Further news on Driving Licences for over-60s

[waddo]

Harita, When I see my friendly judge next week, on holiday at the moment, I will get the URL of the TRNC laws for you and you can go through them for yourself. Will that help you believe the Police over the BRS?

[Marions]

Waddo. it would help us ALL, so please can you get the info to all of us, or particularly to me/Soner so we can put it in KibKom Times as well as have it on the forum.

I think a lot of people are extremely confused, and to have it all in writing would be a great peace of mind maker.

Thanks in advance.

[Groucho]

E-mail just received from the BRS this morning. The rules for renewing driving licence have NOT changed and a Muhtar's letter is still acceptable. Chairman (David Brown) has visited the office for confirmation. Any problems ask to speak to the office manager, Ibrahim, and mention David's name
See dippergirl's posting today re BRS.

The BRS have a gentleman's agreement - it has not been brought about by a change in the law... What they are saying is the interpretation of the law has been modified to give an easement for those residing here who are over 60 - the easement being that they don't have to have a residency stamp in their passport to get a TRNC driving licence (even though according to the police the law says you do). So when they say the law hasn't changed what they mean is this new interpretation of the rules hasn't re-changed back to the old strict interpretation that the police seem to find still pertains.

I'm sure David Brown and the BRS think they has a perfectly acceptable agreement but such as it is it's not a change in the law which is why the police think you do and it's them you come up against in practice not the BRS. The BRS have no legal standing and their advice is what it is - advice....

Why don't the TRNC Govt. enshrine this easement in a swift change to the law that makes it quite clear that you don't need one without the other and that over 60's are granted permanent residency after serving 5 consecutive years of temporary residency without need for additional payment.... It surely a simple matter - but no - they just change the interpretation - as if that's sufficient... They might as well tell you it's OK to go without a TRNC licence and your UK one will do ad-infinitum but they don't do they.

Is it a trick? Could it be that pending a north/south settlement the powers that be want as many non-Cypriot people off their official radar as they can. People that then can then be re-exported back to the UK from the TRNC thus clearing the way for a settlement of land issues? You will be here with no visa. Only a UK passport that makes you the UK's problem not theirs..... think on it!

Even if that's not their ulterior motive now - could it become an opportunity for them in the future? Call me cynical but I'm not sure this two-edged sword will cut in our favour.....

[waddo]

Groucho, I don't think you are cynical at all, however it never ceases to amaze me that people will happily believe the words of a social club over those of an official body. We all know it is illegal to drive on a UK licence here beyond a 90 day grace period. We all know what the legal requirements are for obtaining and holding a TRNC licence - non of this has changed, in law. Yet people are happy to believe there is an "easement", whatever that is, between the BRS and some heads of some departments.

To stop me being cynical as well, would the BRS care to copy such official and signed agreement onto this website???

[Belfast Belle]

If you are over 60, & choose not to renew your residency, does this mean that you will have to leave North Cyprus every 90 days & get another stamp for 90 days.

[Groucho]

If you are over 60, & choose not to renew your residency, does this mean that you will have to leave North Cyprus every 90 days & get another stamp for 90 days.

'They' (whoever they are) say not - again, it's a can of worms because that's not what the law says.....

Any government minister who decides to issue ad-hoc advice (about this or any other matter) at odds with the letter of the law and allowing for non-compliance is probably guilty of acting unconstitutionally and outside of their brief. That has not stopped them in the past and no doubt it won't in the future....

It only needs a change at the top then all these BRS brokered 'niceties' could be withdrawn leaving those without renewal back at the starting post.... not a happy prospect for many. So you pays your money and you take your choice, I just don't think the BRS should put themselves in the position of offering advice promoting anything other than full compliance with the laws as they stand.... Partly because them shrugging their collective shoulders and saying 'Oh well we were told it would all be fine' will hardly satisfy those for whom it all goes pear-shaped later....

Of course the BRS think they are doing us all great big favours - at best they should push for legal changes not these ad-hoc easements that have no legal basis that has been tested with rigour.

Of course it could all go swimmingly but as they say - '"ooops" happens' and it seems to happen here quite a lot.....

[Agobard]

Belfast Belle: No you don't have to get 90 day stamps if you are over 60 and have no residency.

[Belfast Belle]

What is going on here , the immigration office has told people over 60 that they do not require residency, I spoke to a girl in the CAB who says they have it from the top that we do not need it.

Who does one believe here.

