Residency delays?

[Hair Cut]

I was stuck on 60% and was told to make an appointment at immigration, which I did. Went and the guy on the enquire desk asked for my passport and did something on this terminal and said go home it will come through tomorrow. And it did...

[Hair Cut]

Over 6 weeks, the appointment system is good. You get an appointment within a couple of days.

[waddo]

Hair Cut. Post edited - sorry asked about wrong appointment - must get a grip - lol.

[kerry 6138]

For appointments fill in online form

https://randevu.icisleri.gov.ct.tr/VATA ... ture=en-US

[Brinsley]

Two year residency expires 20th January
Online renewal started 3rd January, all paperwork ready for Girne Police hand-in
Police appointment 17th August 12.25pm (when office window is closed for lunch!?)

8 month wait for disposal of paperwork to transfer for yet another long wait when it arrives in Lefkosia Immigration Department for Health & Certificate payment? Bank statement to be updated nearer the Police appointment! No walk over to the South permitted!

How ridiculous the online system has become when promised it would be easier and faster. Something is inherently wrong with this technology, process and implementation, maybe off casts of Horizon tech junk bought on the cheap!

It was quicker during the Covid shut down period!

PS. If leaving with a flight ticket it will be accepted at the Police station but only to be presented within 7 days of departure (before allocated appointment time) and will not confirm no fine will be issued!!!?

[snd1966]

I know there is an influx of people but surely it's about time the people in charge took a good look at the system, after all its money coming in. Plus lots of residents who they know, been here for years, love their adopted country are the ones who find the system so long winded and upsetting as these people like to be 'legal'
People who qualify with pensions and have had residency for 10 years, maybe qualify for 5 years but also should be a quick check
People over pensionable age with savings and renewed regularly, again a quick check to ensure they actually have the savings.
People who have had residency for 5 plus years again it should be a quick check for most.

[Hammerhead]

Ridiculous situation

[Hair Cut]

Why should have to have that amount sat in a Turkish bank? If you have enough income from Pensions, wages, Dividends, interest,etc that amounts to the minimum wage or more that should be enough.

We have to pay all our own bills, including medical. They are not going to pay you benefits as you could possibly claim in the UK.

[susiesusie]

This is my 20th application. I'm over 60 and have just been given 6 months instead of 2 years. I sold my property and now classed as high income . I have been told that it is because it's my first application as I am no longer an owner. Farcical !!

[moneypenny5]

I am not sure where the immigration office is in Lefkosha. Can someone please give me directions. Thank you

[Keithcaley]

I am not sure where the immigration office is in Lefkosha. Can someone please give me directions. Thank you

I believe that you want the Ministry of the Interior.

Go to the reception desk in the Lobby, tell them why you are there, and they will direct you to the appropriate desk.

[moneypenny5]

Keithcaley thank you. Yes I do want the ministry of the Interior. I now have my appointment for 8.30am this week
In valuable help, as always.

[laptawrinkly]

Moneypenny word of caution, when you turn up for you 'appointment' there will be many others there with the same time as you.

In the waiting room, just to the left of the main entrance (standing at the front of the building, it's the left hand 'main entrance'- the posh one LOL), as you walk in there is a window with roller shutters on the left. When these shutters open, there tends to be a free-for-all, be warned; generally 2 guys man this desk.

Good luck.

[moneypenny5]

Laptawrinkly thank you for the information.
This is all new to me as previous residency applications seemed to sail through in about 8 weeks. Now have been stuck on 60% since beginning of October, so hoping this visit will speed up process, just as it did for Hair Cut.

[Leither]

Go back 20 years when you arrived at 8am stood in the line waited paid your money the walked away with either 1 year or 2 years residency.
Leither

[snd1966]

Go back 20 years when you arrived at 8am stood in the line waited paid your money the walked away with either 1 year or 2 years residency.
Leither

On those stairs in the building by Lefkoşa bus station, loads of files stack under the stairs, people smoking, those were the fun days. Lefkoşa state hospital for the medical, ours was on 26th December, xray with the coat zipped up, blood tests in a big circle , then off to the toilet for the stick test but the main plus all completed in less than 2 weeks. I always admired how your file was actually found and processed.

[waz-24-7]

Residency is clearly becoming more difficult and several long term residents are being awarded just 6 months.

Is this possibly the indigenous TC sending a message that immigrants are not so welcome. Cyprus for Cypriots. Cyprexit.
Unless of course you're going to purchase land or property in excess of £500K and from a TC who would quite happily assist you with local bureaucratic obstacles.

