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12° Nicosia,
19 July, 2025
 
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Ready to drive? Be ready to wait

In the driver’s seat, eventually: License delays stretch up to a year.

Newsroom / CNA

Aspiring drivers in Cyprus are facing extensive delays in obtaining their licenses, with waiting times stretching to over a year in some districts, according to the head of the Pancyprian Federation of Driving School Owners (POIEO).

Panicos Katsaris, POIEO president, said the delays are particularly severe in Limassol, where tests are now being scheduled as far out as August 2026. In Nicosia, the current wait time is about seven months, while in Paphos, the testing system is entirely closed. In Larnaca and free Famagusta, candidates wait three to four months, prompting many to seek appointments in other districts.

"Problems persist; unfortunately, there is inaction, fear of responsibility among the officials, inertia, and negligence," Katsaris told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA). He criticized a lack of responsiveness from the Department of Road Transport (DRT) and said efforts by driving schools to propose practical reforms have been ignored.

The rigid appointment system was introduced to curb past abuses but has resulted in unintended consequences. The no-show rate has doubled from 7% to 14%, and regional directors are no longer authorized to approve schedule changes. Katsaris argued for a return to a more flexible system with safeguards against misuse.

"None of our suggestions were taken into account," he said, noting that 150 expedited test slots opened for August fall drastically short of the demand from over 500 schools islandwide.

He also called attention to untapped capacity at testing sites, saying more frequent examinations could alleviate the backlog. “I am at the testing site now. Instead of five examiners leaving, only one car is going out,” he noted.

Instructors held a strike on May 30 and submitted a memorandum to the Presidential Palace and the Ministry of Transport, calling for additional examiners, increased resources, and the reassignment of the senior official overseeing the program.

Katsaris also criticized the documentation required for foreign nationals to take the test, saying the DRT’s evolving demands, such as proof of residence via utility bills or rental agreements, create unnecessary barriers. He urged prioritization of professional license testing, citing labor shortages in key transport sectors.

Katsaris pointed to the post-pandemic period as proof the system can work under pressure. “Four months of backlog were resolved within a single month,” he said.

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