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Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Fri 21 Jun 2024 8:22 am
by tutor4u
From TFR - The Foreign Residents page...
Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s.
Minister of Internal Affairs Dursun Oğuz, in his statement to Cyprus Today, said, "With the regulation we published on Friday, residents over the age of 60 who own immovable property will now be able to renew their registration every five years by submitting a registration notification, and those who are renting will be able to get a permit for the duration of their rental agreement.
The process has not yet been published in the Resi Gazete, but the TFR understands that the new residency process will require new people coming to the island to make an initial registration at the Immigration Department at the Interior Ministry, then renewals will take place online. Applicants will no longer have to go to the police station. How the transition from the old process to the new process has not been fully documented yet, but we will update members as soon as it is published.
The TFR has requested some amendments for those under 60 years, which the Minister of the Interior agreed to investigate

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Fri 21 Jun 2024 1:06 pm
by gates
Wouldn’t that be nice 👍

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Sat 22 Jun 2024 10:05 am
by tutor4u

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Sat 22 Jun 2024 10:40 am
by benjaminbutton
Do you remember the days of the Gentlemen's Handshake. That was nice too.

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Sat 22 Jun 2024 1:40 pm
by Hair Cut
benjaminbutton wrote:
Sat 22 Jun 2024 10:40 am
Do you remember the days of the Gentlemen's Handshake. That was nice too.
I do remember it then the BRS "Fu-K-D" it up. A bloke called Peter "Something" who should have been flogged in public in the centre of Girne.

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Sat 22 Jun 2024 1:42 pm
by benjaminbutton
Oooooooops.

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Sat 22 Jun 2024 1:48 pm
by waddo
Now, now, you have to remember that they only did it for the good of their members!

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Sat 22 Jun 2024 1:57 pm
by Hair Cut
waddo wrote:
Sat 22 Jun 2024 1:48 pm
Now, now, you have to remember that they only did it for the good of their members!
No, they stuck their nose in where it didn't belong.

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Sat 22 Jun 2024 3:50 pm
by snd1966
[quote="

I do remember it then the BRS "Fu-K-D" it up. A bloke called Peter "Something" who should have been flogged in public in the centre of Girne.
[/quote]


It was not Peter, he came afterwards and to be fair people were asking them to make the gentleman's agreement law. Spotlight on all change.

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Sat 22 Jun 2024 6:05 pm
by waddo
Hair Cut, please remember that I am noted for being cynical - lol. They have since said that they had nothing to do with it anyway so it must have just been a rumour!

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Sat 22 Jun 2024 7:19 pm
by kayess
I would hope that the talks for the over 60s residency took note that some married couples only have the name of one of them on the kocan.
I would have thought the other married person should automatically be acknowledged providing the other person can prove longevity of marriage or partnership .

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Sat 22 Jun 2024 8:09 pm
by benjaminbutton
kayness, as the TRNC is the rumour capital of the Med if not the World, please don't start taking stuff as gospel yet. Those of us who have been here 20 yrs plus are used to the myriad of B.S spread around at various intervals.

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Sun 23 Jun 2024 8:53 am
by kayess
bengamin, I was there for 22 years . 2 years ago my wife was fined £400 on return to TRNC for outstaying 30 days . on investigation it turned out she had only been granted 30 days and I had 90. On our prior visit we had both been allocated 30 days so had to attend Nicosia to submit letters, etc to ask for extension to thee 30 days. We were told if any problems they would phone us. No phone call. We left in the allotted time with nothing being said and it was on the return trip they stopped us to impose £400 fine for my wife only. I was deemed OK. The only difference was our Villa we had owned for 22 years was in my name only .
As they could alter rules with no explanation I sold up and left. This isn't rumour, these are facts.

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Sun 23 Jun 2024 4:31 pm
by susiesusie
Been here 20 years. Had property but recently sold. Now residing at family's house. No rent ..just pay for upkeep. So now classed as high income . Been told every year we have to go to a notary with the owner to declare we are staying with no rent
Immigration say I can just get a noters letter to say we can stay indefinitely.
Noter says not!!!!
I am over 60 but partner is not.
It's about as farcical now than it ever was.
So I can't apply for the so called new legislation. As I don't own. I don't rent and I can only get a letter to say we don't rent for 1 year at a time !!

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Sun 23 Jun 2024 9:05 pm
by ginge
tutor4u wrote:
Fri 21 Jun 2024 8:22 am
From TFR - The Foreign Residents page...
Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s.
Minister of Internal Affairs Dursun Oğuz, in his statement to Cyprus Today, said, "With the regulation we published on Friday, residents over the age of 60 who own immovable property will now be able to renew their registration every five years by submitting a registration notification, and those who are renting will be able to get a permit for the duration of their rental agreement.
The process has not yet been published in the Resi Gazete, but the TFR understands that the new residency process will require new people coming to the island to make an initial registration at the Immigration Department at the Interior Ministry, then renewals will take place online. Applicants will no longer have to go to the police station. How the transition from the old process to the new process has not been fully documented yet, but we will update members as soon as it is published.
The TFR has requested some amendments for those under 60 years, which the Minister of the Interior agreed to investigate

Excellent news.

