After your third lap of the block looking for a parking space in Nicosia, or another missed minibus to campus in Famagusta, two wheels start to look like a good idea. A motorbike fits almost anywhere and parking is rarely a problem. If you don’t sort out the licence class, the road tax and the transfer papers first, though, your new bike can end up sitting outside the front door.
This guide to buying a motorbike in North Cyprus covers which licence you need for a moped or a motorbike, the road tax and fees in force since 1 May 2026, asking prices from October 2026 and dealer prices for November 2026, and what to check on a used bike.
Contents
Moped or Motorbike? Start With How You’ll Ride
Before you look at listings, think about where and how often you’ll ride. For short trips around town, a 50cc moped or a 125cc scooter is enough for most people. If you’ll commute between Kyrenia and Nicosia every day, the climb over the mountain road and the speed of traffic on the main road may push you towards something bigger.
- 50cc moped: for campus and neighbourhood trips. In North Cyprus mopeds come under the J licence class.
- Up to 125cc: for town and short intercity runs. Annual road tax is 558 TL up to 100cc and 976 TL for 101–300cc.
- 126–500cc: worth a look if you’ll ride between towns every day or want weekend trips.
- Over 500cc: touring bikes. Both asking prices and annual road tax (2,789 TL) are much higher.
If you’re thinking about an electric scooter or e-moped, read the e-scooter section below too: models over the power or speed limit count as motorbikes.
Which Licence Do You Need?
If you’re used to UK or EU licence categories, note that North Cyprus (KKTC) uses its own class letters, so the categories on your licence won’t map onto them directly. The A.E. 656/2026 traffic regulations published in July 2026 and the Traffic Department’s statement of August 2026 list J, H1, H2 and H as the classes for mopeds and motorbikes.
| Class | What it covers |
|---|---|
| J | Moped (motorlu bisiklet) |
| H1, H2, H | Motorbikes; bigger engines need a higher class* |
| D | Cars. In North Cyprus the letter B is used for heavy goods vehicles* |
*These scopes come from a table published by a driving school: H1 for 50–125cc, H2 for 125–250cc and H for 251cc and above. We could not confirm these limits, or the minimum age for each class, in an official text. Check them with the Traffic Department before you book lessons or buy a bike.
Riding on a foreign licence
According to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport’s traffic information leaflet, tourists can drive for up to 90 days on a valid licence from their own country. Once you get a work, residence or student permit you are no longer a tourist and must switch to a KKTC licence. Ask, too, whether the class on your licence covers motorbikes.
A conversion window is open now. A.E. 950/2026, published in Official Gazette No. 196 on 6 October 2026, opened a 90-day licence conversion procedure from that day, running to about early January 2027. Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals are excluded. Check the final date and the documents you need with the Traffic Department before you apply. Our guide to getting a driving licence in North Cyprus walks through the application.
E-Scooters and E-Mopeds: When Do They Count as Motorbikes?
Under A.E. 656/2026, published in Official Gazette No. 134 on 17 July 2026 and in force the same day, a vehicle needs no registration only if it is under 351 W and can do no more than 30 km/h. Going over either limit is enough: the vehicle then has to be registered as a moped or motorcycle, and the rider needs a J, H1, H2 or H licence.
Scooters and e-mopeds under the limits have rules too. No one under 18 may ride them. They are banned on intercity roads and on roads with a speed limit above 50 km/h, and you can’t ride on the pavement or carry a passenger. A helmet is compulsory on an e-moped.
You can read the Traffic Department’s notice on the Ministry of Public Works and Transport website. For models and prices, see our guide to buying an electric scooter in North Cyprus.
Road Tax and Fees for Motorbikes (2026)
Motorbike road tax (seyrüsefer) is a flat annual amount, set by engine size for petrol bikes and by motor power for electric ones. The amounts below were set by A.E. 388/2026 (Ek III), published in the Official Gazette (Resmî Gazete) No. 82 of 30 April 2026, and have applied since 1 May 2026.
| Engine size | Annual road tax | Each half-year on the 6-month option |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 100cc | 558 TL | 334.80 TL |
| 101–300cc | 976 TL | 585.60 TL |
| 301–500cc | 1,394 TL | 836.40 TL |
| Over 500cc | 2,789 TL | 1,673.40 TL |
| Electric motorbike (motor power) | Annual road tax |
|---|---|
| Up to 3 kW | 418 TL |
| 3–18 kW | 697 TL |
| 18–50 kW | 1,115 TL |
| Over 50 kW | 2,091 TL |
Six-month option: you can pay road tax in two six-month instalments instead of once a year. The annual amount is then increased by 20% and half of that is paid each period. On a 125cc bike that is 585.60 TL per half-year, or 1,171.20 TL a year (the 6-month column is our own arithmetic). The annual fee, or the first half, is due by the last day of the bike’s registration month, and late payment carries a surcharge (gecikme zammı).
Transfer and inspection fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Transfer fee (motorbike or moped) | 1,394 TL |
| Licensed dealer buying a used bike | 697 TL |
| Late transfer (+50%) | 2,091 TL |
| Inspection (muayene) | 418 TL |
| Inspection outside the scheduled period | 1,394 TL |
Source: A.E. 388/2026, Official Gazette No. 82, 30.04.2026, Ek III; in force since 1 May 2026.
You can pay road tax through the Income and Tax Office’s online payment system or at a tax office; our road tax guide has the steps. For booking an inspection and the documents you need, see our vehicle inspection guide.
Insurance: Third-Party Cover Is Compulsory
Before you ride, you need at least compulsory third-party insurance. Under the Motor Vehicles (Third Party Insurance) Law, using a motor vehicle on the road without a valid policy is an offence.
