Residency

[Kyrenia07]

Can someone tell me if a couple in their seventies have to have blood tests as well as attending Police Station for first Residency

Thank you,
Eleanor

[Marions]

The BRS page may give you the answer for that but I think for the first time then you do have to. Perhaps someone can confirm or deny that, but I am pretty sure whatever your age, it must be done firstapplicaiton time.

[the butlers wife]

Save your money, it is well known you don't need residency if your over 60. Just keep walking over Ledra Street and getting 90 days visa.

[Mollie the cat]

If I am not mistaken if you are over 60 you do not need residency. Of course this is only a concession by the government and can change at any time. There are many though who choose to have residency which I completely understand.

[The Dog Walker]

If you're over 60, do you actually need to go over Ledra Street every 90 days, or can you just go a couple of times a year when it suits.

[cyprusishome]

No you do not need to leave the country to renew visa. The concession covers you to stay indefinitely.
However, remember above comments that this is a concession and could change. That is why for now we are maintaining our temporary resident status until or if the concession is made permanent or otherwise.

[the butlers wife]

Are you sure you don't need to leave the country every 90 days? Everybody I know over 60 does this and gets a new 90 day visa. I wouldn't leave it any longer.



The butlers wife

[mrsgee]

I don't understand the logic of not having to have temp residency if you are over 60 but still having to pop over and get a stamp every 60 or 90 days. That is surely no different to someone under 60 constantly popping over the border to avoid paying for residency, so what exactly is the benefit for the over 60's......it is lost on me at the moment.

[Deniz1]

It does seem crazy at one time the government said popping over every 90days was not strictly legal everyone should have a visa.

[Marions]

What is the problem of getting a Visa. Over 60's can get for two years at a time. Not quite so generous as other countries, but saves all the hassle of having to pop out of the country, and to what end.

Different if you are a swallow, but those who are based here all the time, I don't see any point in saying tha t you can stay after 60 without a visa. It is NOT law, and there seems to be disagreement over it. Plus I thought you had to have a Residency Visa to get a driving licence, and as one cannot use a UK licence beyond a certain duration of stay.

Everyone must make their choice, but I do't think anyone with any authority has answered the initial question which was to do with blood tests.

[goody]

What is the problem of getting a Visa. Over 60's can get for two years at a time. Not quite so generous as other countries, but saves all the hassle of having to pop out of the country, and to what end.

Different if you are a swallow, but those who are based here all the time, I don't see any point in saying tha t you can stay after 60 without a visa. It is NOT law, and there seems to be disagreement over it. Plus I thought you had to have a Residency Visa to get a driving licence, and as one cannot use a UK licence beyond a certain duration of stay.

Everyone must make their choice, but I do't think anyone with any authority has answered the initial question which was to do with blood tests.

Over 60's Residency & Driving Licence Renewal

Following meetings with the Driving Licence Directorate, we are pleased to confirm that, Over 60's that have taken advantage of the exemption from annual residency renewal, and do not have a Residency stamp in their passport, can show a standard residency Muhtar's letter (ikametgah belgesi) instead. ( http://www.brstrnc.com/index.php/compon ... on-problem )

hope this clarifys things

[the butlers wife]

Marion,

I would have thought the advantage would be the cost in not doing temporary residence.

Also now that you can renew your driving license with a letter from the Muhkter why would you want

to pay all that money if you didn't have to? Catch a bus to Ledra Street and walk across, simple and cheap.

[mrsgee]

Thank you goody, I will give it a try next year when I have to renew my licence. But can you clarify the illogical bit......i.e. no need for residency but have to pop over the border to get visa.....where is the logic in that?

[waddo]

Goody wrote: "Over 60's that have taken advantage of the exemption from annual residency renewal, and do not have a Residency stamp in their passport, can show a standard residency Muhtar's letter (ikametgah belgesi) instead" This obviously taken from the BRS web site, however the word "EXEMPTION" in the para is missleading to say the least.

There is no legal and written exemption for the over 60's in regard to annual residency renewal. There is an "unwritten" concession for the over 60's at this time and that is all. If you are over 60 and have completed your initial residency application (which all ages must do) then you may take advantage of this "Temporary" concession and not bother anymore - its a gamble only you can deceide on taking or not!

If you have taken advantage of the concession then you can still renew your KKTC driving license on production of the standard Muktar letter which proves your address. Thereby you remain within the legal framework of the law with regard to driving licenses.

If you do not wish to take the "concession" gamble then you spend a couple of hours visiting the police station in Girne and the Immigration office in Lefcosia every year or two (depending on which you prefer) and it costs you (including the stamps) either 237TL - £79.93 for one year or 465TL - £143.08 for two years residency stamp in your passport. Note huge saving of £8.29 if you go for the two year option - lol. These are all based on this years prices which of course will increase again next year.

