Residency Appointment

[EnjoyingTheSun]

Renewed online and got a police appointment for exactly one week later. Hopefully, gone are the days of waiting for 7 or 8 months. For the first time in memory, not on Wednesday market day.
Went to police appointment and rather than being met by the unsmiling, unhelpful people of old was dealt with by smiling, polite, knowledgeable and helpful people. From being something we dreaded it was actually pleasant.
If they could just cut out the Mukhtar’s Letter part of the process I think they might actually be there regarding the process. Or maybe, start small and take out the requirement for the stamps for the Mukhtar’s letter, see how that goes and then consider taking out the Mukhtar’s letter out of the process.

[benjaminbutton]

Muhtars, go back to times long ago and it is very very unlikely they will ever be got rid of. They were the Village Elder and probably had more clout than a Mayor,

[JoandJelly]

I've been doing residency since 2006 and have only ever had smiling and helpful people.

[Mowgli597]

Ditto with the exactly one week police appointment - started renewal last Thursday, appointment this Thursday.

We’ve been told it’s much more civilised in the waiting/queuing area nowadays too. Seats for the aged and/or infirm?

for a speedy resolution!

[Mowgli597]

Apologies - double posted in error.

Damn fat fingers

[EnjoyingTheSun]

I've been doing residency since 2006 and have only ever had smiling and helpful people.

In Girne? Seriously?

[EnjoyingTheSun]

Ditto with the exactly one week police appointment - started renewal last Thursday, appointment this Thursday.

We’ve been told it’s much more civilised in the waiting/queuing area nowadays too. Seats for the aged and/or infirm?

for a speedy resolution!

There were a few chairs around, no queue so wasn’t an issue tbh

[snd1966]

Over the years apart from an incident in the signorta office where my attitude did not help, I have found staff are generally happy to help, yes been sent away for not having the correct paperwork. Unfortunately waiting hours, watching them slowly meticulously go through it often raises the blood pressure. Smile smile, very few will not eventually smile back and think to myself it's only a day or two of my life. good to hear the process is getting less stressful.

[EnjoyingTheSun]

Glad to hear people had a better experience with the old staff than we ever had. I found them to be curt and unhelpful in the main. I was always very polite and smiley and my better half is a total hippy but at best indifference back. Our paperwork has always been in order and organised so I could never see any reason for their misery.
The new staff are so much nicer and it’s like night & day compared with the last lot.

[waddo]

ETS, good to know! No change in the paperwork requirements then? We rent so it’s always a mystery what we will be asked for and I hear there are changes afoot for renters with reference to amount of years we can soon apply for along with the costs for the over 60’s? Ours not due till September and that looks like 2 minimum pay increases to also account for! We will see what happens then. Take care out there!

[EnjoyingTheSun]

ETS, good to know! No change in the paperwork requirements then? We rent so it’s always a mystery what we will be asked for and I hear there are changes afoot for renters with reference to amount of years we can soon apply for along with the costs for the over 60’s?

Hi Waddo, no changes to paperwork it’s just speeded up. The next day, we were invited to pay the health insurance online. We rent too. What changes are these? Don’t worry I won’t hold you to a rumour. Amount of years up or down? As for the costs would it be naive to ask anything other than how much they are possibly going up?

[Mowgli597]

Absolute dream at the Polis this morning. No queue as such, a most polite, helpful and smiling lady polis and in and out in 20 minutes. What a change from two years ago!

Only one small thing: did I have our original marriage certificate? (there was a copy in the doc package for Zero Alpha) “Sorry, I don’t.” (No mention anywhere of requiring the original unless I missed it.) “No worries. I will help you. I believe you!” said the delightful lady polis.

“Do you think I’d look like this UNLESS I’d been married for the past 53 years?!”

And a lovely smile and wave bye-bye as we hirpled away.

[EnjoyingTheSun]

Only one small thing: did I have our original marriage certificate? (there was a copy in the doc package for Zero Alpha) “Sorry, I don’t.” (No mention anywhere of requiring the original unless I missed it.) “No worries. I will help you. I believe you!” said the delightful lady polis.

Yes we had something similar with our rental agreement, I’d taken a copy for each of us but didn’t have the original. I said I could get it but we live a fair way away. And the same, “no problem.”
I would bet my left nut the old regime would’ve sent me home while scowling.

We interacted with 3 different people as they seem as if they help each other rather than sit & watch the one who does have some work and all were very nice.

Btw you can now pay for the health insurance by a revolut card, I’d guess that other non Cypriot cards would be ok too

[Mowgli597]

Interesting ETS - all we had was a copy each of our (five year) rental agreement but I wasn’t asked for the original. Perhaps because I’d printed/photocopied them in colour so they looked “original” (though I doubt it). Another thing to remember for next time (as if I’m going to remember where I am and what day it is by then )

Good news about being able to use a “universal” card for payment.

