Help - residency/passport imminent travel problem

ifonly · Post by **ifonly** » Mon 31 Mar 2014 7:28 am

Can anyone help my friend, with a contact name in Immigration or police, who may be able to help. She is due to travel to Turkey very soon but UK passport is STILL with passport authority in UK (renewal). Since it has been there residency has now expired and obviously without a passport cannot be reapplied for. Residency police at Girne say that she cannot leave as she has no passport and fines are running up at 65TL per day. But they will waiver that as soon as her residency is granted - which she can't do without a passport ! She is booked , and has been since Nov, to travel to Turkey for 10 days for family reunion in 2 weeks time.
Does anyone know anyone who she can speak to who can maybe help with this situation - as if the fine wasn't in place she could apply for an Emergency Travel Document to cover her for her Turkey travel. She has been told that in certain situations the fines are not imposed. She is so upset about having to miss this reunion.
Meanwhile - a warning for anyone renewing their UK passport - her passport has been with UK passport agency for 9 weeks and they have ONLY just started looking at her application and say it will be at least another 10 - 21 days before her new one is issued/posted back !!!!They have a backlog !

carrierbag · Post by **carrierbag** » Mon 31 Mar 2014 8:00 am

Perhaps she can ring the Consulate (North side) and ask advice?

https://www.gov.uk/government/world/org ... on-nicosia

Erkin · Post by **Erkin** » Mon 31 Mar 2014 10:10 am

Hi, unfortunately for your friend without a passport she is unable to apply for a residency as the serial no of the passport is needed. Even if she gets an Emergency travel document, she will still be unable to fly to Turkey with that, as Emergency travel documents can only be used for the country of origin, so even if the consulate issue a travel document, the passenger will only be permitted to fly to the UK not to Turkey. Sorry but there is nothing the police or the TRNC Government can do in such a case.From the expiry of the residency permit she has 15 days to re-apply and the fines will be waived but if she doesn't the fines can be declined and new residential application will need to be applied for.
The only thing I can suggest if she has friends in the south, then she should get an emergency travel document and move Cyprus until her passport arrives to avoid the fines.