RELOCATING TO CYPRUS
We have had several enquiries about how you go about relocating to Cyprus. Some of you think you can just move here and that is it now that Cyprus is part of the EU. That is not the case yet although there are changes coming. Rather than answer each of you individually I will put this answer on the site for everyone to see. It may answer questions for many of you.
Assuming you are an EU citizen you can enter Cyprus without any type of visa. After arrival in whichever town or city you chose to live in, go to the local Alien and Immigration office, take your passport. They will give you the necessary forms to fill in and will give you an appointment for some time in the future. At the moment that is about 3 months. At your appointment you will be given a number and will have to wait your turn. This seems logical and easy enough except that they do not actually see you in numerical order!! Kind of defeats the number system but never mind. They seem to book everyone in for the same time so just wait. Go prepared with water and something to read. Every member of the family must attend. Listen carefully to staff as various staff members come in to the waiting room and speak either English or Greek and ask for various nations passport holders and see them in order of who seems to get to the door first. Don’t loose your patience or shout this gets a very negative reaction and I saw one man being told to leave. As it take months to get an appointment just sit patiently and keep smiling!!
Take with you the completed form, signed and stamped recent bank statements from your Cyprus bank account, proof of income if retired, proof of employment if working or self employed, proof of monies etc elsewhere in the world, private health insurance documents (essential you will be refused entry without this), copy of house rental contract to prove you have somewhere to live, marriage certificate if applicable or proof of union if living with someone.
If you are thinking of relocating to Cyprus rent a property for a few months before you decide to purchase anything. Don’t purchase before you have passed immigration just in case you fail to be admitted.
If you are bringing children of school age there is an article on Travel Advice Pages. Look on the left hand side of the main page and click on Cyprus. It is among the articles there.
At some point next year these rules will probably change. I have been told immigration will be easier for those in the EU. I don’t have the details as yet. The site will be updated as soon as I have confirmation of the new regulations.
So for those of you thinking of relocating to Cyprus I hope this article is of some help and it lets you see that is is relatively easy compared to many countries. Also whatever the difficulties you may encounter Cyprus is definitely worth the trouble.
HOSPITALITY IN CYPRUS- BREAD MAKING
We were invited to watch bread being made the Cypriot way this morning. The process started about 7:30 a.m. in our neighbours back garden. 25 kilos of flour was put in a lovely home made wooden trough. After all the ingredients had been added everyone helped to knead the dough. When this had been done to everyone’s satisfaction it was covered and left to rise in the 84 degree heat of a Cyprus morning.
The head of the house then kneaded the dough some more and his wife proceeded to prepare the loaves. What a beatiful job she made of it. Every loaf lovingly shaped and decorated, then put in a mix of herbs and sesame seeds until it was thoroughly coated. The loaves were then put on a table and covered and again left to rise.
An hour later they were ready for the oven. This was a huge outdoor oven which had been filled with branches earlier in the day and lit to get the oven sufficiently hot in time for the cooking of the loaves.
Before the loaves went in all the ash was taken out and the base of the oven wiped over to make sure it was ash free. A little flour was then sprinkled on the base. If it went brown the oven was too hot and a little water was wiped over the base to cool it further. When the temperature was just right it was time to put the bread in the oven. A large paddle was used to insert the 26 loaves of bread. Quite a skilled job to get all the bread in the hot oven. It was made to look easy but required a deft flick of the wrist to get the loaf into the oven and a steady had to carry the loaves and not drop any.
To pass the time until the bread was ready a quick barbeque of meat and sausages was prepared and we all sat down to a nice lunch. Cold beer, salad and grilled meat and a little of the early bread. It was all delicious. Good company and good wholesome food well prepared.
By the time we had finished lunch the bread was ready too. What a sight it made. Beautiful golden rounds of fresh bread. Their scent filling the air. The whole street smelled of yeast and warm bread. What a delightful way to spend a morning. What a wonderfulway to cook. Enjoying the process of cooking and the companionship of your friends.
This is typical of the Cypriot way of life, the relaxed and friendly people cooking delicious healthy food. This alone makes Cyprus well worth a visit.
CYPRUS PARADISE ISLAND?