[waddo]

ETS, I am told that renters - provided that they have a rental agreement for 5 years and of course their passports have five years left on them will be allowed to apply for up to 5 years in the very near future. Having lived here long enough I take it all with a pinch of salt but maybe, just maybe there is truth in it this time. As for the fee's - your guess is as good as mine but my guess would be more than yours as I would go for 5 years if offered. The thing there is how much is it for two years now? How much will it be in September and where can I get the bank loan for the cost of 5 years residency and health insurance for TWO people - lol. Loved the question about the original marriage certificate, don't ask me for that please, I am often told that it belongs to my wife only! Then again, as I sponser her......... Take care out there.

[EnjoyingTheSun]

How much will it be in September and where can I get the bank loan for the cost of 5 years residency and health insurance for TWO people - lol.

The Health Insurance was TL 12,123.60 each for 2 years so by my back of the fag calculations 5 years will be just over TL 30,000.

[EnjoyingTheSun]

Absolute dream at the Polis this morning. No queue as such, a most polite, helpful and smiling lady polis and in and out in 20 minutes. What a change from two years ago!

I was beginning to think that I was the only person who didn’t find the old mob politeness personified. It’s not like I’m the sensitive type

[benjaminbutton]

Yes, I paid 12,123 TL each for two years about 3 months ago. This was nearly a year after I had received the five year Exemption last year. Two years is all we could get at that time.

[waddo]

ETS, thanks for the figures - fag packet always closure than Government guess - lol. Last time I worked it out the residency bit worked out to around 1685 TL per person, per year and the health bit worked out to 6061.8TL (It is always 10% of the Gross min wage at the time). Very not sure about the residency charge as that seemed to change with the wind over the years - lol. Anyway, the Government has a plan to suck more money than that out of us by increasing the min wage quite soon and maybe even twice before we get to pay for ours. Looking at past increases I would not be surprised to find the Gross min wage in Sept to be around the 87000TL mark - now that could cause problems for pensioners!

[Mowgli597]

…. Looking at past increases I would not be surprised to find the Gross min wage in Sept to be around the 87000TL mark - now that could cause problems for pensioners!

At the current rates of exchange, for high income that’s circa €20579 pa, £17362 (if 1x min wage required); €61738 pa, £52087 (if 3x min wage)

So my Excel spreadsheet fag packet tells me

[EnjoyingTheSun]

…. Looking at past increases I would not be surprised to find the Gross min wage in Sept to be around the 87000TL mark - now that could cause problems for pensioners!

At the current rates of exchange, for high income that’s circa €20579 pa, £17362 (if 1x min wage required); €61738 pa, £52087 (if 3x min wage)

So my Excel spreadsheet fag packet tells me

With the TRNC minimum wage & the U.K. state pension both tracking the relative country’s inflation rate and the TRNC annual inflation rate being 10 to 20 times that of the U.K. eventually the Duke of Westminster wouldn’t be able to afford it.
The only way the TRNC will get their inflation rate under control is to take a minimum of 5 years pain which any government which has a shelf life of 18 months is never going to do.

[snd1966]

I have never really understood for people who can show they have an income why it's so difficult. The majority of people understand their finances when they mature. The stamp is only for 2 years, if really worried lodge funeral costs with the government bank that can't be touched.

[Mowgli597]

Sorry. Cancel my last

[EnjoyingTheSun]

Just as a follow up to the original post for information.
Renewed online and got a police appointment for exactly 1 week later.
The day after the police appointment came the prompt to pay the Health Insurance.
Five weeks and 2 days after paying the Health Insurance came the prompt to renew our residency.
So six and a half weeks from start to finish.
Certainly a record for us

[Mowgli597]

Similar story here at first. After paying the health insurance we waited on the 60% for just over three weeks when we realised two things: our 30 day initial visa was long expired and secondly we had booked a trip over to Antalya on the following Friday.

We’re never sure what the procedure is for leaving the island then returning whilst the process is underway but not yet completed.

To find out we took a trip to the Immigration Office, taking with us a screenshot of each of our applications and where they were, together with copies of our flight tickets.

We were directed to the reception area, largely empty, and were called forward by a gentleman who simply took the documents I had, read through them, typed on his computer, stapled everything together then said, “Completed by Monday!” Nothing asked of us at all. A ‘çok teşekkür ederim’ from us and we left.

When we got home we logged in and found that we were being asked for payment by the system. Paid, and everything went through!

All in all a very pleasant experience, and nothing but helpfulness shown by all whom we encountered. And our Wise card was accepted for all transactions.

Now we’re suckin’ diesel for the next two years! (And currently enjoying that wee break in Antalya!)

[EnjoyingTheSun]

All in all a very pleasant experience, and nothing but helpfulness shown by all whom we encountered.

Totally agree it’s like comparing day to night compared with many previous occasions. Polite, efficient and speedy.

Part of me does miss going to the hospital to collect the blood tests and watch one person put the results in an envelope to slide it across to the other guy to seal it.