Renewing old-style residency

[Mowgli597]

We’ve finally managed to get back to out TRNC home after almost 2 years enforced absence (thank you Covid )

Both (well) over 60, we had been applying for and granted residency under the old system, which has now, of course, expired. We have our old residency stamps and little pink booklet (though have now got new passports issued since the old ones were due to expire).

So we need to begin reapplying under the new system.

We rent our property so I believe we come under the “high income” bracket. No worries.

But one query I have is with regard to the “family” option whereby one person is the “sponsor”. This seems as though it could cause problems should, God forbid, that person die leaving the other “unsponsored”.

So my question is: does anyone know/have experience of applying for separate residency even though we are a “family unit” (in our case a married couple)? Is this even permitted? In light of my concern above re: the sponsor dying, is this a valid concern or should we just ignore it and plough ahead as a “family”?

TIA

[waddo]

We’re also in the “High Income”, what a ridiculous term, renting as well! Thought about the same thing as yourself and just carried on with the family options with myself as sponsor and my wife as family. In reality the only question you need to ask yourself is - if one of us dies (or runs off with Ali/Natasha) will the one who is left have enough income to apply for “High Income “ residency on their own! If the answer is yes then don’t worry about it.
Don’t forget that you only have to show sufficient income or savings and they don’t seem to worry about joint accounts incomes either!

[Mowgli597]

Thanks Waddo. I suspect we’ll go the same route. If I run off with Ali, or she with Natasha, then I suspect the other would die laughing anyway. And “run” off might be difficult - a slow amble would be more appropriate.

One other query if I may for someone in the same boat as we will be: is it necessary to prove income each time we renew our residency? If so it would perhaps be best to use income rather than savings since the KIPPERS (Kids In Parents’ Pockets Eating Retirement Savings) will probably have squandered whatever we’ve left of our savings buying houses and other nonsense!

[waddo]

Love it - KIPPERS - not heard that before but then my “Kids” are 51 & 53 so probably don’t count! Good job as well because we have very little in savings but remain happy with our pensions even if they are all taxed at source in the UK - lol.

In answer to your question - YES - because you are “High Income”, in other words a pensioner or rich git, you have to prove it every year! You can not apply for two years - although some have tried and sneaked through the system - so currently you have to prove income of three times the monthly minimum wage OR prove savings of thirty six times (3 X 12) minimum wage but not both, every year. Your proof is the same for the family member so you don’t have to separate out joint account stuff.

Just done our visit to the police station and no problems at all, in and out in 8 minutes! Now of course, because it is all computerized and fast, we will wait for what could be months before they bother with it and ask us to pay - on line. This is the first time in 15 years we have been illegal as our residency ran out yesterday!

For the life of me I can not figure out why we have to prove so much income when, if we owned a property worth 125000 euros, we would only have to prove income of normal monthly minimum wage. The whole thing defies logic as we have leased or rented (the same thing in Gov’t eyes) for the past 15 years from Turkish Cypriots, so have effectively paid into the country all that time - regardless of normal expenditure in electric, gas, food, fuel etc, etc, yet we can’t be trusted to have enough to live on. Hey ho, part of the mystery of living here - lol. The final insult is we can never get permanent residency because we don’t own property - like a vast majority of TC and Turkish citizens who also rent because they can not afford to buy.

Need any help with what you need to present then just ask - be quick because the memory fades fast at this age - lol. Take care out there.

[Mowgli597]

Whenever we meet someone with a new (or young) child we always tell them that 43 is the worst age (so far). Funny - it seems to go up each year in line with No. 1 son’s age

Thank you for your kind offer of help W. Just for completeness as we get ready to start the process (new rental agreement is away getting stamped and taxed at the minute and muhtar’s letter is in train), how much is the minimum wage just now? I think it’s gone up fairly recently (though for those poor folk having to live on it in these times it must still be incredibly difficult).

Incidentally because we had our new rental agreement already printed and signed (but not stamped or taxed) when we flew in last week, the immigration officer granted us a 90 day visa as requested to allow us to get through the process of renewal. Mind you she went through it with a fine-toothed comb, carefully checking against passports and even asking SWMBO who was speaking to her if I would be living with her! Luckily Ali/Natasha haven’t appeared on the scene yet so the answer was in the affirmative!

[waddo]

I have just noticed that my forum name has been mysteriously changed from WADDO to ROAD - don't know why but it is still me - lol.

Minimum Wage? Good question, nicely phrased, good use of color - what??? This is how I understand it and I could be wrong - there is always a first time for everything - lol.

All Turkish Lira converts to Pound Sterling done at a nominal 11.5 - it does go up and down but for the last month appears to have stabilized around that figure.

Current minimum wage (Gross) came into force on the 1st of Feb 2021 and is 4400TL = £382.60. You would need to show a monthly income of 13200TL (£1147.80) for yourself as a solo "High Income" applicant or for both of you as a "High Income and Family Member.