- Third-party insurance: the legal minimum. It covers damage you cause to others, not your own bike.
- Comprehensive or fire and theft: optional. Get a quote if you’re buying a new or expensive bike.
We couldn’t find a published motorbike premium table we could verify, so we don’t give figures here. Get quotes for the same cover from at least two insurance agents, and give them the engine size and model year.
What Do Motorbikes Cost? November 2026 Prices
The classifieds site kktcarabam.com has the most used-bike prices. On 23 October 2026 we went through all 592 motorbike listings there. After removing 246 “call for price” ads, placeholder prices such as £1 or 1 TL, and duplicates, 321 priced listings were left, most of them priced in sterling.
| Engine size | Middle half of listings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 50–125cc | £3,000–4,300 | £3,500 |
| 126–500cc | £5,500–8,000 | £6,500 |
| Over 500cc | £11,000–17,000 | £14,500 |
Source: kktcarabam.com, used motorbike listings priced in GBP, 23 October 2026. The “middle half” leaves out the cheapest and dearest quarter. These are asking prices, not sale prices.
New bike prices
Arsi Motors, a dealer in Nicosia (kktcmotosikletdunyasi.com), prices in euros and shows a TL figure at its own rate (€1 = 56.20 TL on 7 November 2026). The 2026 Honda Activa 125 is €2,350 (132,070 TL). At the same dealer, 126–500cc models run from €4,000 (Yamaha XSR155) to €11,500 (Yamaha XMAX 250).
When you ask about price
- About 42% of listings don’t show a price. In your first message, ask for the mileage and whether road tax and inspection are up to date as well.
- 107 of the 592 listings we checked were “plakasız”, meaning bikes without KKTC plates or registration. With these, registration costs and possibly import duty come on top; we haven’t worked those out here.
- Add the transfer fee, annual road tax, insurance, a helmet and riding kit to your budget.
2013 Yamaha 100cc Motorcycle for Sale
Paperwork available | Only 1 inspection & 1 road permit pending
6 days ago
Checklist for Buying a Used Motorbike
Used listings range from a 2009 50cc Gilera to a 2024 Triumph 400. Be careful with anything sold as an unregistered field bike with no papers: before you can ride it on the road, it has to be registered.
Paperwork
- Check that the seller’s name matches the name on the registration document (koçan).
- Ask whether road tax and inspection are up to date, and if anything is owed, ask the seller to clear it before the transfer.
- Compare the chassis and engine numbers with the papers.
The bike itself
- Start the engine from cold. If it struggles to start or puts out blue smoke, treat that as a warning sign.
- Look at the chain, sprockets and tyres, as these soon mean extra costs. Read the manufacture date on the tyre wall too: under the traffic regulations, motorbike and moped tyres must not be more than five years past that date.
- Check the forks and brakes for oil leaks.
- Make sure the mileage matches the general wear. Be wary of a low-mileage bike with worn grips, pegs and gear lever.
- Off-road bikes may show engine hours instead of kilometres. Ask for the service history.
Most of the paperwork steps in our guide to buying a car in North Cyprus apply to motorbikes too.
After You Buy: Transfer Steps
- Do the transfer at the Traffic Department together with the seller. The fee is 1,394 TL; if the transfer is late, you pay 50% more (2,091 TL).
- Insure the bike in your own name.
- Note the road tax and inspection dates. You can pay road tax in six-month instalments if you prefer.
- Buy a helmet. Helmets are compulsory for both rider and passenger on motorbikes and mopeds, whatever the engine size or power.
For appointments, documents and registration papers, see our vehicle ownership transfer guide.
FAQ
Can I ride a moped on a car licence?
We could not find a clear answer in any official text. In North Cyprus the car licence is class D and mopeds come under class J. Ask the Traffic Department (Trafik Dairesi) or the Ministry of Public Works and Transport whether your D licence covers a moped before you buy one.
How much is the road tax on a 125cc motorbike?
A 125cc bike falls in the 101–300cc band. Since 1 May 2026 the annual road tax (seyrüsefer) is 976 TL. If you choose the six-month option, you pay 585.60 TL for each half-year.
Can I ride on my foreign licence as a tourist?
According to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport’s traffic leaflet, tourists can drive for up to 90 days on a valid licence from their own country. Once you get a work, residence or student permit you need to switch to a KKTC licence. Ask the Traffic Department whether the class on your licence covers motorbikes.
How much does a used 125cc motorbike cost?
On 23 October 2026, the middle half of used 50–125cc listings priced in sterling on kktcarabam.com ran from £3,000 to £4,300, with a median of £3,500. These are asking prices; condition and haggling decide the final figure.
Does an electric scooter need a plate and a licence?
Not if it is under 351 W and can do no more than 30 km/h. A model that goes over either limit has to be registered as a moped or motorcycle, and the rider needs a J, H1, H2 or H licence.
Should I buy a bike with no plates or no papers?
If you want to ride it on the road, usually not. An unregistered bike has to be registered first, and the registration costs and any import duty come on top of the price. We haven’t worked those costs out here, so ask the Traffic Department before you buy.
In Summary
Pick the right engine size and get the licence and paperwork sorted from the start, and a motorbike makes everyday travel in North Cyprus much easier. Confirm your licence class with the Traffic Department first, then add the transfer fee, road tax and insurance to your budget. Take the checklist above with you when you go to see a used bike.
You can browse current motorbike listings on Pazar Kıbrıs, and if you have a bike to sell, you can post your ad there too.
