualified to drive.
No route to CE before 21
Article 6 of the Driving Licence Law on CyLaw sets 21 as the minimum age for Γ and Γ+Ε. A separate paragraph of the same article says that for holders of a Certificate of Professional Competence, the minimum age is whatever the professional qualification law sets. On paper, that looks like an opening for younger drivers, because EU rules permit member states to allow C and CE from 18 for drivers with a full initial qualification.
The opening closes when you read the second law. Article 6 of the initial qualification and periodic training law on CyLaw sets the ages at which a ΠΕΙ holder may drive as 18 for C1 and C1E, 21 for C and CE, and 24 for D and DE. The cross-reference therefore leads back to the same number. A 19-year-old who wants to work on heavy vehicles in Cyprus can do so on C1 or C1E with the professional qualification, but not on an articulated lorry.
This rests on the consolidated text published on CyLaw. A recent amendment not yet reflected there would change the answer, so anyone under 21 should ask the Road Transport Department before paying for training.
B, then C, then CE: the order the law insists on
The licence law builds the heavy categories in layers. Γ1, Γ, Δ1 and Δ are granted only to someone who already holds category Β (B). The trailer categories, Γ+Ε among them, are granted only to someone who already holds the matching base category. So a car driver goes to C first, and only a C holder can be given CE.
Some schools run C and CE training close together, but the CE entitlement cannot be issued until C is on the licence. We could not confirm how the department schedules the two practical tests for someone completing both in one training period, so settle that with the school and the department at the outset.
Residence: the 185-day test and the student exception
Cyprus will only issue your licence if Cyprus is your place of normal residence. The licence law defines normal residence (συνήθης διαμονή) as the place where a person usually lives for at least 185 days in each calendar year because of personal or occupational ties, the same test used across the EU and explained on the Your Europe page on getting a driving licence. Article 14 lists residence alongside the other conditions for a licence: passing the tests, meeting the fitness standards, paying the fees and reaching the minimum age.
The same article offers an alternative that matters to younger applicants and to people who have come to the island for education: someone who has been studying in Cyprus for at least six months can meet the residence condition that way. For a person normally resident in another EU country, the reverse applies. EU rules allow one licence per person, issued by the country of normal residence, so CE training and tests belong there.
A Cypriot licence says nothing about your right to live or work in Cyprus. For a non-EU citizen, permission to stay and take a job comes from the immigration authorities, not the Road Transport Department, and no licence category creates a job, a visa, or a work permit.
Medical fitness for the heavy group
Lorry drivers fall into the stricter medical group in EU licensing. The Cypriot licence law requires applicants to meet minimum standards of physical and mental fitness and to present a medical certificate in the cases it specifies. For C and CE, the standards go beyond those for a car licence, with eyesight and a general assessment of fitness to drive both examined.
The medical is not a one-off. According to Your Europe, lorry and bus drivers have medical checks when their licence is renewed. Because heavy categories in Cyprus run for five years at a time, that means a fresh certificate every five years. We could not see the current medical form, so ask the department or your doctor which one is used for heavy categories, and bring specialist reports for any condition under treatment.
Learning on a learner licence
Practising with a CE combination on public roads requires a learner licence (άδεια οδήγησης μαθητευόμενου) for that category. The licence law makes it valid for two years and allows renewal as long as the conditions are still met. It also sets a demanding standard for anyone supervising a learner in a heavy vehicle: the supervisor must be at least 25 and must have held a valid licence in the same category for at least five years. In practice, most CE learners train in a school vehicle with a licensed instructor.
Documents vary by form, so read the current version on the department’s forms and procedures page before you visit. The usual set is the application form, proof of identity, evidence of normal residence for applicants who are not Cypriot citizens, your current licence showing B and C, a medical certificate for heavy vehicles, and the fee.
