Renewing 2 yr Residency or opting for 5 year exception

[poppy++1]

Has anyone renewed their 2 year residency very recently.??

Please could you confirm the requirements for UK pension receiving home owner person’s

Also any information on 5 year exemption


Have read the BRS page, A tad confusing regarding some items needed

Thank you

[Mowgli597]

We renewed our 2 year residency recently but we’re “high income” renters so can’t help with your specific questions.
Sorry.

[snd1966]

Shame they haven't created the 5 year residency for those for say this is their home with proof of a pension income.
A lot of people who call this their home and have their kocan have now received 5 year exemption.

But I gather if you downscale, it has caused an issue. Unfortunately I don't know what the actual problem is but maybe the downscale a rent ? as I know they accept a stamped contract but the lady concerned has had to start her residency application from scratch, medical and everything. She legally worked here for years, and then transferred to residency, then the 5 year exemption. I believe it was highlighted due to her selling her property.
As you say very confusing, I am a great believer if you reside here residency, its your home but just wish it was easier for those who have to apply especially if you have an income. Exemption was a wonderful thing for my customers who stay longer than 30 days without worry if they had been given 30, 60 or 90 days, had a house here but their home is somewhere else.

[waddo]

Well, Head of Immigration did promise - on TV and radio - that a similar deal that the owner has would be brought in for the renters as well - so much for a Government promise! How the Government figure out that a renter is High Income is quite beyond me and most Cypriots I have spoken with. If you own your property it does not mean that you have sufficient income to live on, in that case you end up selling your property and putting your money in the bank to live off the interest. However, once you have sold you need to rent and bang, you are suddenly a High Income person who has to show income and/or savings! Over time your interest and your cash pot both decline to all you are left with is your pensions. Pensions go up by 4% PA (if you are lucky) and minimum wage goes up by 20-40% so you hit a point where - financial requirements mean you can't stay any longer. You are now aged and settled and living happily on you pensions income but the Government wants to get rid of you. Where is the common sence in that? You have to pack up and leave, you take your money with you, the country no longer has your income that you normally spend here - lose, lose.

Correct me if I am wrong please - the minimum wage is based on the minimum requirements for a family of four? If that is correct then why does a High Income person have to prove they have three times the minimum wage or thirty six times minimum wage in savings - that is savings that you can not touch or you won't have enough for the next round of residency.

[snd1966]

Hear hear waddo it's not like you can sign on for benefits.

[waddo]

Never have, never will! In some ways I am glad we never bought here, we leased land and built on it then moved into rental where we have been very happy for the past 16 years. We always paid our own way, always paid for residency and Health and never took the BRS handshake route. Did not seem fair to do that to us. But everytime we got close enough to get permanent residency - the rules changed - lol. Thats life so just smile and get on with it, now the Government is giving away five years of "exemption" and that I find to be scary. What happens after year five I wonder??? For sure those who have gone that route will have no history of residency for that period or maybe they will, I hope so for their sake. Now we don't mind paying for our residency to stay here but the difference in cost is silly. Five years exemption for what - 40TL? How much will residency for two more years cost this time - for sure it will be more that 40TL. Whatever it is, we consider it to be a bargain as we love it here and want to stay forever.

[poppy++1]

Many thanks for you comments

That’s my worry where is previous yrs residency logged. After 5 years if still here then what…

Never took advantage of handshake either not many gentlemen around nowadays
Have a good day

[Mowgli597]

Two-year residency fee last month: 7503TL each.

I still don’t know what the income requirements are (as “high earners”). I presumed it is still 3x minimum wage, although an email from the TFR said that U.K. passport holders only had to show 1x even as renters.

I submitted 6 months of bank statements with pension deposits highlighted and it satisfied the requirement (it did amount to the 3x figure - just!).

When we came ten years ago we too didn’t like the sound of the “amnesty” so took out residency, and have done so ever since.

[waddo]

Mowgli597, Thanks for latest info, when you look at it, £1.18 a week to stay here is well worth it, my personnel opinion of course. The TFR website (not Facebook) gives the requirements and still states it is 3 X min wage. I gave up with BRS as we don’t go to annual balls, had enough of that in previous life, plus information was “spotty” and secret. Joined TFR instead but now becoming tired of waiting for any updates regarding the problems renters face. Maybe I am the only TFR member who rents and lives in the East side, who knows? lol. From experience I have found that the longer you live here the easier it becomes to renew residency as the Police do seem to take a more understanding view of the financial constraints that renters are placed under. However, it remains a life of living under the sword of Damocles and waiting for the rope to snap every other year. Let us see what this year will bring, it maybe that we get the five days notice to get off the Island or get another 2 years - only time will tell and asking questions directly to immigration will not produce any new information or guidance this year either! Good luck to all.

[Mowgli597]

No Waddo. You’re not the only renter on the east side (we’re Ozanköy in the old village).

When we made retiring to North Cyprus an option some 13 years ago we spent the next three years coming out twice a year to get to know whether this would be our permanent (at that time) home. Each time we came we dithered - rent or buy, rent or buy. Eventually (thank goodness!) we opted to rent!

[Mowgli597]

….
I still don’t know what the income requirements are (as “high earners”). I presumed it is still 3x minimum wage, although an email from the TFR said that U.K. passport holders only had to show 1x …

According to the latest information from the TFR ( https://tfrnorthcyprus.com/resources/tfr-residency-presentation-june-2026/ under “Recent changes to requirements”:

>60 years old:
Renters with pension (guaranteed income) the requirement is only 1 x minimum wage

[waddo]

Mowgli597, Thanks for that heads up, I had given up reading all the emails from TFR as it is not easy for us to attend any functions in the West and the only other place where an occasional function happens is at a place in Catalkoy that I do not frequent at all. However, as our 19th renewal fast approaches we have once more gone through all the convoluted information available on the Internet about what we need. We have understood that the >60 rule has been in force for some months now but could not find it on any web site - including the Govt's - at last it seems that TFR have published an "Update" for renters and that is good news. The confusion over what documentation to take still exists, mainly due to new and old information all being available and the reader being left to figure it out for themselves.

We will see what happens at the next visit to the Police but I have found, down the years, that it really used to depend on who you saw and what mood they are in at the time. The end thing to always remember is that we are guests - paying guests if you rent in this country - so they can always say NO when the mood effects a decision. But it does look like it is all getting better and when the digital part comes fully on-line it should be even easier. Enjoy the summer.

[EnjoyingTheSun]

We will see what happens at the next visit to the Police but I have found, down the years, that it really used to depend on who you saw and what mood they are in at the time.

Visited the police station this year and last year and found the new officers there very knowledgeable, helpful, polite and pleasant. Agree on the old lot but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the changes

[poppy++1]

We will see what happens at the next visit to the Police but I have found, down the years, that it really used to depend on who you saw and what mood they are in at the time.

Visited the police station this year and last year and found the new officers there very knowledgeable, helpful, polite and pleasant. Agree on the old lot but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the changes

We went few weeks ago handed paperwork in got it back with a smile out before first appointment
Much better there now shaded area to wait smiling helpful immigration officers not say as previous years….

[steveodp]

Agreed, the officers there are very helpful now. When we recently went, the officer who took our paperwork took the time to explain that because both our names were on the kocan and as such don't need to provide financial evidence, that it was better for my wife to have her own residency, rather than be a dependent on mine. Made complete sense and the guidance was really appreciated.