How do I go about bringing my car

MY PARTNER and I are moving to Cyprus very soon and were wondering if we would be able to send our car over to Cyprus for us to use. It is a Volvo 850 saloon 4 door 1992. Is there anything we need to do as we are not sure of the laws covering sending our car. Please can you help us as it would be very much appreciated.
Best regards
Steve & Shelley Buckell

YOU DON’T say whether you will be permanent residents here, or whether you will be working. If the former, if you intend to bring the car here before May 1, 2004 you will need special permission from the Department of Transport as the vehicle is over five years old. The vehicle has to be in Cyprus when you apply, but if you are settling here permanently, there should be no problem. If you are working here, you cannot import an over-age vehicle.

As of May 1, 2004, there will be no age restriction on vehicles imported as part of your ‘household goods’ when you move residence.

If you want to import the car before May 1 next year, you could apply for a temporary importation, which would enable you to drive the car here on its UK plates, though it will have to be put into bonded storage when you are out of the country. This would only be allowed if, when you arrive here, you express your intention to settle permanently. If, when you arrive, you enter as ‘retired aliens’ and go about the relevant procedures for permanent residency straight away, you will not be granted Visitor status and will have to get the permission from the Dept of Transport to import the car. From May 1 2004 ‘visitor’ vehicles will be allowed to circulate (continuously or not) for up to six months in each calendar year.

For more information on the temporary importation of vehicles, call Mr Piyotis at Customs HQ in Nicosia on 00-357-22-601704. For information on importing an over-age vehicle, call Mr. Liassides at the department of Transport: 00-357-22-807121.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.