If you're buying or importing a car to Cyprus and don't want to settle for the first registration number you're given, there's good news: you can officially choose a more attractive number yourself through the Road Transport Department (RTD).
You don't need an intermediary to do it.
There is one important detail, though. Cyprus custom registration numbers don't work like private plates in the UK. You can't create your own combination of letters and numbers. The letter series is determined by the system, while you choose the numerical part — for example, 001, 111, 777 or another available combination.
And the more desirable the number, the more interesting the process becomes.
How to buy a registration number in Cyprus
The process starts with the Road Transport Department's online system.
From there, you have two options.
The first is an auction. When RTD releases a new series of registration numbers, the most desirable combinations are offered through online bidding.
You choose the number, place your bid and participate in the auction. Bidding starts at €50, but don't mistake that for the actual price of the number. If several people want something like 777, the final price will depend entirely on demand. Before bidding, it's worth deciding how much that particular combination is genuinely worth to you. A great number is a nice finishing touch on a premium car, but it's surprisingly easy to get carried away in an auction.
There's an easier option
And for many buyers, it's probably the better one. Numbers that aren't sold during an auction may become available for direct purchase once the auction has ended. The Road Transport Department has a dedicated online service for this called Purchase of vehicle registration number.
If you don't specifically need 001 or 777, this is where I'd look first.
You can often find a symmetrical, memorable or simply good-looking combination among the remaining numbers without competing for the most obvious choices. And if you don't care about the number at all, there's nothing extra to buy. Your car will simply receive a registration number from the current series during the normal registration process.
The registration number and the physical plate aren't the same thing
This is another detail that can cause confusion.
When you “buy a number”, you're buying the right to a specific registration combination, not the physical metal plates themselves. The number must first be officially assigned to the vehicle through RTD. Only then can the actual number plates be produced.
So there's no point ordering the plates in advance.
Can you keep the number when you change cars?
This is where it's particularly important not to apply the UK private-plate system to Cyprus.
In Cyprus, a desirable registration number is not a transferable private plate in the British sense. Once registered, the combination is linked to that particular vehicle rather than becoming a separate asset that you can freely move from one car to another. So if the registration number matters to you, it's best to choose it when registering the vehicle.
This is particularly relevant for imported cars.
What if the car comes from the UK or Japan?
The principle is exactly the same.
When an imported vehicle is registered in Cyprus for the first time, it receives a Cyprus registration number. This is the moment to check the current RTD series and see which combinations are available. My approach would be simple: find the right car first, then check the available numbers before registration. If there's a combination you really want, enter the auction. If not, see what's available for direct purchase afterwards.
And I wouldn't necessarily overpay just because a number has three identical digits. Something like 707, 505 or a combination with personal meaning can look just as good on the right car as 777.
Final verdict
You can buy a custom vehicle registration number in Cyprus yourself through the Road Transport Department's online system. The most desirable combinations are offered through auction, while unsold numbers may later become available for direct purchase.
The important thing is to think about the number before your car is assigned a standard registration number.
And if you're still looking for the right car, we import carefully selected premium vehicles from the UK and Japan to Cyprus, focusing on condition, quality and transparent vehicle history. You can browse our current selection and choose your next car here.