IMO I consider that £143.08 for two years peace of mind and an excuse to wander round Lefcosia plus seeing how the Government offices work and picking up some more bits of Turkish is well worth it - probably a lot less than some will spend each month out at the bar and/or resturant so I am happy to do it.

Its all up to you folks but I am happy to be able to wander back and forwards at any crossing point without a care in the world and have never even had an amount of days printed into the stamp on the bit of paper either - works for me.

[Panchocat]

Thought I might have been able to get two years last week at immigration as the big oh! birthday arrives in 4 months time.
The girl dealing with it said yes but was over ruled by the man at the next window down who said, "No, one year only" nothing the girl dealing with it could do, shame!
Question is do I need blood tests next year or do I just go to the immigration and buy the visa?

[waddo]

Once you are over 60 you do not need to have the blood test/xray anymore, just go get the visa. My wife has to renew her "annual" visa 39 days before her birthday and guess what - yup!!!!! Next year you can have it when you are over 60, you have to laugh at times. Must have got the wrong guy on the same bad day as yourself as I know people with two year visa's who are only 55!!!! Its the way the system works.

[Marions]

Thanks Waddo for your lengthy posting. |I could hug and kiss you. You have said all that it is in my min d,l but much better it comes form someone other than me.

Personally I feel that getting residency takes more hassle out of being here than avoiding it.

It seems a shame that not so many years ago a couple were deported because they kept going south to renew their visas. And they were Gary Robb victims. So personally I woul d not want to rely on an unwritten concession. Far too dodgy. But it is a question of decided what the individual wants to do.

I would still love to hear if age makes one exempt form blood test for any first residency application.

[cyprusishome]

Sorry Marion but I must correct you regarding couple who were deported. They had initially done the 90 day trip south and then they stopped doing it so they were effectively here for a couple of years illegally. In addition they had made several violations of laws of the country and that was why they were deported. So for those who do the 90 day thing relax, although you are crazy as waddo says residency is actually not that costly.

I do agree with you regarding unwritten rules, they can be changed, stopped or whatever without notice and just not worth not doing residency. I am sure someone will either figure out how much money is being lost by this concession or they will allow all to have free residency.

Last time I will say it, with the concession for over 60's you do not need to renew visa at 90 days. If you had to renew 90 visa then it is no concession. To Butlers Wife, all the people I know taking advantage of concession DO NOT cross over every 90 days and when they have left the country and returned they have had no problems.

[Panchocat]

Thanks Waddo, so glad to be able to go and get the stamp sans hospital visit!
The girl did tell my husband,who is thirteen months younger than me, that he could also have two years next year on the strength of me being at that magic age! Remains to be seen if Mr Jobsworth is having a bad day again lol!

[Marions]

Thanks Cyprus is Home. Amazing how different tales can be told concerning the same situation. As I understood it, the 90 day rule was used against them and they had not stopped going over the border, but were told it was illegal. It was also suggested that 'someone' had it in for them. But them this place can be so full of rumours that one can never be sure as to what IS fact unless you have a written and stamped document - and even then it could change next week. But that is a chance one has to take when living on a foreign land - anywhere in the world.

[Owl Lady]

Thank you cyprusishome. Yes they were illegal in MANY MANY ways. No residency, no work permit, no car insurance, no road tax. No rent paid. Owed money left right and centre. I could go on !!!!!

[Becker]

waddo,you are spot on.

[pipie]

And yet TC's with a RoC passport (and they all have one) can visit the UK for as long as they like with no restrictions.
Does make you laugh.

[pipie]

Marions,the couple you refer to were deported for working illegally (having a car boot stall)

[waddo]

Pipie, it is not a "RoC" passport, it is a EU passport issued by the RoC which makes it the same as any other (EU) passport. The TC's are all eligible to hold a EU passport if they wish (many do not bother) because they are in the EU - there is no problem there. The problem is with the EU not recognising that the KKTC is a legal country and part of the EU but Cyprus (as a whole) is all in the EU - it is not easy for anyone and for the moment the KKTC has to protect its own people and country so just go with the flow, its better for your nerves!

[Halffull]

When we renewed ours this year I (aged 62) was told I could have 2 years but my wife (age 56) could only have 1 year.
Mind you I think we got Mr Grumpy, as I had heard that we would both get 2 years as I was over 60.

[cyprusishome]

halffull,
You did not get Mr Grumpy, they have not allowed the partner to get 2 years if you are over 60 for a couple of years, probably since they introduced the over 60 concession for not needing residency. I can confirm this from own experiences.

pipie,
the couple concerned did not get deported for having a car boot stall. They may have had several market stalls, illegally, but that is a different issue.

[Panchocat]

Cyprusishome,
Yet my husband was told last week that he would also get two years next time too, because of me being eligible for it...........

[cyprusishome]

See what happens? Proof of the pudding is in the eating!!