The Motion card,
demystified.
The Motion card is the contactless pass that works on every public bus in the Republic, €1.50 a single, €5 a day cap, transfers free within 90 minutes. Here's where to get one, how to top it up without queuing, and how to carry it in your phone so you never lose another balance.
What you actually pay.
- Single, urban
- €1.50, paid on board, or tapped via the Motion card.
- Single, intercity
- €4, the long-distance lines (Larnaca↔Limassol, Nicosia↔Larnaca, etc.). Same card, same tap.
- Day cap
- €5, once you've spent €5 in a calendar day, every subsequent tap is free until midnight.
- Transfers
- Free for 90 minutes after your first tap, across any operator. The system handles it silently.
- Student
- €0.75 single, €2.50 day cap. Pair the card to a Cypriot student ID at any kiosk.
- Senior (65+)
- Free on most urban routes once the card is paired with a Cypriot ID.
Five-minute errand, then never again.
The plastic card costs €5 and starts with zero credit. You can pick one up at any major operator kiosk. Solomos Square (Nicosia), the New Port interchange (Limassol), Finikoudes (Larnaca), and Karavella station (Pafos), at most Kapnos counters, and at hundreds of corner shops with the Motion sticker. The same card works on every operator. You only need one.
If you'd rather not visit a kiosk: open Aloya, request a Motion card on the wallet screen, and we'll mail it to a Cyprus address while provisioning the same card number to your phone so you can ride immediately.
Three options, in order of speed.
- In Aloya
- Open the wallet. Pick €5 / €10 / €20 / €50. Confirm with Apple Pay or Google Pay. New balance is live on the card within 30 seconds.
- Motion portal
- motion.com.cy, sign in, enter the card number on the back, top up with Visa/Mastercard. Same 30-second propagation.
- At a kiosk
- Cash or card. The driver doesn't top up, only kiosks do. Available wherever you see the Motion logo on the door.
The recovery story most people don't know.
Register your card the moment you buy it, either at the issuing kiosk (free) or through Aloya (one screen, no signature). A registered card has its balance backed up daily. If it's lost or stolen, you report it once and the balance transfers to a fresh €5 card issued at any kiosk.
If you provisioned your Motion card inside Aloya, the balance is already mirrored on your phone, the plastic becomes a backup. New phone? Sign in to Aloya on the new device and the wallet restores from the cloud. More about the app →
Common questions
Top up. Tap. Done.
Pair your Motion card to Aloya once and your balance, top-ups and recent taps live on the wallet screen, no more queuing at a kiosk, no more lost cards.