"Agobard"]Belfast Belle: No you don't have to get 90 day stamps if you are over 60 and have no residency.[/quote]

[Tojo]

I'm over 60 and my wife is not. When she went to renew her residency, they asked her where is your husband, she said outside, she asked why, they said because he needs to renew his residency as well, she said he is over 60 and therefore does not need to. They said that as she was under 60 and we had a joint file, that I need to renew mine also. I protested but the manager said I need to renew mine as well, so I did.

[waddo]

Tojo, my wife was asked the same thing last year when she (under 60) renewed hers but me (Over 60) still had one year left of my two years from the year before - if you can follow that - I was asked to produce my passport and said nope!!!! The guy said the same thing as they said to your wife - its a joint file so I need residency - I said, if it is a joint file then you already have my details in the file in front of you!!! There was a stunned silence as he contemplated the discovery of the wheel right in front of him, turned a couple of pages, said humph and just carried on as if I was not there. So I guess that is a normal thing that happens but happens only infrequently.

[Lottidotti]

It would appear reading this that the problem is not whether to have residency over 60 but whether to pay for residency when you don't need to saving 227TL / £63.
If you want peace of mind it's best to pay for it and sleep at night,However for those who say why should we pay when we don't have to,Well do you insure your house ? you don't have to pay for that but I would think most people do,do you pay for holiday insurance? It's alright until things go wrong,so paying 227TL / £63 for residency will seem cheap when the government/immigration realise they can rake in a load of money from people who have not renewed their residency in the future and those same people will either need to start residency from scratch or leave the country.
I have always believed that until it's written in stone it doesn't mean anything.
Having residency solves the problem of having to worry about driving licence renewals.

[harita]

Lottidotti .. It's 250TL now or 1000TL for 2 years for 2 ..

Well, we can always go back to the UK .. Get on benefits & free NHS ..

[Owl Lady]

my friend went back to UK, after matrimonial problems, waited 6 months for ANY benefits and to go on doctors patient list. Just in case she decided to skip back to Cyprus!!

[waddo]

Well I for one wıll never complaın at spendıng £5.80 a month to be allowed to stay here, I pay the UK Tax Man many, many times more than that in income tax because I have a military and civil service pension - both of which are taxed at source!!! What do I get for more tax money? A new tax demand every year - now there is being ripped off because I am British!!!!!!!!!

[Lottidotti]

Thanks Harita, I will take the extra £3.60 for the year with me when I go to Lefkosa.

[Owl Lady]

I agree Waddo, I have a BT pension and a couple of small one from my late husbands firms. Pay full rate of tax at source. When the tax office was asked if I had to pay.UK tax as I had nothing in the UK,I was told, quote " Yes, as we do not have a reciprocal agreement,with the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus" they do recognise us when it suites them!!!

[waddo]

Owl Lady, they sure know how to get there kilo of flesh and yet people here call us "Cash Cows" for the TRNC - dont figure to me. Then you get the magic OAP, which of course is Tax Free (My BUM) and however much it is they deduct that amount from your personal allowance so that you get taxed even more on the pensions they already tax at source. They dont even have the good grace to wear a mask!!!!!!

But having paid all you tax all your life just try getting help from the NHS - two chances there and both are very rude.......

[Belfast Belle]

I think this is going off the original post about licences .

[kaiserphil]

Owl Lady, they sure know how to get there kilo of flesh and yet people here call us "Cash Cows" for the TRNC - dont figure to me. Then you get the magic OAP, which of course is Tax Free (My BUM) and however much it is they deduct that amount from your personal allowance so that you get taxed even more on the pensions they already tax at source. They dont even have the good grace to wear a mask!!!!!!

But having paid all you tax all your life just try getting help from the NHS - two chances there and both are very rude.......

Waddo, how true! They may claim that the State Pension is free of tax, the truth is that it is taxed INDIRECTLY.

It will only be tax-free if you have no other source of income.

The official reason for this is that it is "unearned income"!

[waddo]

Sorry all for taking the thread off topic - it is my only big GRRRRR with the UK and I suppose always will be/

Interesting to note that Citizens Advice have also put in their bit about residency and driving licences - keeping to the party line that its ok to not bother with one and that a Muhtar letter gets you another. I await a response to an email at present.

[Belfast Belle]

Here is a very interesting read.

Citizens Advice Cyprus - TRNC Residency Applications for over 60's
http://cyprusscene.com/2014/05/31/citiz ... -over-60s/