Cyprus has given motorists a second chance to renew their road tax licences after a late rush in the final days before the deadline pushed renewals close to 100,000 and caused problems on the Road Transport Department website.
The surge appears to explain why the department’s website ran into trouble on the last day of the deadline, as thousands of requests hit the system and the platform could not handle the traffic.
Following consultations with the Transport Ministry, parliament and the competent committee pushed through an urgent bill, which was approved in Thursday’s plenary session. The move allows motorists to renew their licences retrospectively without a surcharge.
The extension could not be granted by the Transport Ministry itself because the deadline is set in law.
According to the Road Transport Department, the legal deadline for renewing vehicle licences falls within 70 days from the end of the reference year on December 31, meaning the final renewal day falls each year on either March 10 or March 11.
Under parliament’s decision, motorists can now renew their road tax licence until March 31, 2026, without any extra charge. Those who renewed after March 11 and paid a surcharge will be refunded because the extension applies retrospectively.
Road Transport Department figures show that by March 11, when the deadline had originally expired, licences for 780,395 vehicles had been renewed. Of those, 96,277 were renewed in the final three days alone, from March 9 to March 11.
The figures also show a steady year-on-year rise in renewals. The total stood at 745,363 by March 10, 2024, rose to 772,069 by March 11, 2025, and reached 780,395 by March 11, 2026.
The department also reminded motorists who renewed their vehicle licence for 2025 but do not intend to renew for 2026 that they must submit a notification declaring the vehicle off the road. That can also be done through the department’s website.