We have seen reports that the attraction of Cyprus in terms of quality of life, living costs and property investment may be much less and significant numbers of ex-pats (mainly Brits) are heading back to the UK
The stated aim of Travel Advice Pages is to provide correct, factual and up-to-date information. Being resident in Cyprus, we feel that we are able to offer an objective opinion on this reported exodus.
In many ways (as in the rest of the world) Cyprus is no longer an ultra cheap place to live. However, on balance it is cheaper in many ways than the UK and is still attractive. Certainly, ex-pats are suffering due to the current exchange rate of sterling against the Cyprus Euro which reduces the value of UK pensions. Against this fact is the option of a 5% tax on pension income reported in a previous article.
However, does a return to the UK offer a desired solution? UK inflation is approaching 5% with a recession imminent. A hapless and moribund Labour Government lurches from one crisis to another headed by a Prime Minister who obviously underwent a charisma bypass at birth! Utilities have reached obscene levels together with petrol and diesel prices and the new road tax system is pricing older family vehicles off the road. Cyprus is in the process of lowering fuel prices at the pumps. The dreaded UK Council Tax continues to rise, linked with nonsensical legislation regarding household garbage disposal. There is no Council Tax in Cyprus. A small Municipal charge is levied at year end for the twice-weekly garbage collection.
In Britain the Police appear to have lost control in the inner city areas with a teenage knife culture rampant. In Cyprus the crime rate is very low. There are minor problems with youngsters in the tourist hot spots of Aya Napa and Kato Pafos. Very little crime is reported in the local newspapers. Law breaking seems limited to riding motorcycles without a helmet, running a red traffic light and using a mobile phone when driving!Having driven or been driven in Lagos, Beijing, Rome and Cairo - the Cypriots have good road manners.
There is no doubt that there is much more freedom on the Island and life is more relaxed. The “Big Brother” attitude has not reached Cyprus. With new shopping malls, well stocked supermarkets and a multitude of good retaurants, life is easy. Helpful and cheerful shop assistants and waiters remind one of how it used to be in the UK. A healthy lifestyle is possible with the abundance of fresh fruit, vegetables and fish.
Much has been reported on the “drought” conditions on the Island. There is a shortage of water but this has little impact on normal life. Rationing exists in Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol and less in Pafos. The local system of roof water tanks means that on “wet” days these tanks fill and water is also available for washing machines and dishwashers. On “dry” days one still has sufficient water in the tanks for showers and washing dishes by hand etc.
The Government is purchasing water from Greece and building additional de-salination plants to solve the situation in the shorter and longer term. The Island is still beautiful despite the drought with its mountains and beaches and enjoys 300 days of sunshine a year. July and August can be oppressively hot but one can escape the heat in one’s air conditioned accomodation or automobile.
On balance would one exchange all this for a cold, wet, costly and bureaucratic UK?
CYPRUS - INCOME TAX
For those of you thinking of relocating to Cyprus, whether to retire or to continue working there, here is some news from Travel Advice Pages:
As from 1st January 2008, the standard method of taxation in Cyprus is as follows:
The first 19,500 Euros (GBP 15,600) of income is tax free. The next 8,500 Euros (GBP6,800) is charged at 20%, the next 8,300 Euros (GBP 6,640) is charged at 25%, with the balance charged at 30%.
As an example, a UK pension of 30,000 Euros (GBP 24,000) would have a tax liability of 2,200 Euros (GBP 1,760)
A special rate exists for pension income. Tax at 5% is charged after deduction of 3,417 Euros (GBP 2,733). Using the example of a pension of 30,000 Euros (GBP 24,000), applying the 5% rate would result in a tax liability of 1,329 Euros (GBP 1,063) which means you would not opt for the standard method.
All figures are approximate and will depend on the prevailing Euro - GBP exchange rate.
Bear in mind that UK Government and Military Pensions should be deducted from gross pension income as those pensions must remain subject to UK tax.
This information confirms Cyprus as a benign tax regime for UK pensioners or those on a low income.
WALKING TOURS IN CYPRUS
Most visitors to Cyprus are there for the sun, sand and the sea. They love the beautiful beaches and quiet coves. But, Cyprus has more than just this to offer. Apart from its fabulous coast it has picturesque inland villages and the Troodos Mountains.
There are free guided tours in and around Nikosia, Larnaka, Limassol and Agia Napa.
