# Cyprus has over €7.4 million in unsettled rental car camera fines, and plans to chase drivers by email and text

> On 23 October 2026, Cyprus Transport Minister Evanthia Tsolaki said traffic camera fines and estimated penalties linked to rental cars exceed €7.4 million, while only 3,428 fines were settled. In 41,114 cases the driver could not be identified. The government wants to send fines by text message or email and to require rental companies to give police their customers' details, so a camera fine from a Cyprus holiday is more likely to reach you at home.

Updated: 2026-10-24 · Source: https://scratchfair.com/en/blog/cyprus-rental-car-traffic-camera-fines

A speed camera outside Limassol flashes a hire car, and nothing happens. For years that was a common outcome in Cyprus. ==On 23 October 2026, Transport Minister Evanthia Tsolaki said camera fines and estimated penalties linked to rental cars now exceed €7.4 million, and that only 3,428 of those fines were settled.== The government wants to change how these fines reach drivers, which matters if you hire a car on the island.

## What the minister said about rental car camera fines

Tsolaki gave the figures on Friday 23 October in response to questions from Prodromos Alambritis, a member of parliament for the Disy party, as reported by Cyprus Mail and Cyprus Inform. Under the camera system, drivers were identified in 8,501 rental car cases. In 15,118 cases no driver was identified, and in 41,114 cases identification was not possible at all. Twelve cases reached court.

Limassol accounted for 33% of the violations, Paphos for 24% and Larnaca for 22%, followed by Nicosia with 17% and Famagusta with 4%. The minister added that the camera system does not record payments, so only the police can give the exact amount actually collected. The reports do not say which period the figures cover.

The problem is not new. A year earlier, on 23 October 2025, Politis reported that the previous transport minister, Alexis Vafeades, had told parliament that cameras recorded 17,222 violations by rental vehicles between 2022 and May 2025, and that in 6,745 of them no driver had been identified.

## Why so many fines go unpaid

A camera only records the number plate. The notice goes to the registered owner, which for a hire car is the rental company. As Politis explained, the company then has to enter the renter's details in the police electronic system. For a Cyprus resident that is straightforward. For a tourist, the company has to supply the customer's name, passport number and home address so the fine can be issued to that person. Vafeades admitted in 2025 that this process had not been fully put in place.

The result is that many holidaymakers left the island without ever hearing about their fine. That is the gap the government now wants to close.

## What Cyprus plans to change

Tsolaki outlined two proposed changes to the law. Traffic fines could be delivered electronically, by text message or email, as long as data protection rules are respected. And rental companies would be required to give the police their customers' details, so the driver behind each offence can be found.

Neither measure has been adopted yet, and no date was given. But the direction is clear. If both pass, a camera fine is more likely to land in your inbox weeks after the trip, using the phone number and email address you gave at the rental desk.

This fits a wider European trend. The updated EU directive on cross-border traffic offences, which countries have to apply by 20 July 2027, widens the list of offences that EU countries can follow up across borders through vehicle registration data. Our article on [traffic fines abroad with a rental car](https://scratchfair.com/en/blog/traffic-fines-abroad-rental-car) explains how that works and how long a notice can take.

## What this means if you rent a car in Cyprus

Cyprus Mail's February 2026 guide to the camera system says recipients typically have 30 days to pay, and that late payment can increase the amount or lead to court. Tourists do not get points on a Cyprus licence, but the fine still applies. Camera fines can be checked and paid on CyCameraSystem, and payment is also possible through JCCsmart and gov.cy.

If you get a notice, check it before you pay. Compare the date, time and place with your rental period and route, and look at the plate number on the notice against your contract. A fine for a day after you returned the car, or for a plate that is not yours, is something to raise with the authority and the rental company straight away.

> [!TIP]
> Keep your rental contract and the return receipt for at least a year after a trip to Cyprus. They show exactly when the car was in your hands, which is the first thing you need if a notice arrives late.

The fine and any fee from the rental company are separate. The same guide notes that administrative fees may apply on top of the fine. Whether such a fee is fair depends on your contract and on consumer law; in August 2026 Spain's consumer ministry fined Avis €1 million over a similar fee, as we reported in [Spain fines Avis over its traffic fine admin fee](https://scratchfair.com/en/blog/avis-fined-spain-traffic-fine-admin-fee). Our article on [admin fees for traffic fines on a rental car](https://scratchfair.com/en/knowledge/credit-card/traffic-fine-admin-fee-rental-car) explains what to ask for.

If a charge for a fine or a fee turns up on your card, write down the date you saw it and use the [deadline calculator](https://scratchfair.com/en/tools/deadlines) to keep track of the 30-day payment window and the time you have to dispute the card charge.

## FAQ

**Will a Cyprus speed camera fine reach me if I rented the car?**

The camera notice goes to the rental company as the registered owner. For a tourist, the company is asked to pass on the renter's name, passport number and home address so the fine can be issued to that person. The government now wants this to be a legal duty and to send fines by text message or email.

**How long do I have to pay a camera fine in Cyprus?**

Cyprus Mail reports that recipients typically have 30 days to pay. Late payment can raise the amount or lead to court proceedings.

**Where can I check whether I have a camera fine from Cyprus?**

According to Cyprus Mail, pending camera citations can be checked and paid on CyCameraSystem (www.cycamerasystem.com.cy). Payment is also possible through JCCsmart and the government portal gov.cy.

**Can the rental company charge me a fee for passing on my details?**

Cyprus Mail notes that administrative fees may apply on top of the fine. Whether a fee is allowed and how high it can be depends on your contract and national consumer law, so ask the company which clause it relies on.

## Sources

- [Cyprus Mail: Over €7.4m in rental car traffic fines, few settled (23 October 2026)](https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/10/23/over-e7-4m-in-rental-car-traffic-fines-few-settled)
- [Cyprus Inform: Rental vehicle traffic fines and estimated penalties exceed €7.4 million in Cyprus (23 October 2026)](https://www.kiprinform.com/en/news/rental-vehicle-traffic-fines-and-estimated-penalties-exceed-e7-4-million-in-cyprus/)
- [Politis: Thousands of tourists leave without paying speed camera fines (23 October 2025)](https://en.politis.com.cy/economy/964303/thousands-of-tourists-leave-without-paying-speed-cameras-fines)
- [Cyprus Mail: Traffic fines and speed cameras in Cyprus, what drivers need to know (26 February 2026)](https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/02/26/traffic-fines-and-speed-cameras-in-cyprus-what-drivers-need-to-know)