Over 70’s driving in the south.

[butterfly]

Hello,

Clarification if anyone knows. Friend of mine went to MOT his car to drive in the south (at the booth at metehan). He was told he had to get a letter from his doctor to state his was fit and able to drive in the south.

They gave him a form to give to the doctor. If the doctor here doesn’t read Greek, do you think an official stamped letter from a doctor here would be sufficient?

Thanks, any experiences, gratefully received...

[sophie]

Blimey, when did this come into force?

[butterfly]

This is his first application ever, maybe that’s why?

[paul90]

We can only drive in the South on our UK driving licences.
We over 70's have to renew our UK driving licences every three years and only get a new one if we declare ourselves fit and able to drive at that time.
So the fact that we have a valid UK licence should indicate that we are fit and able to drive.

[paul90]

Extracts below from ROC government website:

Drivers can drive with a current valid:
1. EU driving licence – until it expires.

On reaching 70 years of age and have a Cyprus driving licence you will require:
1) A completed TOM 7 application form – only available in Greek.
2) A form TOM 153 already signed by a doctor, stating that you are fit to drive. This is in the main an eyesight test. Drivers require a medical on reaching 70 years of age and each subsequent renewal.

[Bert]

As I am familiar with one or two people who shouldn’t be driving and are I think this is a very sensible albeit inconvenient, precaution

[butterfly]

Thanks guys, think I will tell him to take TRNC licence, uk licence and letter from doctor... hopefully he will get his paperwork.

[nermal]

My husband is over 70 he had to have a health check an eye test and have his form signed by a doctor on the greek side .
Dont know if this has now changed .
This was nearly 2 years ago and I think it is valid for 3 years .

[frontalman]

Thanks guys, think I will tell him to take TRNC licence, uk licence and letter from doctor... hopefully he will get his paperwork.

Just show UK licence, don't bother with TRNC licence.

[snd1966]

Do they now allow people to drive on their TRNC licences? I was under the impression as an EU national had to use my EU licence.

[paul90]

The ROC do not accept the TRNC driving licence for MOT renewal.

Last year I renewed my ROC MOT at Metahan with my UK driving licence which clearly showed me as older than 70 - and no mention was made of a medical or eye test.

I need to do this again in November so I hope that nothing has changed for UK licence holders.

[Samson]

As I am familiar with one or two people who shouldn’t be driving and are I think this is a very sensible albeit inconvenient, precaution

So you are a qualified doctor then?What gives you the right to judge?

[waddo]

DVLC I guess!

[nermal]

I should have stated my husband is a TC hisEnglish license had expired so had to use his Cypriot one an because of age he had to have these tests .
We were given to understand that if he had a valid english one then no tests required
However as i said this was nearly 2 years ago .

[paul90]

Thanks Nermal - that information is very relevant.

[frontalman]

You're safe, Paul (for now)

[paul90]

Just an update.

Yesterday I crossed into the South at Metahan knowing that I needed to get a new Road Tax certificate from the ROC Ministry of Transport Kiosk.

I presented my TRNC log book, TRNC MOT certificate and my valid UK driving licence which showed that I was 72 years old.

My ROC road tax certificate was issued with no hesitation and no comment was made about me being over 70.

[butterfly]

The issue we had was that the guy only had a TRNC licence, which they wouldn’t accept. No problem with a UK one.

[tutor4u]

Ref Message 5 :- On reaching 70 years of age and have a "Cyprus driving licence" you will require etc.

A Valid UK licence, irrespective of your age (over 70) is the best and in my opinion the only option.

[DieHard]

I bought this up in April, they would not put me on the tax form, just my husband who is not yet 70. We are both British and have UK driving licenses and have been going over for 9 years, but members here pooped my post. It must depend on who is on duty.

[paul90]

See my message 17 above - I still believe that with a valid UK licence, even if you are over 70, you can drive.
A Cyprus Driving website (http://cyprusdriving.net/valid-exchange ... -licences/) states:
Drivers can drive with a current valid:
1.EU driving licence – until it expires.
2.An International Driving Permit (IDP) together with a current valid domestic driving licence – usually until the IDP expires.
3.Article 20 of the Driving License Laws of 2001 and 2004, recognizes driver’s licences or learner’s licences issued by the EU and a competent authority of the country included in the table below and are valid.
The driving licences from the countries listed below are valid for 6 months only.

1.Australia
2.Canada
3.Georgia
4.Iceland
5.Japan
6.Liechtenstein
7.New Zealand
8.Norway
9.Russia
10.Serbia
11.South Africa
12.South Korea
13.Switzerland
14.Ukraine
15.United Arab Emirates
16.USA
17.Zimbabwe

[snd1966]

I am not even anywhere near 70 but now getting very confused about the postings

If you have a EU / GB licence you can get insurance to drive in the south
The TOM 153 is where the issue of being over 70 arises, I always thought it was issued in the keeper of the car name


Does the insurance company check the TOM153 as we have friends who just get insurance and both over 70 who don't even seem to know abut this

[paul90]

Yes, the insurance desks at Methahan check the TOM 153 and will only issue the third party cover on sight of a valid TOM 153.

The ROC "road tax" desk should issue the TOM 153 to any EU citizen if they have a valid EU (including the UK) driving licence - even to those who are over 70, if that licence has not expired.

They may not put a name on the TOM 153 if it does not appear on a TRNC log book (Registration Certificate) - e.g. if the vehicle is registerd in only one name rather than joint names.

