Cyprus Will I have to do army service if only my mother is cypriot?

richaa06 · new member

We would like to move to cyprus however my partner who is 32 is worried he would have to serve in its army. He is only half greek cyrpiot, hes mother is greek cypriot but hes father is english. My partner was born in London and has never been a resident in cyprus, has 3 children and a dodgy knee. Will he have to do service because this will determine whether we move or not??? Thank you

Sotos · professor

Does your husband have Cypriot citizenship? If he doesn't then I don't think he will need to serve. With 3 children and the knee they wouldn't make him serve much anyways. 6 months max (maybe 3) and he would have to go just a couple of hours every day. At least this is how it used to be.

Buddy · new member

We were told that if our son comes to live with us in Cyprus he would have to do national service. I am english and my husband is Cypriot. Our son was born in the UK and never lived in Cyprus, neither do we yet. He is 22.

This was a couple of years ago when we asked, it is best to ask someone in the forces or maybe on the government website.

Buddy

andri_cy · Moderator

My brother is in the army. If one of your parents is Cypriot and you are thinking of moving to Cyprus permanently, you will have to do national service. Usually it is not as long as Cypriot born Cypriots. It ranges from 3-6 months. They also work with you if you are a family man and they let you go in on the weekends or your days off. With your leg problem you would probably be able to do some office duty a couple of hrs a day or whatever. You might even be able to get away with not doing it. You are better off trying to search this on the governement website or something. I am pretty sure that under all normal circumstances you would have to but I still do know one person who was born by both Cypriot parents in the UK and when he moved with his cypriot wife and their 3 kids he ended up not doing national service but he still had to do national guard.

rotate · instructor

Check with the Cyprus High Commision in London, get your partner to go in person or write to them. They answer promptly to surface mail but strangely not to email enquiries.

Around four years ago the RoC Government proposed extending the obligation to serve to any child (son?) born overseas to at least one Cypriot parent (Mother or Father). Prior to this the obligation was applicable to children with a Cypriot Father. Dont know if this proposal was enacted or not, does anyone know?

If your partner is claiming Cypriot Nationality and then becomes eligiable for the same benefits as returning Cypriots and chooses to claim them, he should expect to fulfill his military obligations.

Hazza · lecturer

richaa06 - If you have 3 children, you are exempt from doing the National Service. You still have to declare to the army that you are living here, you will get a callup date, but that is basically so they can sign you off.

Buddy - yes, he will have to do his national service, I think it will be 6 months. If he can prove he's been a resident in another country for the last 10 years (has to be signed by the High Commision in your country of residence, the *sentence* will be reduced to as little as 3 months.

I'm saying sentence because thats how I see it.

thevoo · member

like has been said its a shorter stay in the army but any time me or my family have gone to cyprus we have been dragged off to the army but we get a six month pass from high commission. and we get out of it. but you still get all the the benefits of a cypriot as they say you are a cypriot that lives abroad even if you were born overseas and or only one parent is cypriot.
Anyway do your time and do something for your country, if you are going to live there.

Agios Amvrosios · instructor

if the army picks up that you are from Australia or the UK or somewhere like that and your family does not have connections they'll stick you on the Attila Line with a machine gun so the Turkish Army can have target practice on you.

Why are all the apodimoi on the Green line?

they'll stick your head under water bash you with wog bashers they make you do extra everything.

lysi · instructor

Dont worry richaa06, go and do your national service. its only 3-6months and all you do is stand about in a guard post for a couple of hours a day, but you are given a nice new assault rifle to carry and it will make you feel proud to do your bit.
Its not that bad national service.

Mikros · instructor

Still a few months of exercise in the army are not bad to be honest.... Someone cooks for you, you get paid and the only thing to worry is when you have a day off.... still prefer it than normal day life!!!