Cyprus-Forum.com

[aidy]

As per the title of this topic, my family and I are moving to Cyprus in January/February. Can anyone please help with the following questions I have

1) what is the tax deduction rate from salaries?
2)Being from the UK, do i need a work visa?
3)thinking of living in the north but working in the south, can this be done, is it worth while?
4)is the cost of living greatly different between the north and south?
5)what are the schools like?
6)how easy/difficult is it to get Cypriat residence? and working visas if required.
7) what is the employment like for computer engineers/system administrators.

I have a friend who lives in Lapta so will probably live near there,

hope you can help

Thanks


hope you can help.

[Hazza]

As per the title of this topic, my family and I are moving to Cyprus in January/February. Can anyone please help with the following questions I have

1) what is the tax deduction rate from salaries?
2)Being from the UK, do i need a work visa?
3)thinking of living in the north but working in the south, can this be done, is it worth while?
4)is the cost of living greatly different between the north and south?
5)what are the schools like?
6)how easy/difficult is it to get Cypriat residence? and working visas if required.
7) what is the employment like for computer engineers/system administrators.

I have a friend who lives in Lapta so will probably live near there,

hope you can help

Thanks


hope you can help.

Hi Aidy.

2 - When you get here, make an appointment to visit immigration so that you can optain an alien book. It is something you need but there is no red tape to cross. I think it costs in the region of £25 to get this done.

As for the other questions, I'm sure some of the other members will be able to help

[erolz]

3)thinking of living in the north but working in the south, can this be done, is it worth while?

Yes it can be done. I know a man that has been doing this for many years and long before the border opened. He does not however tell his GC colleagues at work that he lives in the north. As for is it worth it, only you can make that decsion I guess.

4)is the cost of living greatly different between the north and south?

Overall the cost of living is lower in the north but some things can be more expensive or hard to find. Small items can be purchased in the south if they are cheaper there or not available in the north but officaly there is a limit (few hundred euros?) on the value of good you can bring from the south to the north.

HTH

[aidy]

3)thinking of living in the north but working in the south, can this be done, is it worth while?

Yes it can be done. I know a man that has been doing this for many years and long before the border opened. He does not however tell his GC colleagues at work that he lives in the north. As for is it worth it, only you can make that decsion I guess.

Thanks for the info. I appreciate there is the unsettled rivalrys between the north and south, however, being an 'Alien' is it likely that i would get caught up in the issues???

[erolz]

Thanks for the info. I appreciate there is the unsettled rivalrys between the north and south, however, being an 'Alien' is it likely that i would get caught up in the issues???

Depends how you behave and what you do I guess. For some GC simply living in the north is enough reason for them to dislike you. For others living in the north in a property that was GC before 74 would be reason to dislike and for others still they would probably not care but judge you on how you behaved towards them personaly.

In general expats in cyprus tend to 'choose a side' and can often be even more 'vocal' in supporting their chosen side. There are some that do not do this (like the chap I mentioned before) but generaly they make strenous efforts to avoid politics and talking politics and the 'cyprus problem' in converstaion which is not always easy. The Cyprus problem dominates everything in the north where I live and I doubt it is little different in the south.

[Svetlana]

Hi erolz

I can't speak for the indigenous population, but most ex-pats in the RoC rarely discuss the CYPROB, though most will be aware of (one side) of the history. However, it may be different for those living in the North, the recent Oram case (and copycat) cases has focussed people's minds, I suspect.

Foreign buyers in the North have also recently had to deal with retrospective KDF (VAT) and the prospect of all all property being bought by foreigners being Leasehold only.

Most GC have no problem with TC living on 'their' land in the North, it is when is is bought by foreigners that the fur flies, so I think aidy should not expect too warm a welcome in the RoC.



Lana

[aidy]

Hi erolz


Most GC have no problem with TC living on 'their' land in the North, it is when is is bought by foreigners that the fur flies, so I think aidy should not expect too warm a welcome in the RoC.



Lana

When I go over I intend to private rent long term so hopefully this will be permissable. Although i must say that I am slowly having second thoughts due to the bad karma and some responses that I am having within this forum.

[cannedmoose]

Hi erolz


Most GC have no problem with TC living on 'their' land in the North, it is when is is bought by foreigners that the fur flies, so I think aidy should not expect too warm a welcome in the RoC.

Lana

When I go over I intend to private rent long term so hopefully this will be permissable. Although i must say that I am slowly having second thoughts due to the bad karma and some responses that I am having within this forum.

Hi Aidy, as I wrote in another post just now before seeing this thread, I'd agree with Lana's sentiments. If you were a TC working in the RoC there would be no issue with having an address in the TRNC. However, in your case as a Brit, I'm sure there would be issues and you might have difficulty getting employment as a result. You could push it and take it to the European Courts, but I doubt this would improve your position, it would likely just aggravate the GCs even more.

When I move to the island in a few years time, I may find myself working at a university in the north, however, I would still choose to live in the south for both family and logistical reasons.

[aidy]

From what you are saying it sounds like you are doing the reverse from me. The only reason I am considering working in the south is that I heard the salary rate is much better. Being in Blairs britain I am obviously looking for the better life style for me and my family.

In summary, is what you are saying that, regardless of where i live, the biggest problem that i am going to have is that i am a Brit??

It makes me sad to hear that regardless of what personality or skills someone has they are judged on where the originate from.

I have always been told that Cyprus is a very friendly place yet it seems otherwise.

Please don't mistake my comments, i do not wish to offend anyone.

[cannedmoose]

In summary, is what you are saying that, regardless of where i live, the biggest problem that i am going to have is that i am a Brit??

It makes me sad to hear that regardless of what personality or skills someone has they are judged on where the originate from.

I have always been told that Cyprus is a very friendly place yet it seems otherwise.

Please don't mistake my comments, i do not wish to offend anyone.

On the contrary... I'm a Brit, albeit married to a GC and I've never encountered hostility, even from the most hard-line GCs. I suggest you read the line I posted in another thread...

To be honest, the cost of living in the Republic is cheap compared to the UK, rents especially aren't expensive if you're willing to live outside the city centres. Plus, you'd be more likely to be accepted and welcomed by your GC work colleagues if you are living amongst them rather than potentially living in a house they were evicted from 31 years ago but can still see across the buffer zone. It's a harsh way of looking at it, but you've got to see their point.

So, it wouldn't so much be that you're British, as you being an outsider living in an area off-limits to GCs, potentially living in their grandmother's house that she died without being able to visit again. You've got to admit that in the same situation, you'd be annoyed.