On these tours you can visit quaint fishing harbours, beautiful and tranquil countryside, archaeological sites, chapels, nature trails, craftsmen at work, forts, picturesque streets, traditional homes, prehistoric sites, castles and mosques.
There is also the beautiful National Forest Park of Athalassa. It contains 840 hectares of parkland and trails. It is a great place for a gentle walk and a picnic or a good 20km hike.
The Troodos Mountains and the Troodos National Park covers an area of 9337 hectares, where you can hike, ski, mountain bike, nature study, picnic and take photographs to your heart’s content. There are a number of trails in the Park all with something of interest to see.
So when planning your Mediterranean holiday in Cyprus remember there is more to the island than just fabulous beaches. Try to get out and about either on a gentle walk or a longer hike and discover more of what the island has to offer.
CYPRUS - A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY DESTINATION
Cyprus is tucked away in the Eastern Mediterranean at the crossroads of three continents. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean.
This position makes it an ideal location for exploring other nearby exotic locations. It is a short flight to Greece or the Greek Islands, Egypt and the Middle East are also close by. So perfect for a two center holiday.
Surrounded as it is by these diverse cultures Cyprus has become rather a melting pot of external influences. It does however retain it’s own unique culture, history and art as well, giving it a truly distinctive character.
Cyprus has been under Persian, Assyrian, Egyptian, Roman, British, Italian, and the Ottoman Turks rule. All have left their mark on it’s history and architecture. Archaeological sites abound!
Cyprus is known as the Island of Love because it is the birthplace of Aphrodite. But two other famous lovers are also connected with Cyprus. Marc Anthony who loved the island’s sweet wines, gave Cyprus as a gift to his lover Cleopatra.
For a relatively small island it is very diverse. Whatever type of holiday break you wish to enjoy can be found on this island. City breaks, beach holidays, winter skiing, sailing, fishing, hiking in the Troodos Mountains, photography, archaeology, historical research, special wedding and honeymoon holidays, diving, water sports, cruises and just plain relaxing in the sunshine.
Travel Advice will be including further more detailed articles on the various cities, holiday resorts and fabulous sites in Cyprus.
RELOCATING TO CYPRUS - EDUCATION
For those of you with families who are thinking of relocating to Cyprus the subject of education for your children is probably a very important one.
The Education System in Cyprus consists of pre-primary, primary, secondary and higher/tertiary.
It is compulsory for children to attend school for 9 years from the age of 6.
“The Ministry of Education and Culture has approval of all nursery schools (or kindergartens) operating on the island, whether a state-run public school or a private nursery school. The Ministry of Education and Culture also determines the curriculum to be followed. There are 3 categories of nursery school:
Public nursery schools operate under the authority of the Ministry of Education and Culture, working in collaboration with parents’ associations and community authorities. All teachers are qualified, while the teachers’ aids must have completed secondary schooling.
Communal nursery schools are run by parents’ associations or community authorities and are registered by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Private nursery schools are privately established and owned however they are all approved by Ministry of Education and Culture and operate according to the Private Schools’ Law, 1971, of the Republic of Cyprus.
Vaccinations
A child’s vaccination certificate should be given to the relevant school when a child is enrolled for primary school. New residents should take records of child’s health and vaccination (UK families show the “red book”) to the health visitor at the general hospital who will then provide a Cypriot vaccination certificate and advice on any other vaccinations needed. Vaccinations are only advised by schools and are not compulsory unless an epidemic of a particular illness such as measles occurs.
Primary Education
Primary education is compulsory in Cyprus, and free at state schools administered by the Government. Education at private schools is not free and fees vary from school to school (enquire from the schools directly, see International Schools in Cyprus).
The Primary education is a six-year period. Children may enter the Primary School system from the age of 5 years and 8 months.
Any town or village with more than 15 children of school going age will have a primary school (children from villages with fewer than 15 will be accepted in the regional school for a neighbouring community).
In the smaller village schools where the entire pupil population may be as little as 39, pupils will be in multi-grade classes of mixed ages and levels. (One-teacher schools are for a maximum of 19 pupils; two-teacher schools for a pupil population up to 39)
In the urban areas and larger schools, where each class is single-grade, the six-year primary school period is broken into:
Cycle A: Grades 1 to 3 (for ages 6 to 8 years)
Cycle B: Grades 4 to 6 (for ages 9 to 11 years)
When primary school is completed a child will receive a leaving certificate.
