Glossary
Terms used across the site, defined plainly. Type to filter.
Shipping & pricing
- FOB
- Free On Board. Vehicle price at the seller's port (Japan side). Excludes shipping and Cyprus duties.
- CIF
- Cost, Insurance, Freight. Vehicle price including shipping and marine insurance, delivered to your port (Limassol). The basis for Cyprus customs duty.
- RoRo
- Roll-on / Roll-off. Vehicle is driven onto a dedicated car-carrier ship. Default mode Japan to Cyprus.
- Container
- Vehicle loaded into a sealed shipping container. More expensive than RoRo; used for high-value or stacked multi-vehicle loads.
- Landed cost
- Total cost to get the car registered in Cyprus and ready to resell: CIF + customs duty + VAT + CO2 tax + fees.
- Net margin
- Cyprus sale price minus landed cost minus fix budget minus haggle buffer minus listing fees.
Auction grades
- S, 6
- Brand new or like-new condition, under 30,000 km.
- 5, 4.5, 4
- Excellent to good condition. Safe to flip.
- 3.5, 3
- Average to below average. Use only if priced cheaply and inspected.
- 2, 1
- Poor condition; not for resale.
- R
- Repaired after accident. Excluded from this scanner by default.
- RA
- Repaired at Auction (lighter repair than R). Still excluded by default.
- 0
- Damaged, scrapped, or for parts. Excluded.
- ***
- Mileage cannot be verified (potential rollback). Avoid.
Emissions & standards
- Euro 6
- EU emissions standard required for new Cyprus registrations. Japanese cars from 2018 onward generally comply.
- CO2 g/km
- Grams of CO2 per kilometre. Drives the Cyprus registration tax band. Hybrid models typically 80–100; petrol SUVs 140–180.
- WLTP
- Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure. The modern EU fuel economy and CO2 test (since 2017). Typically about 20% higher CO2 numbers than the older NEDC test.
- NEDC
- New European Driving Cycle. Older fuel economy test. JDM spec sheets from before ~2018 often quote NEDC; the Cyprus DoRT will use the WLTP equivalent if challenged.
- JC08
- Japanese fuel economy test cycle. Roughly comparable to WLTP for hybrids; slightly more optimistic for petrol.
Market & spec terms
- JDM
- Japanese Domestic Market. Cars built for sale in Japan. Often different trim names from EU versions: Vezel = HR-V, Aqua = Prius C, Axela = Mazda 3.
- EU spec
- Cars built for sale in EU countries, with EU-specific emissions hardware, English-language infotainment, etc. JDM cars need software updates for nav and infotainment to work properly in Cyprus.
- RHD
- Right-hand drive. Driver sits on the right. Required for Cyprus and matches JDM cars natively.
- LHD
- Left-hand drive. Driver on left. Not compatible with Cyprus.
- e:HEV / e-Power
- Honda and Nissan series-hybrid systems where the petrol engine acts mainly as a generator for the electric motor. Very fuel-efficient (around 3.5L/100km), low CO2.
- PHEV
- Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle. Battery rechargeable from a wall socket. Very low CO2 numbers (30–50 g/km) on the official test, meaning minimal Cyprus CO2 tax.
Cyprus paperwork
- DoRT
- Department of Road Transport (Τμήμα Οδικών Μεταφορών). Issues registration plates.
- Form TOM 6
- Cyprus vehicle registration / transfer form.
- MOT
- Pre-registration roadworthiness inspection at a Department-authorised test centre. Around €40.
- SAD
- Single Administrative Document. Customs declaration form lodged by your broker.
- Bill of Lading
- Shipping company's receipt and title document for the vehicle in transit.