Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

Recently a friend mentioned I should look at applying for a kimlik as I'd been in North Cyprus now for 8 years.

I'm in my 40's, I have 8 temp Residency yearly stamps (I've never worked here so no working permits).

If someone can provide me with the following information, it really would be appreciated.

Am i able to apply for a Kimlik after 8 years temp visa's?
What documents are needed is I am?
What would the process involve?

....and anything else that I need to know.

Cheers

As far as I know, the TRNC Government suspended the granting of Citizenship (i.e. issuing Kimlik cards) to Foreigners a few years back.

There have been suggestions that the practice may be re-introduced at some point, albeit with different qualifying criteria.

Incidentally, you would not qualify yet under the 'old' criteria - it was 6 years non-stop 'Temporary Residency' (actually, 'Visitor Status'!) to get 'Permanent Residency', and 10 years to be able to apply for Citizenship, if memory serves me right.

Also under the old system if you applied for a TRNC Kimlik card you would then be considered for National Service. Leave it as it is for the time being

When you apply for TRNC Citizenship and your application is approved you will automatically get a KIMLIK KARTI (also known as ID card). As far as I know these applications are not or hardly possible at present for foreigners (except Turkish citizens), but I may be wrong.
What the local authorities are or were recently thinking about is the possibility for long term foreign residents to apply for a so called "white" KIMLIK KART for foreigners. Holding this document does not mean that you are a citizen but apart from that you have more or less the same or most of the priviliges of a "normal" citizen, of course not the right to vote. And of course no military service. I got such a white card (the locals have coloured ones) since a long time and I do know two other Europeans who got them. Unfortunately I do also not know whether with such a card you are allowed to work without problems, I never did in any case.
As these white cards were/are given out apparently not very often most Cypriots think that you are a TRNC citizen when seing it. It was also no problem to get a 10 year driving licence with it. It just makes life here a bit easier, for instance, since having this card I have never been in an Immigration office any more.

They keep moving the goalposts for citizenship and I believe it is now 15 years qualifying period. We are still awaiting the white kimlik card to be law but I am not holding my breath on that one either.

Thank-you for all responses to date,

@ Keith, I currently have 8 years non-stop Temp Residency.

I recently spoke to one of the guys working at the border, and whilst he suggested I apply, again he had no idea what the current law was!

Trueblue, I would be grateful if you could let me know how you went about applying for this, and the documentation that was required.

Cheers

p.s Working in the TRNC is not an issue for me, and I really have no intention of working here, however having grown a fondness for the Island, I can see myself here for a good number of years.

Ask the BRS, they are in negotiations to try and get the white card up and running again but not sure where they are up to at the mo.

Maybe if you had a few million to donate to the Government they would grant you a Kimlik otherwise no chance!
By the way one of the criteria is that you have to be out of the country less than 45 days in a year a trip to the South counts as a day out as well as actually leaving the country altogether.

I qualify for the days out of the country then - 11 and counting over the last 8 years! Sadly, all to the RoC!!

I really don't understand why anybody would want citizenship here unless they are working when it would do away with the work permit hassle?

Agobard wrote:I really don't understand why anybody would want citizenship here unless they are working when it would do away with the work permit hassle?

I would love one think of all the hassle it eradicates, no trips to the Immigration for one.

RCT, I agree with you as I have had a Kimlik for 14 yrs. We travel to Turkey each year, before on our boat for 4 months and for the last couple of years by car. There is no Visa required and you can stop as long as you want, although the car only gets 6 months. If you want you can purchase property in any location, which expats are not allowed to do. We sold our restaurant a few years ago and downsized, we had the Kocan for the new property within 6 weeks.
These are a few of the benefits having a Kimlik Karta.

Don't understand why anyone would want citizenship here??? Because I live here, all my money is spent here, what little savings I have are banked here. I support the country in which I live and wish to be acknowledged as a citizen - not a tourist or a swallow!!! It is a simple thing, it happens in any EU country and one day it will happen here. I have no desire to vote as I have no grasp of Island politics nor sufficient grasp of local Turkish. Just acknowledge my presence, once and for all, let me have a white card and call it a day!!!

Just being able to eventually get a bloody Kocan would do it for me!

Been in the house for nearly 9 years now, and still no 'PTP'...

Agreed Waddo. I know of many people who wish to be citizens because this is THEIR country, THEIR home, THEIR present and they see it as THEIR future. I know of people who came here deliberately because it was a five year pathway to citizenship but the go0vernment moved the goal posts and it is now over a decade with nothing definite of the hopes of these people being fulfilled.

Many realize that by becoming citizens, they might have to do military service, pay taxes and even WANT to vot,e and are prepared to leanr Turkish.

So as to why would anyone want to be a citizen, I think the answer is that for those who DO, they have a valid answer.For those who don't then that is understandable, but please extend understanding to those who wish to call themselves 'Cypriots.

AFC, pm sent.

"Just being able to eventually get a bloody Kocan would do it for me!

Been in the house for nearly 9 years now, and still no 'PTP'..."

Yep I agree with that, being in the same position.

I suspect that the TRNC politicians do not want to grant citizenship to expats as it may upset the 'negotiations' & GC's and they certainly don't want any new voters who may change the TRNC political map.

Hector, I know of many, many Cypriots who are also in the position of waiting for a Kocan or even having their houses connected to mains water/electric etc. I don't think having a Kimlik card is the answer to the house problem, if it don't work for existing citizens we could not expect it to work for new ones! Also, the chance of upsetting any "negotiations" with the RoC won't fly at all - first you have to get them to attend the negotiations, then you have to get them to agree an something, anything would do and that won't fly either. New voters would not change the TRNC political map much unless they all attend the coffee shop union meetings on a regular basis to have a clue as to who will win regardless of how they vote - lol.

It will be all about the perceived loss of income from the annual residence purchasing expat that will stop it in its tracks!!

Thin k this has gone off topic folks. So am locking this, and would suggest that the original poster toddles along to immigration department to find all the correct and up to date answers.

As to property - well, that is another rmatter. Why not go along to the ATA meeting next week when Taner Erginel will be talking. YOu could ask him your questions????????????Maybe.

waddo wrote:...I don't think having a Kimlik card is the answer to the house problem...

Well, perhaps not for everyone, but it would certainly be the answer to mine.

We bought the house from a small developer, and together with them, have got every last bit of paperwork ready, except that the 'PTP' is not forthcoming.

The developer is anxious to get the property transferred, has paid all their taxes etc, and the Government would stand to gain immediately from the Transfer fee - you would never convince me that they would rather forsake a short-term gain in preference to the continued dribble of future 'residency permit' income.