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Sun 23 Jun 2024 10:59 pm
by wanderer
susiesusie wrote:
Sun 23 Jun 2024 4:31 pm
Been here 20 years. Had property but recently sold. Now residing at family's house. No rent ..just pay for upkeep. So now classed as high income . Been told every year we have to go to a notary with the owner to declare we are staying with no rent
Immigration say I can just get a noters letter to say we can stay indefinitely.
Noter says not!!!!
I am over 60 but partner is not.
It's about as farcical now than it ever was.
So I can't apply for the so called new legislation. As I don't own. I don't rent and I can only get a letter to say we don't rent for 1 year at a time !!
probably can't but why not pay your upkeep as a rent or pay a peercorn do it as a fixed term five year rental or peppercorn to match the residency (>:)( hope this is a posibility.You could pay the rental tax so it doesnt effect the landlord financially

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Mon 24 Jun 2024 9:01 am
by akvam
:+1:)

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Mon 24 Jun 2024 10:00 am
by Groucho
Peppercorn rent definitely the way to go.

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Mon 24 Jun 2024 4:58 pm
by benjaminbutton
kayness, I was NOT referring to you as being a rumour mongerer, I was referring (possibly not as clearly as I should have) to this and other Governments who spread it here there and everywhere in order to cause chaos and confusion. They succeed every time don't they.?

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Tue 25 Jun 2024 4:37 am
by Mimi2
What value peppercorn rent will tax office accept? We currently have contract for Zero Rent. But has to be supported by noters letter. Value 1 year

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Tue 25 Jun 2024 6:13 am
by wanderer
In the Uk I have a flat it used to be £25 a year for 99 years with rental review every 10 years sound a good place to start

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Tue 25 Jun 2024 10:31 am
by kayess
benjamin. Having been subjected to interpretation of rules being, at times, ad hoc. I was suggesting the situation where only one persons name is on the kocan could lead to the problem we encountered. When purchasing over 20 years ago it often resulted in visits to the TRNC headquarters in London ,
,Due to cost of travel, often only one person went to fill in the application thus producing Kocan allocated to one person. The over 60s got "free access" and no heed was paid to wives and partners on the kocan, if you were lucky enough to get one.
The situation today has changed where every person seems subject to scrutiny, hence my suggestion that this situation is worth pursuing in any new rules

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Tue 25 Jun 2024 11:57 am
by Hector
What qualifies as owning immovable property? Do you have to have the full title kocan and all taxes paid? Are you waiting for PTP? Have you just signed and registered a contract of sale and moved in? How many renters have a contract for longer than a year? Not many.

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Thu 04 Jul 2024 9:41 am
by TAC
New Residency Procedure for Foreigners over 60 years of age
3rd July 2024

Please note this document is provisional and may be changed in the next few weeks as more information becomes available. The TFR is publishing this document to help to answer questions people are raising following publication of the Headline changes. The new law published in the Resmi Gazete, however, following discussions with the Minister of the Interior we identified some areas which had not been considered for inclusion. These will be included when a further amendment to the existing law is published. This guidance is based on information obtained at meetings with the Minister of the Interior, The Manager of the Immigration Department and senior members of their staff.

Initial Registration
Foreigners who are over 60 years old who come to the island and want to apply for residency, must go the Ikamet Office on the Ground Floor of the Interior Ministry in Lefkosa, before their current visa expires.
Applicants will be required to complete a paper form(see below) with registration details. It is planned to introduce an online version of the form in the future.
The form and documentation you will need to bring to the office to complete your registration, is listed below. Please note we have identified some issues with the document list and have raised with the Interior Ministry for clarification.
Once your form and documents are submitted, Immigration will process your application and issue you with an exemption from residency. This will either be a stamp in your passport or a form which you should keep with your passport. The exemptionpermit will be approved and issued on the day of registration.
Unlike the standard residency process there will be no facility to purchase State Emergency Health Insurance. The TFR will investigate with the Ministry of Health whether it will be possible to purchase State Emergency Health Insurance separately from your Residency Application.
Property Owners (Immovable Property Category)
5-year residency permits are available to the following people over 60 years old:
1. Property owners
2. People married to a property owner, who provide a marriage certificate, translated into either English or Turkish
3. People living with a property owner, who provide a single person status document from their home country, translated into English or Turkish – currently not available until the amendment to the law is published in the Resmi Gazete.
Note: if you are a co-habiting couple (point 3 above) and both your names are on the Title Deeds (Kocan) or Contract of Sale then you can be processed as individual property owners (point 1 above), provided you both provide bank accounts showing you meet the financial requirements.
If the property owner is less than 60 years old, but their partner or spouse is over 60 years old then they will still be able to obtain a 5-year residency permit. The property owner will need to continue with the standard residency process until they are 60 years old.
People who Rent Property (High Income Category)
We were advised by the Interior Minister and it was published in the Press that people over 60 years who are renting a property will be able to obtain a residency exemption permit for the duration of their rental/tenancy agreement. This option was not included in the Law Change of 14th June so is not available at the present time.
For example, if you have a 2-year tenancy agreement then you will be able to get a 2 year residency permit.
Rental residency permits are available to the following people over 60 years old:
• Named person on the Rental agreement
• People married to a Named person on the Rental agreement, who provide a marriage certificate, translated into either English or Turkish
• People living with a Named person on the Rental agreement, who provide a single person status document from their home country, translated into English or Turkish.
If the person named on the Rental/Tenancy agreement is less than 60 years old, but their partner or spouse is over 60 years old then they will still be able to obtain a residency permit for the duration of their rental/tenancy agreement. The person named on the Rental/Tenancy agreement will need to continue with the standard residency process until they reach 60 years of age.
Form & Required Documents