[moneypenny5]

Yesterday went to the Ministry of the Interior. They took details from my passport together with copy of my flight back to UK next week. Was told will be ok from this morning. WRONG. I am still stuck on 60% and unable to move any further forward. Looks like I will have to repeat my journey of yesterday and go back to the ministry of the Interior as I need the residency to leave the country and for my return in April. What a lot of my time wasting not to mention the cost,

[Hair Cut]

Yesterday went to the Ministry of the Interior. They took details from my passport together with copy of my flight back to UK next week. Was told will be ok from this morning. WRONG. I am still stuck on 60% and unable to move any further forward. Looks like I will have to repeat my journey of yesterday and go back to the ministry of the Interior as I need the residency to leave the country and for my return in April. What a lot of my time wasting not to mention the cost,

Make sure you go to the girls down the corridor, not the guy on information. When she's done it ask if you can see her screen to prove it will go through...

[Mowgli597]

…,,,, I need the residency to leave the country and for my return in April. What a lot of my time wasting not to mention the cost,

That’s not what we were told in the Immigration Office itself (not the reception desk).
We were/are on 60% and left on 30th November. The passport officer asked if we’d begun our renewal and we said we had and were on 60%. No problem leaving.
We’re returning tomorrow but were told that on our return we simply go back to immigration and have our renewal “taken off hold” which we will do.
It’ll be interesting to see what exactly happens tomorrow at the passport desk when we land in Ercan. I’ll report back when we find out (if we’re not in gaol!!)

[kerry 6138]

Many people seem to find 60% confusing.
Has I understand it currently, once you hand in your documents you can leave anytime in the next 60 days.
If 60 days have passed since you gave them your documents you need to make an appointment with immigration before you travel, they will expedite or freeze your application until you return.

[Mowgli597]

Further to my comment #24 above.

Arrived back (to the rain ) last night. As soon as we landed took my smartphone off "aeroplane mode" and logged into the Residence Permit Portal to discover that during our absence we had moved to 70%, awaiting online payment of the residency fee. Oh joy, we thought! Rather than try to make the payment while waiting in line for the passport check we decided to leave it until we got home with a solid internet.

At the passport booth I showed the officer the screen of the Permit Portal, he nodded acknowledgment and stamped our passports, giving us 30 days (as expected).

After some delays eventually got on to the Permit Portal at home but was disappointed to see that the fee for me was only TL900 + change. I thought that meant they'd only given me 1 year, even though we'd each requested 2 years and had paid for 2 years of health insurance.

Checking my wife's entry we saw that she was being charged TL1800 + change which was what we had expected for 2 years' residency.

However when I was finally able to make the online payments we saw that both of us had been given certificates showing that our new residency started on 17th November 2023 - and ended on 30th November, also 2023. So we'd been charged TL900 and TL1800 for effectively two week's residency It also offered us the option to begin renewal!!

Thinking that this was (a) a mistake or (b) we'd been fined since the date 30/11/23 was when we left Cyprus for our trip, we went to the Immigration Offices in Lefkosia this morning, direct in to the office itself, not the reception, where we were once again graciously received (It's been our experience that generally civil servants here in the TRNC respect and look after those of us who are chronologically gifted, or experientially enhanced!)

There we discovered that option (a) above - a mistake - was what had happened and the young gentleman kindly corrected matters such that our new residence certificates run from 17th November 2023 to 17th November 2025. Result

On querying the different fee charged it is because I am in the "high income - sponsor" class (we rent) and my wife is a "family member - spouse".

I hope this helps.

[TAC]

So did you make an appointment for today or just turn up ?

You don't need a appointment you can go anytime
My wife and 4 other persons have all gone with no appointment

[moneypenny5]

Went to immigration offices in Lefkosa again on Thursday as residency still stuck on 60% since beginning of October despite paying health

[moneypenny5]

Continued ... Fees last week. Took copies of flight tickets back to UK on 30th Jan. Went through all procedures again, as we did this on Tuesday, asked for flight tickets then told all would be good for today. Yes, paid final monies this morning and now have residency renewed.
Mowgli597 I am a villa owner but have paid the same fees as you, as a renter. Can this be correct?

[Mowgli597]

So did you make an appointment for today or just turn up ?

As TAC said we just turned up. Turn right when you go in the door from the muddy car park and it’s the first door in the right. A gentleman outside by the door might ask if you have a problem or whatever then he lets you go in.

[Mollie the cat]

Has anyone crossed the crossing with 50% on their residency please? Have been over with 60% but someone said you cant go over with 50%

[Mowgli597]

….
Mowgli597 I am a villa owner but have paid the same fees as you, as a renter. Can this be correct?

I believe the fees are the same regardless of home owner or renter/leaseholder. It’s only the income requirements which are different.

ETA: the difference between the fee for me and for my wife is presumably because I am the “sponsor” of our family unit and she is a “family member - spouse”..

[JoandJelly]

If anyone's waiting for a police appointment I've got 2 going spare next week (Tuesday and Wednesday).