Fewer schools offer heavy vehicle training than car training, and fewer again have an articulated combination suitable for CE. Ask to see the school’s current Road Transport Department licence, confirm that its instructors are licensed for heavy vehicles, and ask which vehicle will be used for training and for the test- a tractor unit with a semi-trailer or a rigid lorry with a drawbar trailer- and whether it meets the test standards. We found no fixed minimum number of CE lessons in the sources we checked, so the hours you need will depend on your experience and, above all, on how quickly you learn to reverse a combination.
What the examiners assess
Licence law requires tests of knowledge and skills. The Driving Licence Regulations published in the Official Gazette list the areas the examinations must cover, following the EU minimum standards. On the knowledge side, these include traffic rules and road safety, driving in different weather and visibility, conduct at accidents and in emergencies, thevehicle’ss mechanical operation and safety equipment, and environmental protection. The skills side covers preparing the vehicle before setting off, manoeuvres, behaviour towards other road users and pedestrians, and choosing a safe speed.
For a combination, those headings translate into coupling and uncoupling, checking trailer brakes and lights, securing the load, reversing the combination safely, and driving in real traffic through junctions, roundabouts and narrow streets. The department publishes information on the truck test in its truck (Φορτηγό) section. One point we could not settle is whether a separate theory test applies when a C holder adds CE; the format for adding a trailer category can differ from that for a first heavy licence, so ask before you book. The same applies to retests. A failed candidate can apply again, but we could not confirm the waiting period or the retest fee, and theexaminer’ss feedback is the best guide to where extra lessons should go.
Left-hand traffic with a long combination
Cyprus drives on the left, as the expat.com guide to driving in Cyprus notes. For a driver trained on the right, mirror routines, junction turns, lane choice on roundabouts and positioning on narrow roads all have to be relearned with a long combination behind the cab. Budgeting extra training hours for this is sensible even for someone who already holds CE elsewhere.
Five years at a time: how heavy categories expire
When you pass, the department adds ΓΕ to your licence. Under Article 3 of the licence law, categories Γ, ΓΕ, Γ1 and Γ1Ε are issued for five years at a time, a shorter cycle than a car licence. The card can therefore carry different expiry dates for different categories, and the holder is responsible for keeping the heavy categories current. Renewal normally involves a new medical certificate.
Age changes the cycle. Once the holder reaches 65, renewal of these heavy categories is granted only up to age 70, and shorter periods apply after that. We could not confirm the exact period beyond 70, so older drivers should ask the department.
A professional driver in Cyprus tracks three dates that rarely coincide: the expiry of the licence card, the expiry shown against the CE category on it, and the expiry of code 95, which follows the date of the ΠΕΙ or the last round of periodic training.
The ΠΕΙ: the qualification that lets you drive for work
A CE licence shows that you can drive the vehicle. The Certificate of Professional Competence (Πιστοποιητικό Επαγγελματικής Ικανότητας, ΠΕΙ) shows that you have the training needed to drive it for the commercial carriage of goods. It is the Cypriot implementation of what most of Europe calls the Driver CPC, set out at EU level in the Driver CPC Directive, and it is recorded on the licence as the harmonised EU code 95. The two are separate in law and can expire at different times.
Who needs it, and who does not
Drivers of vehicles in C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D and DE who carry goods or passengers commercially need the ΠΕΙ unless an exemption applies. The law exempts vehicles with a maximum authorised speed of no more than 45 km/h; vehicles of the armed forces, civil defence and emergency services; vehicles on road tests for repair or maintenance; vehicles used for driving lessons by people who are not driving commercially; certain agricultural and forestry vehicles used for non-commercial transport; and some vehicles carrying equipment the driver uses in the course of their work.
Drivers who already held a relevant heavy licence before the ΠΕΙ rules came into force in Cyprus have acquired rights and never needed the initial qualification. They are not exempt from the periodic training that keeps code 95 valid.