There are no completion examinations and readiness to proceed to Secondary school is assessed by on-going evaluations throughout the learning period. A child cannot continue on to Secondary school without a leaving certificate.
All-Day School
The Cyprus school day ends at lunchtime.
The All-day school system was introduced at an experimental level in 1999 to extend the day for homework and optional subjects including Foreign Languages, Information Technology, Music and Art. The system continues to expand to schools across the island. All-day schools operate on a voluntary basis for grades 4 to 6 and attendance is optional. They operate four afternoons per week until 16:00 from October to May. (Some schools have introduced All-day school for grades 1 to 3 staying open until 13:05.)
Multicultural education
State schools are increasing facilities for multi-cultural education with the aim of providing better support for foreign pupils, particularly with regards to learning Greek as a second language.
Secondary Education
A child cannot enter Secondary school without a leaving certificate showing completion of Primary education.
The Secondary school period is six-years and is for children from age 12 to 18. The first three years are compulsory, with school leaving permitted after the fifteenth birthday. There are no entrance examinations for a child moving from a state owned Primary school however, school-goers who have completed Primary school at a private foreign-language institution must undergo a series of entrance examinations to be allowed to attend Cypriot public secondary schools.
State run secondary schools are co-educational.
The school day runs from 7:30 to 13:35.
The school week is a five-day week, Monday to Friday, usually broken into seven periods of 45 minutes each.
The school year begins in September and ends in June with lessons beginning September 10 and ending May 31.
Examinations take place in June.
The school year is broken into three trimesters: September to December, December to March and March to May.
A child cannot continue to the next level without passing examinations.
The Secondary school cycle is broken into two phases:
Gymnasio Cycle (Lower Secondary)
Lykeio Cycle (Upper Secondary)
Lower Secondary School (Gymnasio)
This is a period of general education for ages 12 to 15.
Vocational Guidance
Much attention is given to vocational guidance in the last year of the Lower cycle and career guidance is available throughout the Lykeio Cycle from counsellors assigned to the role at each school. They also act to monitor students with emotional problems and pupils from dysfunctional families.
Upper Secondary School
The Lykeio Cycle comprises two types of schools: the Eniaio Lykeio and Technical and Vocational Schools.
Upper Secondary School (Lykeio) Eniaio Lykeio
Admission is available to pupils who have completed and passed the Gymnasio Cycle. The curriculum diversifies at this point into three distinct programme curricula, all leading to a school leaving certificate an Apolytition. The final examinations for the third and final year are organised externally from each school, with paper set by external inspectors. Papers are marked by teachers from schools other than where they teach - they do not mark their own pupils papers.
Secondary Technical and Vocational Education (STVE)
After completion of compulsory secondary education - the Gymnasio Cycle - a pupil can continue with three-year technical education (STVE) provided they have a leaving certificate. Both the technical (a focus on the sciences) and vocational (a focus on technology, industry and workshop training) educations look at the theoretical and practical aspects of the subjects.
Successful completion of Secondary Technical or Vocational Education allows a graduate to attend a tertiary institution.
Private Education
Private schools are not free of charge. School fees vary and you should contact the school directly for guidance on the fee structure.
Private international schools have considerable independence from the state system in both their operations and the curricula offered. The majority of private schools, however, are registered with the Ministry of Education and Culture and comply with certain curriculum and facility requirements mandated by law.
Most schools will require a child to attend an interview and/or take an entrance test for their level to be assessed before admission. Teaching at most Cyprus international schools is in English, however most will have ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers to help children from non-English-language countries.
International school curricula tend to accommodate the teaching levels of their representative country.
Special Needs Education
Recent laws in Cyprus specifically accommodate special needs children. The acts are: Education and Training of Children with Special Needs Law 1999 (113(I)/1999), Mechanisms for Early Detection of Children with Special Needs (185(I)2001) and Regulations for Education and Training of Children with Special Needs (186 (I)2001). The purpose being to detect problems as early as possible and accommodate the child’s learning in the most appropriate way available. The government provides special needs facilities for children from the age of 3 to 18 (and 21 on application).
Special needs children are accepted into the regular school system to aid integration and provide support. Children with greater needs receive extra after school education with special needs teachers assigned to a school.