For the past few months the Unions have been trying to get the minimum wage raised and although they have agreed together what would be acceptable and apparently the Government has also agreed, nothing has happened as yet. The ball is in the Governments court and they have the final word - a word for which thousands of people are waiting to hear!! From what I can glean from the press and other more dodgy sources, it is expected that the minimum wage will rise by not less than 13% and that is the figure that I am working on currently. Keep in mind that the fee you pay for residency - currently 500TL for 6 to 12 months residency - may also be affected by the minimum wage increase.

So, expect the new (when it happens) minimum wage to be not less than 4972TL (Gross) monthly = £432.35.

As a "High Income" resident you will need to show income of not less than 14916TL (Gross) monthly = £1297.00.
OR
Savings of not less than 178992TL (Gross) = £15565.00

You can show any of these figures in a Turkish Bank account or a UK bank account by the way.

Hope this helps a little, even through our application is in progress with the immigration dept at this time and probably will be for the next 8 weeks minimum, should the minimum wage rise prior to granting residency then I fully expect that all my paperwork/bank statements will be revisited to ensure I meet the new minimum wages! We have no worry about this at this time but some people must be living well close to the edge now - just a thought for the future!!

[waddo]

Looks like I got my name back again!

[Soner]

Looks like I got my name back again!

Had nothing to do with me. Wonder what happened there. Hope that someone unknown to me has not got rights to make the changes to member’s username. Will check logs.

[Mowgli597]

Thanks for your very comprehensive reply Mr ROAD

I’ll just translate it into Euro and then, as we say, I’ll be suckin’ diesel

[Cheetah]

Just done our visit to the police station and no problems at all, in and out in 8 minutes! Now of course, because it is all computerized and fast, we will wait for what could be months before they bother with it and ask us to pay - on line. This is the first time in 15 years we have been illegal as our residency ran out yesterday!

So is the visit to the local police the key factor in terms of allowing one to stay here overtime in case the online process takes longer than your residence permit is valid?

And one more question, if you don´t mind ... about the (online) payment of health insurance and the actual Residence Permit. Can I use my own (Finnish) credit card to pay both or do I have get a new card - maybe even to open a local account - from some TRNC bank to do the job?

[Laura B]

Cheetah once you have applied for your residence permit you are legal to remain here until it is granted. If you need to leave for any reason you need to make an appointment at the immigration department in Lefkosa.

Regarding online payment. For the health insurance you will need to use a local credit card. Maybe someone you know has one and could do that for you and you give them the cash. So far as I know the actual payment for residency can be any card.

[Cheetah]

Cheetah once you have applied for your residence permit you are legal to remain here until it is granted. If you need to leave for any reason you need to make an appointment at the immigration department in Lefkosa.

Thank you Laura B for your answer. I did some research work and found something related to this matter from this site (https://www.infonorthcyprus.com/temporary-residency). Here is a copy of that part of text: "After initial approval of your application (i.e. your police interview) you may leave and re-enter the country within 30 days without being penalised. If you leave the country your application will be placed on hold by the Interior Ministry and will be re-started when you return to the country."

[Laura B]

Yes you may actually leave for up to 60 days now without penalty as there is such a huge backlog. However that is 60 days from the police ''interview'' and rather than risk the whole thing being cancelled it may be better to go to Lefkosa and get it sorted out. If you do decide to go you will need your passport and your flight tickets.

[JoandJelly]

For info my residency expired 16th July. I paid my health insurance and had my blood tests on 30th July. I went to the UK in September for 4 weeks and on my return my passport was stamped with 30 days. My husband's residency was renewed whilst I was in the UK and they said mine would be done on my return. I returned on 21st October and it's still at 60%.

[Cheetah]

Regarding online payment. For the health insurance you will need to use a local credit card.

Why do we need a credit card? I have an account in a local bank, so why cannot I pay for the health insurance just by using a bank transfer?

[Laura B]

Regarding online payment. For the health insurance you will need to use a local credit card.

Why do we need a credit card? I have an account in a local bank, so why cannot I pay for the health insurance just by using a bank transfer?

Because I don't think there is any provision for that

[Mowgli597]

In answer to your question - YES - because you are “High Income”, in other words a pensioner or rich git, you have to prove it every year! You can not apply for two years - although some have tried and sneaked through the system ………..

An update.

Having just finally received our residency (admittedly having had to short-circuit the system since were stuck on the dreaded 60% and we’re travelling in a couple of weeks - one of us perhaps for over 60 days away) I can confirm/admit that though we are “high income” (renters) we DID get two years.

It may be because we previously had two stints of two years under the old paper system.

Happy days

[waddo]

Mowgli597, Good for you guys. We were also 2 year folks on the old scheme but only got (asked for) 1 year under the new scheme. Will try again next year - probably under yet another new scheme - lol. Enjoy yourselves away for a while.