Two ways to the initial qualification
The initial qualification and periodic training law describes an examination route. The written examination lasts four hours and mixes multiple-choice questions with case studies. The practical test lasts at least 90 minutes on different types of roads, followed by about 30 minutes on vehicle safety and equipment. The law also describes an accelerated initial training course of 140 hours, including at least 10 hours of individual driving with an instructor, delivered by approved training centres. We found no clear evidence that Cyprus offers a cull initial course; even if it did, the age rule above would not bring CE closer for a driver under 21.
One provision makes planning easier. The law says you do not need to hold the corresponding licence before starting the initial qualification or the accelerated course. A learner can therefore prepare for the ΠΕΙ while training for CE and arrive at 21 holding both. The law also provides that a driver who already holds the qualification for one type of vehicle, trucks or buses, and moves to the other needs only the modules specific to the new type.
How the examination sessions work
The department announces examination sessions and takes applications online rather than offering tests on demand. An announcement on the ΠΕΙ written examination, republished by the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB), set out the arrangements for one session. The written examination was available in Greek, Turkish and English, and candidates applying in English used a specific application form. Applications went through rtd.mcw.gov.cy. The fee was €34.17 for the written examination and an additional €34.17 for the practical test, which only candidates who pass the written part can take. The announcement gave the practical test as 120 minutes, which matches the law’s 90 minutes of driving plus the safety and equipment assessment.
The three languages help drivers with limited Greek, but they are confirmed only for that session; each announcement includes its own dates, deadline, location, and fee.
The separate professional driving licence
The department keeps a page of forms and procedures for professional driving licences and has published announcements about issuing a professional driving licence (επαγγελματική άδεια οδηγού) for the truck and bus categories. One announcement refers to issuing that licence without holding a ΠΕΙ, but we could not open it, so we cannot say who it covers or on what terms. A driver planning commercial work should ask the department directly which professional licence formalities apply on top of the CE entitlement and the ΠΕΙ.
Keeping code 95 alive
The certificate from the initial qualification is valid for five years, and so is each certificate from periodic training. To keep code 95, you must complete 35 hours of periodic training in every five years, in sessions of at least seven hours, with an approved provider. The Cypriot law allows part of that training to take place on a high-quality simulator.
Cross-border training adds a wrinkle. The law refers to drivers completing periodic training in the member state where their employing business is established. A driver who lives in Cyprus and works for a company based elsewhere in the EU, or the reverse, should confirm with both the provider and the Road Transport Department which country’s training will be recorded on the licence before booking a course.
Code 95 can expire while the CE entitlement itself remains valid. The driver still holds the licence but cannot lawfully drive a truck for commercial goods transport until the periodic training is done, which for an employed driver means a halt to paid driving.
The fees we could confirm, and the ones we could not
The official fees for learner licences, driving tests and licence issue are set in the fee annex of the licence law and shown on the department’s forms. We could not open either while preparing this article, so we do not quote a licence fee here. The only official figure we could confirm is the ΠΕΙ examination fee described above. Check the current amounts on the forms and procedures page or at a department office.
Each school sets commercial training prices, and we found none published in a form we could verify, so compare written quotes. Look beyond the headline price at the number of practical hours included, whether the school’s vehicle is available for the test, which official fees are bundled in and which you pay separately, the price of extra lessons and of a retest, and whether classroom preparation for the ΠΕΙ examination is part of the package.
Arriving with a licence from another EU country
Article 19 of the Driving Licence Law gives a licence issued by another EU member state the same effect in Cyprus as the corresponding Cypriot licence. A driver who moves to the island with CE already on an EU licence can keep driving on it while it is valid. The Your Europe page on licence recognition explains that exchange is voluntary in most cases and becomes necessary only in particular situations, such as a lost, stolen or damaged licence, or after certain traffic offences in the new country of residence.