Document Requirements
• Copy of passport photopage
• Muhtar’s letter (Ikamet Belgesi) – issued by your local muhtar with 7.9tl stamp attached.
• Title deeds for your property (Kocan) or Contract of sale with stamps showing that it has been registered at the land registry office and your permission to purchase (Council of Minister’s Application to obtain Title Deeds) reference details. If you purchased the property prior to 2022 this is a square of paper with a stamp and a reference number for your application. If you applied for permission to purchase after November 2022 then this will be an A4 sheet of paper with your reference number and a bar code.
o Note you must have paid > 1/3 of the purchase price, if you have not yet paid in full for your property
• Proof of Pension, either pension document or bank statements showing you receive a regular pension. If you do not receive a pension, then you may need to show you have some savings in a TRNC bank account.
• Marriage certificate if you are being sponsored by the Property owner or the Person named on the Rental/Tenancy agreement.
• Certificate of Population Registration Certificate (Nufus Kayıtı) Turkish citizens only
• Residency permit fee – 38.70tl stamp

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Thu 04 Jul 2024 9:43 am
by TAC
If you already live on the island and have residency or have recently started the residency application/renewal process, you must continue with your current application. This applies to people living in the Girne region who applied for Residency in the Spring, and have their police appointment later in the year. There is no facility to cancel your existing appointment and apply via the new process.
You will be able to apply for the new 5-year residency exemption permit once your existing residency expires.
People who are over 60 years old, who rent a property and who have applied for a 1-year residency permit and have been issued with a 6-month residency permit, will be able to register for the longer-term residency permit at the end of their 6-months residency if they wish.
People in this situation, who have a 1-year rental/tenancy agreement may prefer to renew their residency through the current residency process, as under the current process to renew their residency for the extra 6 months, just requires a bank statement to be taken to the Immigration Office. At the end of the 1-year process, you can apply for the new residency permit with a new tenancy agreement.
People who wish to apply for the new 5-year residency permit may do so 1-2 weeks before their existing residency permit expires. The categories of who is eligible for a permit are as per the Initial Registration section above as is the documentation that you will be required to take to the Immigration Department.
Renewal of 5 Year / Longer term Residency Permit
We understand once this new process is in place, an online system will be provided. When you need to renew the over 60s residency exemption permit this will be a simplified online process. Details of requirements are not yet confirmed.

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Thu 04 Jul 2024 10:17 am
by Tanky
Morning All
Just received the latest, by email, residency info, for the over 60, from the BRS. Two forms given. Having briefly read them I am now more confused than before.
If people are going to issue forms why do they not go through them first to find out if they can understand them FULLY and if not hold them back until they have ALL the required info. Are we really expected to prove at least a one third payment? I doubt if I can after 20+ years. Tanky

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Thu 04 Jul 2024 11:43 am
by poppy++1
well as clear as mud.....you're right Tanky how can we prove 1/3 payment surely Kocan is proof, has been for residency so why now ??????

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Thu 04 Jul 2024 11:55 am
by poppy++1
ALL CHANGE AGAIN

BRS sending new update via email, someone just got 5 years, what a shame the Police Immigration isn't so easy.....

Re: Changes To The Residency Process for over 60s

Posted: Thu 04 Jul 2024 6:19 pm
by kerry 6138
poppy++1 wrote:
Thu 04 Jul 2024 11:43 am
well as clear as mud.....you're right Tanky how can we prove 1/3 payment surely Kocan is proof, has been for residency so why now ??????
I've not seen the document, but I believe the proof of 1/3 payment is for people using a sales contract, if you have a Koçan in your name you have paid in full.