Residency Today

[waddo]

Just to prove how well the “On-Line” system has improved things: On the 12th of this month, 21 days before expiry of current (15th) residency we were allowed to submit the same details as last year and received a Police appointment for today the 31st of this month - we now have 3 days to get residency completed again!

So off we trot this morning to the police station complete with all paperwork as stated on the appointment notification, joined the herd of disgruntled people and waited for our appointment time. By some strange chance we actually arrived at the window dead on time. However, that was that as the kindly policeman, without any comment or explanation, shut the window, got up and walked away!

We have lived here some long time now and just took it as normal coffee break time. However, he never returned to his seat for over an hour later - the crowd were not amused! Never mind, handed in the paperwork, it was duly checked and chucked on the pile behind him and we were told “Continue On Line” - we left and returned home.

Later in the day we tried to pay the Hospital part, which normally is no problem, this time it won’t let us even open it to pay! After doing a search on the information provided by TFR - many thanks - we find this is normal if we have changed the amount of years we asked for since last time - we have asked for 2 years today when previously only asked for 1 year because that was after the system went “On Line”, so that must be the problem.

The thing is now, we have to wait first for the paperwork to reach the giant pile in Lefcosia, they will check it - in the fullness of time - and then say yes or no! That apparently has to happen within the next 30 days - lol - or we start to accrue a daily fine for being out of residency?

This is known as progress and I can’t wait for the new digital data centre to open with 4.5/5G of course but I wonder where all the paperwork will be stored after that?

[Hair Cut]

They should pay us to live in their country.

We pay our bills, tax our cars, and spend money in their shops.

you've done 15 residences, they should just give it to you for life.

Oh !!! plus a medal.

[waddo]

I posted the above not as a complaint but so that others know what they can expect. When we first came it was much worse than it is now and although the powers that be had the chance to make it right, the first attempt seems to have failed a little but at least it is a type of progress.

We are happy to live here in this land of Higgldy Piggldy and watch it grow and improve as it has done down the years, ok some things still seem strange and out of order and the place has grown concrete faster than I have ever seen it grow but it is still our home. There once was a chance we could have had permanent residency but we missed it every time it changed and now we can't even find it - lol.

And yes we do all the above as well and remain in a mainly peaceful place where the people are friendly, so we have no real complaints.

[alphamike]

I wouldn't worry about it Waddo, and am absolutely sure that you aren't either!

I've just been issued a new temp residency last week, and I have 2 years this time, thank goodness.
It took about 4 weeks before I could pay for health insurance after police station visit. I just checked once a week after first week of checking daily. Took about another 4 weeks for temp residency certificate issued. So all in all, from start of application online, was 9 weeks. It was definitely much longer last year....and I only got 1 year.

[PoshinDevon]

We have “done” residency under the old system and also using the online process.

Yes things have improved, but the online process is still nowhere close to how it was originally envisaged. It could all be so much slicker, easier and less frustrating.

But we accept it for what it is; maybe it will one day be efficient, but it’s unlikely. We just enjoy the muddle along the way.

[waddo]

alphamike, no, not worried by it as we are here, with nowhere else to go anyway - we actually take that as an advantage in the way we live our lives! I think it comes down to being ex military and being organized in our own lives, then seeing the confusion of lack of information and seemingly silly rules in civilian life. Hey ho, it is what it is and time, which Cyprus appears to have a limitless supply of, will just pass anyway.

It could be made cheaper to run but that means less Civil Servants and more “Digitally” efficient, that requires better infrastructure which is very slow in coming, compatible terminal equipment and software. - properly installed and licensed - operator training oh and dependable power supplies! In the end I feel that the Police check will always be choke point, which probably could be given to local authorities to do and release the trained Police staff from their clerical duties. I dream on and there is much involved that I will never be aware of but the continued waste of paper in the system is still a shame in this day and age.

But it gets better all the time even if it seems not to - never forget that age is also a factor as the older we get the less patience we seem to have - can’t think why that is! But I know for sure “It’s Not My Fault” - lol. Enjoy the day!

[13roman58]

In the end I feel that the Police check will always be choke point, which probably could be given to local authorities to do and release the trained Police staff from their clerical duties. I dream on
Having been 16 times the'trained Police staff' have no desire to actually do any proper work, it appears that the same officers are quite content ,year on year, to ask the same old questions,'are you married,who too' when the marriage certificate is in front of him for example and shut up shop as and when they feel fit.

[PoshinDevon]

As waddo has already written, the system “could” go completely digital but would need the IT infrastructure to be in place and those using it to be fully trained. However going fully digital then has an impact on all those currently employed to manage this process.

Even if the police paperwork check remained; once completed it should only be a matter of a few days maximum to pay health cover and complete the process. It isn’t all “joined up” tho.

Of course now there isn’t so much running around between departments, hospitals, clinics and queueing in offices in Lefkosa which is a great help to those less mobile.

[Dave G]

Alphamike, 9 weeks is great, it took us 17 weeks to get ours earlier this year, and i noticed a number of other people were reporting similar time frames, so the process must be getting better