The Parliament of Cyprus approved a law extending the deadline for paying road tax for vehicle owners until March 31. The decision was made after technical problems on the website of the Department of Road Transport, due to which many drivers were unable to renew the registration of their vehicles on time.
Initially, the payment deadline was set for midnight on March 11. However, numerous user complaints about being unable to use the online service forced the authorities to intervene promptly and provide additional time to fulfill the obligation.
Website failure and mass complaints from drivers
According to DIPA party MP Alekos Tryfonidis, it was on the last day of payment, March 11, that the online system of the Department of Road Transport experienced a technical failure. As a result, many car owners were unable to complete the payment process.
Users reported that the official website of the department periodically stopped working. The likely cause was excessive load on the servers, as thousands of people were trying to pay the tax simultaneously at the last moment. The situation was further complicated by the fact that the authorities had previously announced that in the final days payment would be available exclusively online.
How many vehicles have already paid road tax
According to the transport department, by the beginning of the week more than 677 thousand vehicles had already completed the road tax renewal process. This represents a significant portion of registered vehicles on the island, however thousands of owners still did not manage to complete the payment due to technical issues. Extending the deadline to the end of March should allow drivers to resolve the issue calmly without the risk of fines.
Penalties for late payment and payment options
Cyprus has a system of penalties for late payment of road tax. If a driver fails to pay by the установленной date, a fixed fine of 10 euros is imposed, as well as an additional charge of 10% of the annual tax amount.
Vehicle owners can pay road tax not only for a full year but also for shorter periods. The system allows payment for 3, 6, 9, or 12 months, enabling flexible expense planning.
What will happen to vehicles without paid tax
Authorities also remind that vehicles for which road tax has not been paid or which have not been officially declared off the road may be removed from the TOM vehicle registry. This may occur if the tax for 2025 is not paid by the установленного deadline. This measure is aimed at maintaining the accuracy of the national vehicle database and preventing the use of vehicles without valid registration.
In recent years, Cyprus authorities have been actively digitizing public services, including road tax payment and vehicle registration. The online system allows drivers to quickly complete necessary procedures without visiting government offices.
A large selection of cars on the DOMCar portal.
Photos: pixabay.com, DOM
