Visa question

[solic200]

If my residency visa runs out whilst I am waiting for a new one in 5 days, can I cross over the border to the south?

[andrew4232]

if you cross ON the day it runs out they could give you up to 90 days stamp, if its already run out they will fine you xx per day and its quite a lot!

[Geoff1131]

Can anyone clarify the facts please?????

The first poster says the visa will run out while waiting for a new one, so would imagine they are waiting for a tempoary visitor renewal.
I was under the impression that once you had taken the papers to the police station and were waiting to pick up the new visa from the immigration department, that you could travel in and out of the country as normal??
If anyone knows could you please post as i will be in the same position as the first poster next week!!!!!!!!!

[sophie]

In the front inside cover of your passport is a handwritten number which is the number of your Temporary Residency file in Lefkosa and goes with you regardless of how long you live here. You can leave the country and return without any problems, provided you have actually started your residency renewal process i.e. Girne Police Station When you return to Ercan and the fact that your residency has run out is noted, just draw attention to the number on the inside of the cover of Passport, he then checks on his computer and it (SHOULD) register that you have started the process of application. I did this and had absolutely no trouble whatever. However, it was at the latter end of last year and things might have changed, but I suspect not.

[stellasstar1]

I really think it depends on who checks your passport, as I know of someone who was going to Istanbul for the day and had not got her passport with the new residency stamp and was fined 2 days. Someone else was told(at the border) she would be fined if she went over before she got the stamp in her passport, yet there are others who have managed it. Both people had their papers at Immigration in Lefkosia. You used to have to go to the police station on the actual day you were going, to get a letter from the police, but that stopped a while ago.

[Geoff1131]

Thanks sophie, i have just got back from giving my papers in at Girne police station and asked the officer who completed my application what i needed to do, if anything, when i cross to the south to pick my freinds up and then return them after my current residency runs out. He confirmed what sophie has said that i should point out to the officer the handwritten number they put in my passport and there will be no problem.

Thanks again.

Geoff.

[solic200]

Thanks for the information which I did point out to the lady on the border yesterday, who said "yes I know this" with a grin on her face, which I thought mean't, "you just wait until you come back clever dick" but I had no problems.

[Deniz1]

I have just renewed my visa and they did not put a number in my passport and havnt for the past 5 years.

[Keithcaley]

Deniz, did they put a number in the front of your passport when you made your first application?

Yes?

That's your file number - it stays the same...

No?

Then I've no idea, whatsoever!

[Deniz1]

Maybe they did Keith but it was 9 years ago and I have had a new passport since then.

[Keithcaley]

Deniz,

Look in the front of your old passport then! - You [img]must[/img] keep it for reference - because if your current passport number doesn't match some piece of official 'bumph' then you have to produce the previous one...

[KoiBoy]

Have to say a year ago I was told the same by the Police when renewing mine, only to find that when I attempted to go South, I was refused, the reason given was that I was under 60, my wife who is over 60 would have been allowed ( mad or what ) so yes it depends on who is doing the checking.