What do the colors of car license plates mean?

In Northern Cyprus, you will come across car license plates of several colors. Now let's explain what the color differentiation of license plates signifies.

White plates. This is the most common type, issued when registering a vehicle purchased within the TRNC (either from a dealership or the secondary market). It consists of two letters and three numbers. There are also special plates consisting of three letters and four numbers.

Red plates. Assigned to officially rented vehicles. In the southern part, the rule is the same, with the difference being the CY marking on a blue strip on the left.

Black plates. These belong to military units, with the font and size of the plate smaller than the standard, and without any letters. However, there are old civilian plates with a larger font and standard size, which can be seen on retro cars. Black plates can also be found on police vehicles.

Green plates. This color is assigned to vehicles of diplomatic missions.

Blue plates. They have the prefix UN and indicate affiliation with the United Nations (United Nations) contingent, which monitors the situation on the border between the northern and southern parts of the island.

Yellow plates. Until 2013, the rear plates were issued in yellow, while the front one was white. Taxis in the southern part of Cyprus can be seen with yellow plates on both the front and rear.

White plates with red characters. These plates are assigned to vehicles that have temporarily entered the territory of Northern Cyprus for a significant period, such as for work contracts or studying at universities in Northern Cyprus.