[snd1966]

Yes, the insurance desks at Methahan check the TOM 153 and will only issue the third party cover on sight of a valid TOM 153.

The ROC "road tax" desk should issue the TOM 153 to any EU citizen if they have a valid EU (including the UK) driving licence - even to those who are over 70, if that licence has not expired.

They may not put a name on the TOM 153 if it does not appear on a TRNC log book (Registration Certificate) - e.g. if the vehicle is registerd in only one name rather than joint names.

Thanks paul90 but i have been with my husband who drives 2 over 70's people's cars and at the insurance booth the owners give him the old insurance to renew. with one car it may of been owned over a year , he can remember going with the wife to get the tom153 when they first bought it. But if you are right the insurance people will soon ask for it. Should he be named on the tom153 or can people who are any age be named on the insurance and be valid to drive and for some reason an official if the car kocan is in a name of an over 70 they say no to a tom153 even though they can be put on the insurance. I hope all this makes sense.
He drives as he is classed as the youngest and fittest, he does not go without the owner in the car.

[paul90]

snd 1966
Just to clear up any confusion from messages 22 and 23:
The form issued by the ROC Department of Transport desk at Metahan is TOM 89, not TOM 153.
(TOM 153 is for the holders of Cypriot driving licences, including TRNC, who have reached the age of 70.)

TOM 89 shows the details taken from the TRNC car log book and/or the car's TRNC MOT certificate, namely the make of car and the name of the owner or owners.

To get a TOM 89 you must show a valid UK driving licence as well as the TRNC logbook and MOT certificate - I also show my TRNC road tax disc.

The insurance desks at Metahan issue the third party insurance in the name(s) appearing on the TOM 89. The insurance certificate states that the policy is not valid without a valid TOM 89.

The insurance policy covers only the authorized drivers named on the policy, i.e. names taken from the TOM 89.

[waddo]

Just for information of course and not to confuse people BUT I assume that everyone who lives here on a permanent basis (like myself for the past 12 years) and who still holds a valid EU/UK driving license understands that it did expire six months after moving out of the UK on a permanent basis? Even if you have renewed your UK license by giving a postal address (that you don't live at) your UK license is only valid if you live and drive in the UK or another EU country. Effectively, that means that the RoC (being an EU country) request and require a "valid" UK/EU driving license before they will issue you with a TOM 89 and of course the one which you provide for them is knowingly expired! The RoC are aware of that and turn a blind eye to it because it is the only way they can issue a UK/EU citizen with a TOM 89. This because (and as I understand it) the Green Line regulations only accept a Turkish (TRNC) driving license as being valid if it is held by a Turkish Cypriot! The whole thing is a cluster and just part of the hassle factor that the RoC adopt for any non Turkish Cypriot who dares to reside in the "Occupied Territories". Sometimes you will be refused and sometimes you will be granted - it is part of the game. However, on the insurance side of things, if you are driving on an expired UK/EU license and have an accident then your chances of being actually insured are remote indeed. Then again the insurance company has to prove that your license is invalid and that is difficult for them. If you think that is complex at the moment - just wait till Brexit hits the North and the "currently" UK/EU citizens who live here. Have a nice day and enjoy life, only worry over the things you can control, which in Cyprus means you don't have to worry because you have little control over anything here at all - lol.
Before you ask, I have spent over a year arguing with the RoC version of the DVLA over driving licenses and how to obtain a legal and valid EU/RoC one - simple answer to anything RoC is that you have to live in the RoC for six months before you can do anything. Oh yes, and if you do that then move back to the TRNC and do not live in the RoC for over six months then you go back down the snake to square one and your dice are taken away so no free throws - lol.

[Agobard]

I renewed my TOM (on a British licence) last Friday with no problem whatsoever. I would say though that there is a particularly miserable bloke in the office there and I try to avoid him and go to the other guy as the miserable one finds fault with everything. If there are two of them there, the miserable one is normally to the left!

[snd1966]

I renewed my TOM (on a British licence) last Friday with no problem whatsoever. I would say though that there is a particularly miserable bloke in the office there and I try to avoid him and go to the other guy as the miserable one finds fault with everything. If there are two of them there, the miserable one is normally to the left!

and are you over 70?

[Agobard]

I am over 70!

[Jonnie]

A valid UK driving licence should be sufficient and if they ask for anything else they are not legal under EU law as it stands at the moment anyway!

I also know several over 70s who should review their driving but also used to compete against a couple of guys rallying an Avenger whose combined age was over 150!

[SunnyParkers]

I might be having a ‘senior moment’ - in fact very likely but I thought I had seen a link posted for the form required to drive in the south when over 70. We are swallows, both over 70, UK & TRNC driving licences and TRNC registered car. Can someone clarify if I’ m losing the plot or not. Tia

[waz-24-7]

I'm afraid this is another loss of privilege after Brexit.

Whilst you should be able to use a UK license since August 2021. Many EU states take a position that you need either an international license or the special permit like other non Europeans.
I have been challenged upon this in Spain and in Holland mainly because the officers are not familiar with post Brexit protocol. Certainly border control and Police have always been full of importance and being a foreigner in a foreign land and from UK now provides an opportunity to show off power.


The solution is to secure an international driving licence from either UK post office or possibly through the AA or RAC.

[SunnyParkers]

Thx wax-24-7

[waddo]

Or not bother going! Unless you really need to go and take your TRNC vehicle with you for the 16 hours you are allowed to take it!!!!!

[SunnyParkers]

Actually- well said Waddo!