Cyprus-Forum.com

[Graeme]

Hi all

My wife and I along with our 2 kids (12,10) are looking to get away from the cold, wet and drab existence in the UK. We will also be bringing along my wifes recently widowed father (70s). Although our destination is not finalised, Cyprus is looking like a favourable possibility. we will have enough cash to purchase a property outright but being in my 30s i will have to hold down employment and dont have any specific skills. I guess what i am asking is will it be feasible for me to find work that will pay the normal bills and just enjoy the lifestyle in the sunshine? I am not moving to make millions, just seeking a better quality of life for my family. any help or advise would be appreciated, or any links, sites etc.

thanks

[cannedmoose]

Hi all

My wife and I along with our 2 kids (12,10) are looking to get away from the cold, wet and drab existence in the UK. We will also be bringing along my wifes recently widowed father (70s). Although our destination is not finalised, Cyprus is looking like a favourable possibility. we will have enough cash to purchase a property outright but being in my 30s i will have to hold down employment and dont have any specific skills. I guess what i am asking is will it be feasible for me to find work that will pay the normal bills and just enjoy the lifestyle in the sunshine? I am not moving to make millions, just seeking a better quality of life for my family. any help or advise would be appreciated, or any links, sites etc.

thanks

Hi Graeme, welcome to the forum.

I can appreciate your desire to get away from the UK, particularly on a dull cloudy, miserable day like today (maximum of 8 degrees here today folks )

Firstly, I assume that you're talking about relocating to the Republic of Cyprus (the Greek bit), rather than the TRNC. If you're considering Northern Cyprus, be cautious as much of the land/properties for sale there are built on land legally owned by Greek-Cypriots and could be subject to legal action at some point.

My wife is from Cyprus, my parents are in the process of moving there from their current emigre position in France, and it's my final destination of choice in a few years from now. The cost of property in Cyprus very much depends on where you want to live. If you want to be right by the coast, or in one of the major cities, the price of property can be prohibitive. If however, you don't mind being 'out in the sticks' (since unless you're up in Troodos you're never more than 30 minutes from somewhere, this expression doesn't really count in Cyprus!), the price of houses/land is much more affordable.

In terms of bringing up kids, I've reached the conclusion that there aren't many better places than Cyprus to do so. The state school system appears quite good (my wife turned out alright!) and there are a number of private schools, that although expensive are top-notch and teach in english. I guess the biggest issue for your kids at 12 and 10 would be knowledge of the language. So, if you're planning on the move, I'd get them started on learning Greek before you go. There must be a private tutor near you in the UK who could teach them (and you) for a couple of hours each week.

As regards employment, it very much depends on your skills. Gaining employment in Cyprus can very often depend on who you know as well as what you know, so if you're able to make contacts over there, you'll be one step closer to work.

I'd really recommend getting one of the many books on moving to Cyprus, you can find them on Amazon and other places for a reasonable price. Go as up to date as possible, ideally get a publication from 2004 or later as this will have new information based upon Cyprus' status in the EU.

I'd also recommend that you go on a recce visit to look around the island, gain your bearings and generally see if it's a place that you feel comfortable.

Finally, there's a forum established by two expats that you might want to look at, you might even see if they can offer any advice to you.

http://www.move-to-cyprus.com/phpBB2/in ... b173d8bd35

Best of luck.

[brother]

Welcome Greame to the forum,

I would advise you to take a holiday of at least a few weeks in cyprus to get yourself accoustomed to the way things operate in cyprus and to make a few contacts.

Work wise knowing Greek is an advantage but nepotism is rife on the island so do not be shocked.

GOOD LUCK

[Alex L]

I'd add to the good advice up above by saying that the cost of living in Cyprus is much lower than in the UK, so the whole rat-race scenario of constantly escalating costs won't create the kind of pressures on wage earning as it does in the UK. That said, don't buy a car in Cyprus, and whatever car you're driving, stick to the speed limit, as those are two easy ways of emptying your wallet unnecessarily.

I'd also agree that it's important who you know, and as I'm lucky enough to have family contacts, it makes things a lot easier. But I've always found Cypriots to be welcoming, friendly people, and it shouldn't be too hard to make contacts.

[Graeme]

thanks for all that guys, i will go and buy a book tomorrow. i have been to the island recently and got a good feeling for the place. is it reasonable for me to assume that i will be able to find some sort of work? i guess i am prepared to do anything as long as it lets us survive!

[cannedmoose]

Graeme, just be aware that many private sector jobs in Cyprus carry very low salaries (in total contradiction to most W.European countries, in Cyprus it's government jobs that pay about 20% more AND have better hours to boot). If you don't have any contacts on the island, I'd suggest having a good think about what you'd want to do in terms of work and then contacting some people over there. As we've all alluded to, it's the network of contacts that largely run Cyprus, getting things done/getting jobs/getting problems solved can depend on WHO you know, not just what you know.

[rotate]

Graeme,
Try looking on the EU job's website for employment in Cyprus
http://europa.eu.int/eures just follow through and select language, job search country etc.
Keep checking as vacancies are updated by CY Labour Office.
Best of Luck

[Graeme]

thanks for that, i have already applied with my cv to a few similar sites.
However, as we intend to purchase our property in full and have no other debts etc and we arent striving to become millionaires (at least by working!) we arent looking for careers, just basic stressfree jobs to pay for food, utility bills etc. I know bar work etc can be seasonal and taken up by taxdodging students but are there many of these opportunities if we move before securing employment?
We will hopefully have enough money to survive without working for 12-18 months when we come so we can afford the time to look for the right job

[ex_pat]

LOOK INTO THINGS SERIOUSLY BEFORE MAKING ANY CONCRETE PLANS. THE AVERAGE SALARY HERE IN CYPRUS IS VERY VERY LOW! I DON'T KNOW HOW MOST PEOPLE MAKE ENDS MEET, BECAUSE THE COST OF LIVING IS GOING UP ALL THE TIME. UNLESS YOU'RE SELF-EMPLOYED, FORGET ABOUT MAKING DECENT MONEY, BUT THAT'S JUST MY OPINION. LEARNING GREEK IS A MUST, AND GET READY FOR A LOT OF PASSIVE SMOKING! APART FROM THAT, IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE - BEATS THE UK HANDS DOWN, THAT'S FOR SURE!!!

[Graeme]

i know you are only trying to make sure we dont make any mistakes but you all sound so negative whilst saying the place is great! It would be helpful if you could give examples of salaries, utility bills etc rather than just saying "wages are v.low, cost of living is rising" so we can get a clearer picture of the sort of money we are going to need to earn.