Four in every ten taxi licences issued in Cyprus in 2025 went to non-Cypriot nationals, Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades has revealed, with drivers holding licences from 21 different countries.
The figures were provided in response to a parliamentary question from MP Alexandra Attalidou. Of the 681 taxi licences issued in 2025, 408 went to Cypriots. Greeks were the next largest group with 114 licences, followed by Georgians with 91 — meaning roughly one in ten licence holders came from each of those two countries. The remaining licences were distributed across a wide range of nationalities: 28 Russians, 6 British, 5 Australians, 4 Armenians, 4 Bulgarians, 3 Ukrainians, 3 Romanians, 3 Albanians, 2 Germans, 2 Syrians, and one each from India, Pakistan, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Uzbekistan, South Africa, Kazakhstan and Egypt.
Vafeades noted that the Road Transport Department held no employment data for licence holders, and that holding a professional licence did not necessarily mean the person was currently working as a driver or based in Cyprus.
Trucks and buses
Cypriot nationals account for a higher proportion of heavy vehicle licence holders. Of the 530 truck licences issued in 2025, 471 went to Cypriots. Greeks accounted for 21, Romanians for 10 and Georgians for 5, with the remainder issued to nationals of Russia, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Nigeria, Iran, the United States, Poland, India, Pakistan, the Congo, South Africa, Moldova, Albania, Armenia, Egypt and Syria.
Of the 108 bus licences issued in 2025, the majority went to Cypriots. Greeks again came second with 17, followed by 3 Romanians, 3 British, and one each from Pakistan, Germany, Turkey, Albania, Australia and Bulgaria.
Driving schools and instructors
Cyprus has 201 driving schools operating across the island: 74 in Nicosia, 67 in Limassol, 34 in Larnaca, 20 in Paphos, 5 in Famagusta and 1 in Polis Chrysochous. The island’s 307 driving instructors are distributed similarly: 114 in Nicosia, 103 in Limassol, 56 in Larnaca, 29 in Paphos, 4 in Famagusta and 1 in Polis Chrysochous.
29,000 driving tests a year
Around 29,000 driving tests are taken in Cyprus each year. Between 2021 and 2025 the total reached 143,288: 26,949 in 2021, 29,903 in 2022, 29,442 in 2023, 27,778 in 2024 and 29,216 in 2025. The 2021 figure may have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2025, 6,376 candidates failed their test. Failure rates varied by district among category B candidates — the standard passenger car licence. In Paphos, 917 candidates failed against 1,521 who passed, with 289 not sitting the test. In Nicosia, 2,005 failed against 4,634 who passed, with 506 not sitting. In Deryneia, 369 failed against 1,152 who passed, with 153 not sitting.
Motorcycle licences
Between 2021 and 2025, the largest groups obtaining motorcycle and scooter licences were Cypriots with 8,110 — or 13,169 across all motorcycle categories — followed by Indians with 1,474, Russians with 480, British nationals with 390, Pakistanis with 363, Greeks with 359, Bangladeshis with 330, Romanians with 183, Syrians with 97, Sri Lankans with 89 and Bulgarians with 146.
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