Tips for Relocation, Holidays, Moving to North Cyprus

Passports, Residency, Expats, Shipping, Transportation, Schools, Health Insurance and the Relocation of Pets

Relocation to

Northern Cyprus

Tips for moving to North Cyprus

Are you considering relocating your family to the North Cyprus, or retiring to a warmer climate with a relaxed way of life.  Maybe you wish to just change your lifestyle and move to North Cyprus to look for new opportunities? Shop North Cyprus have put together a few tips on relocation to North Cyprus to help you make the move easier with as little stress as possible!

EU Passport

Moving out from a EU country you will have an EU passport and will be free to enter Northern Cyprus.  Upon entry you will receive an entry stamp which will be stamped into your passport or should you wish you may have the stamp placed onto a visa form which then allows you to remain in Northern Cyprus for up to 3 months from the date of the stamp.  Should you wish to stay in North Cyprus for longer than 3 months you should begin official registration proceedings as soon as possible prior to the end of the 3 month period.  This then informs the government of North Cyprus who you are, that you’re here in the TRNC and will start you on the procedure of becoming a resident of the TRNC.

Northern Cyprus Residency

If you are relocating, moving out or retiring to Northern Cyprus the registration process is not difficult but it can involve many visits to different government offices, you will be required to have a series of basic medical tests and there will be some form filling!  As with others who have gone through this process you will find that the whole process can be done slightly differently every time!

Helpful Expats and Locals

Upon arriving to North Cyprus you can be sure to meet many friendly expats and locals who’ll take the time to show you the ropes.  Should you wish to find out more about the process of obtaining permission to stay (residency) then you can also get in touch with the British Resident’s Society as maybe able to personally assist you.

Shipping and Transportation

Should you be moving to North Cyprus lock stock & barrel then you may need to relocate your household contents. Consider employing a shipping or transportation company that offer door to door services.  This would cut down on the stresses of Relocation.   It may also cut down on costs and will definitely reduce the hassle and time involved.  Should you have door to door container services your container wille arrive at your property sealed and intact.

When your household goods are about to arrive at the port in Famagusta you will need to go to the main police station in Lefkosa (Nicosia) and get your ‘in and out’ papers.  These papers are just a record of the number of times in which you have been in and out of Northern Cyprus!  Do be sure to take your passport with you and have some TRNC stamps with you (of 1 YTL stamps can be purchased from the post office).

The next step of importing your household goods is to go to customs in Nicosia with your in and out certificate, your passport, a list of your household items that requires to be translated into Turkish and lots more stamps, you will need to make sure you have a couple of photocopies of all of your documents!  At Famagusta you will be asked a few questions about the contents of your shipment, allowing customs to make sure it contains used domestic goods rather than brand new items or something. Your household items can be imported tax free!  There will be a standard fee of around 10 or 20 YTL charged for 1or per TV.

If you have opted for door to door delivery, when the container arrives at your house a couple of customs men will arrive just to check and make sure it really contains what you put on your list and that it does not contain brand new items on which import duty should have been paid.

Schools and Universities

If you are moving out or relocating and have children, you will be pleased to know that Northern Cyprus does not suffer from lack of nurseries or schools.  Here in North Cyprus there are a number of Turkish and international kindergartens and schools. There are universities on the island as well.

Health Insurance

Northern Cyprus health care facilities are good and affordable.  In Northern Cyprus there are clinics ranging in quality and price from basic to highly sophisticated, for serious illness there are good levels of diagnosis facilities. Private health insurance is your choice as it is not necessary to have and in Northern Cyprus most procedures are affordable.  You may feel you wish to have Private Health Cover for any unfortunate health issues or serious and recurring conditions.  Day to day medical and dental costs are likely be far less than any insurance costs.  This decision is a personal one which you should be 100% confident with.

Many medicines can be purchased over the counter at your local pharmacy, though should you require certain medications it is always advisable to check availability with the Pharmacist.   A lot of items can be bought far more cheaply than back in the UK.

Cost of Living

The cost of living in North Cyprus will of course depend on the lifestyle you wish to live.  If buying imported, named goods expect to pay a premium. North Cyprus has to pay high import costs.  Should you on the other hand intend to shop locally, buy your main essentials at the market, drink local wine & spirits, dine at the many excellent Turkish Cypriot restaurants then you can expect your cost of living to be be impressively lower!  Here in Northern Cyprus it is still possible to make a small income go a long way

Relocating Pets

Pets

You can bring pets from Europe with little hassle. In Northern Cyprus by law, the Ministry of Agriculture will require a certificate from a European vet stating that your animal is free of major diseases. The quarantine period in North Cyrus is approximately 4 weeks. Your pet will be Quarantined at the Lefkoşa Quarantine kennels.

During the quarantine period the care for your pet or pets must be administered by you and you will be responsible for the everyday feeding of your pet or pets. This service is not provided. The veterinary office in Lefkoşa should be informed of the date and time of arrival of the animal.  Please make sure to do this early, before you finalize your travel details.

Airpets

Airpets is located near Heathrow Airport.  They can arrange your pet travel on almost a daily basis.

Willowlsea Farm Kennels
Staines, Middlesex, UK. TW19 6BW (near Heathrow Airport)
Free phone UK  0800 371554 
Tel: +44 (0) 1753 685571
Fax: +44 (0)1753 681655
Website: www.airpets.com
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