As of Tuesday transfers of vehicles may only be carried out after their owner has secured an ‘exemption from recall’ certificate, the transport ministry said on Monday.

Permanent secretary Giorgos Louka said second-hand vehicles would require such a certification from the seller, while for new vehicles, the certificate would come directly from the importer/dealer or distributor.

The seller is required to issue the certificate while the buyer will be responsible for presenting it during the transfer, Louka said, and the certificate is to be backed up by solid documentation.

The clarification follows a recall last week of cars with Takata airbags and a certain brake problem. Over 80,000 cars are affected although less than 300 were immediately immobilised.

The ministry has issued a timeline for recalls and set up a hotline for calls on 22 600500 Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 3pm. Car owners can also check a website to see if they are affected.