At least one expatriate guide says EU licences must be exchanged within six months; that contradicts Article 19 and the EU guidance. What does change on moving is where renewal happens: once Cyprus is your country of normal residence, renewals, including the five-yearly renewal of heavy categories, are handled there, as the Your Europe renewal page describes, and the Cypriot rules on validity and medical checks then apply. A code 95 earned elsewhere in the EU belongs to the same EU-wide system as the ΠΕΙ.
Arriving with a licence from outside the EU
Two articles of the licence law set the framework. Under Article 20, the Registrar of the Road Transport Department may recognise a driving licence issued in any country for up to six months. Under Article 11, the Registrar may exchange a valid licence from another country for a Cypriot licence of the same category when the holder is normally resident in Cyprus. Exchange is discretionary, depending on the issuing country and on whether its licensing standards are comparable, and we could not find an official list of countries whose licences are exchanged. Where exchange is refused, the only route is the ordinary Cypriot procedure, with learner licence, training and tests, starting from B if necessary.
For heavy vehicle drivers, a successful exchange of a car licence does not mean the heavy categories come across with it, so ask specifically about C and CE. A professional qualification from outside the EU is not the ΠΕΙ either, and commercial driving in Cyprus will normally need the Cypriot ΠΕΙ and code 95 even after the licence has been exchanged. An International Driving Permit does not help here: it is a translation that accompanies a national licence and grants nothing the licence does not already contain.
Drivers from the UK fall into this group. The UK is no longer part of the EU licensing system, so a UK licence is a non-EU licence in Cyprus, and we found no official Cypriot source setting out a separate arrangement or deadline for it. Check the department’s current position early, before accepting a job that depends on it.
The driver card, EU hours and ADR in Cyprus
Most heavy goods vehicles used commercially must carry a tachograph, and the driver needs a personal driver card. That is a separate application from the licence and the ΠΕΙ; we could not confirm from an official source which office issues the card in Cyprus, so ask the Road Transport Department where to apply. EU rules on drivers’ hours and working time apply to most goods transport regardless of licence category. Carrying dangerous goods also requires an ADR training certificate, since code 95 does not cover dangerous goods.
The directive that will eventually replace today’s rules
Eventually, a new Driving Licence Directive, already adopted by the EU, will replace the current EU Driving Licence Directive. Member states have a multi-year period to transpose it, and it includes changes relevant to heavy vehicle drivers, including new options for minimum ages linked to professional qualification and changes to how licences are issued.
We found no sign that Cyprus has yet changed its own legislation to implement it. Until it does, the Cypriot rules described here, including 21 as the minimum age for CE, remain the law. A driver planning some time should watch the Road Transport Department’s announcements rather than assume the EU text applies directly.
The route in order
For a driver who is normally resident in Cyprus and wants to drive articulated lorries for a living, the sequence looks like this:
- Hold category B, then obtain category C, and be at least 21 by the time CE is issued.
- Get a medical certificate for heavy vehicles on the form the department currently uses.
- Choose a Road Transport Department licensed school with a suitable combination, and get its quote in writing.
- Apply for a CE learner licence, then train and pass the knowledge and skills tests.
- In parallel, prepare for the ΠΕΙ and apply online for the next examination session announced on rtd.mcw.gov.cy.
- Ask the department which professional licence formalities apply, and apply separately for a tachograph driver card.
- Write down the three expiry dates in your diary and book periodic training well before code 95 runs out.
After the licence and the ΠΕΙ, the job search begins. FastDriver.eu is a job portal for professional drivers: you can create a driver profile there or browse current truck driving vacancies, though it issues no licences, approves no qualifications and cannot arrange a job, a visa or a work permit.
What the Road Transport Department must confirm
Because the Road Transport Department’s website would not open during research, this piece rests on the consolidated laws on CyLaw, a department announcement republished by OEB, and EU sources. Official licence fees, the test format for upgrading from C to CE, retest rules and the details of the professional driving licence remain unconfirmed. The department has the final word on all of them, and on anything that has changed since the laws we read were consolidated.
Official sources
FAQs
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