Hearing impaired and autistic children are accepted to pre-primary schools with special facilities and may attend on a part-time basis. There are special schools for children with severe physical, mental or emotional needs, although the education authorities do try to encourage interaction between such schools and children in the regular system.”
If your children speak no Greek you may have to consider private schooling. It seems from researching the subject that Cypriot Schools do not all have the facilities to teach children in other languages. This is of course a very changeable situation as schools upgrade and progress. So once you have chosen your location check out all the available schools in that area and contact them via the internet and just confirm if they are able to accept your children as students.
We hope you found this travel advice useful and if you have any further queries please contact us and we will do our best to answer your questions.
Source Cyprus.Angloinfo
THE ANCIENT CITY OF PAPHOS
If you are looking for a Mediterranean holiday that will suit everyone in the family, try the island of Cyprus and the ancient city of Paphos. Paphos is located on the southwest coast of Cyprus and is so historically important that the entire town is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Paphos is over 3000 years old and the town is built on the site where it is said the Greek goddess Aphrodite was born. There are many sites of historical and archaeological interest nearby. The main tourist sites are the Paphos Archaeological Park, the Temple of Aphrodite, the Odeon Theatre, the Medieval Castle, the Paphos Archaeological Museum, the Byzantine Museum and the Ethnographic Museum.
Paphos is very popular with tourists, apart from the many historical sites, it has a lovely year round climate, great hotels, restaurants and bars, it is considered to be quite safe as it has low crime and almost no violent crime, a beautiful harbour, a seaside promenade, an interesting shopping lane near the beach and in the town itself narrow lanes where you can stroll and browse through its boutiques and craft shops.
Paphos is a delight for water sport enthusiasts, with scuba diving, jet skiing, snorkeling, parasailing, fishing, sailing, swimming and a nearby water park.
On land apart from sight seeing and shopping there is horseback riding,cycling and hiking. It has great beaches but it is only a short drive up into the mountains for a complete change of scenery and activities.
Paphos is a beautiful city and the surrounding area is full of interesting and exciting places to visit. Great for the photographers and artists amongst you.
Getting there is easy. Paphos has an International Airport and there is another Airport at Larnaca. Once on the island hire cars are available and the roads are good but if you would rather not drive there are plenty of taxis and the local bus service is excellent.
Whether you want to enjoy the lively seafront and beaches of Paphos or a quieter, relaxed holiday visiting its historic sites or a combination of the two you are sure to enjoy the beautiful Mediterranean Island of Cyprus and the Ancient City of Paphos.
CYPRUS - THE BEST PLACE TO RETIRE
An article in the Sunday Times lists Cyprus as the number one destination for retirees. This decision is based on eight key financial categories, income tax, inheritance tax, property tax, property costs, ease of gaining residency, healthcare, climate and culture.
Cyprus tops the list because it has an income tax rate of just 5% on pensions for retired residents. It also has low property prices and no inheritance tax. It is easy to gain residency, there are low property buying and selling costs and there are benefits for pensioners.
Southern Cyprus is favoured by retirees because of its climate, it is hot and dry in summer and mild in winter. Another benefit is that English is widely spoken there, making life in general easier.
To qualify for the low tax rate you must have lived in Cyprus for 183 days. If you have assets overseas or in your home country you may be liable for tax in those countries. Many retirees therefore move their assets offshore and then bring the income into Cyprus, in which case there would be no tax to pay.
To benefit from the no inheritance tax, you must sever all ties with your home country.
Property prices in Cyprus start at around £77,000 or $150,000. Other charges would be for stamp duty and transfer fees. Those foreigners wishing to purchase property must prove they have an adequate income or financial resources to live without working. The minimum requirement is approximately £8,000 or $16,000 a year.
Retired EU nationals do not need a visa to move to southern Cyprus but they do need a temporary residence employment permit and that should be applied for on arrival.
Now that Cyprus is part of the EU pensioners from other European Union countries are entitled to use the public health system.
Given all of these benefits I have to agree that Cyprus does seem to be the place to go, especially if you compare it to the other two retirement hot spots France and Spain. Tax in these countries is up to 49.8% in France and up to 42% in Spain. The only other country so far that I have found that compares is Panama but property costs there are somewhat higher.
So if you are a retiree looking for your place in the sun, why not consider Cyprus.
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