Cyprus is preparing to adapt its driving licence system to new EU rules that will introduce digital licences, accompanied driving from 17 and a more modern approach to assessing older drivers.

The new EU digital driving licence will be available through the EU Digital Identity Wallet and usable across the EU. Physical licences will not disappear, however, with drivers able to continue using a physical document.

The reforms will also introduce an EU wide accompanied driving scheme allowing 17 year olds to drive Category B cars under supervision. New drivers will also be subject to a minimum two year probationary period, during which stricter rules and penalties will apply to certain serious offences.

For older drivers, the EU is moving toward more systematic checks of fitness to drive rather than relying purely on age. Cyprus currently requires drivers aged 70 and over to renew their licence every three years and provide a health certificate. The Road Transport Department is expected to examine how the new fitness based approach can be incorporated locally.

For standard Category B licences, Cyprus currently maintains its existing administrative validity arrangements, while the new EU framework will eventually bring greater harmonisation across Member States.

The EU legislation entered into force in 2025, but Cyprus and other Member States still need to transpose the rules into national law. The European Commission says most provisions will become applicable after the four-year implementation period, while the accompanied-driving rules will apply earlier.

For Cypriot drivers, the changes could eventually mean less paperwork, a licence stored on your phone and new opportunities for younger drivers, while older motorists may face more personalised assessments of their ability to drive safely.