If you’ve retired or perhaps taken early retirement and moved to North Cyprus with no intention of working ever again, and you just want to spend your time relaxing, taking up a hobby and socialising, there’s something you need to do before you sit down by the pool with your feet up. 

The process of securing your temporary resident’s permit has been streamlined and made much easier over the last few years, so it should not be too much of a stressful process to undertake, although it does require some running around, form filling and visits to various government departments along the way!  The visa you will obtain is referred to as a ‘temporary’ permit because permanent residency requires a person to have lived in North Cyprus for six years at the time of writing.

You can also only be issued with permanent TRNC residency status if you do not spend more than 90 days outside the TRNC in any one year.  This can be difficult for those who need to spend time abroad for any number of reasons, thus most people choose to continue to be temporary residents on this basis, although they will not attain benefits such as being able to vote for example.

On arrival into the TRNC you will automatically be given a 30 day visa, (check that this is the case with the immigration official checking your passport at the port of entry, and you can also ask if there is any possibility of an extension being given as they do sometimes grant incoming residents with a 3 month visa).  From the start of this visa you should then have plenty of time to start the process of obtaining residency.  The first words of advice are don’t panic – you will soon find other people in the same situation as you and as you all end up going through the process together you can give each other support and advice!

Please note – at this point we have to offer a word of warning – if you stay over the expiry date of your visa you are liable to fines incurred on a daily basis, so in our opinion you should start the residency visa process as soon as you possibly can after arrival as it can take a few weeks to secure the visa you need!

Firstly you will need to visit your local police station’s immigration department to inform them of your intention to stay, and they will then issue you with an application form to fill in and make a note that you have started the application process.  This is very important because if you only have a 30 day stamp and the process takes 5 weeks, you don’t want to be liable for fines on the days in between your 30 day visa running out and your residency visa kicking in!

Once you have this form you then visit your local village Muhtar who will require passports and copies of your property sales contract or lease, depending on the type of property you live in.  He will then provide you with a letter confirming your residential address.  You will probably have to pay him a small fee, and you may require a few government stamps.  These can be bought in advance from the post office.

For your first residency permit you will be required to provide a medical report confirming that you are not a carrier of certain diseases and conditions such as Hepatitis or AIDS.  With the application form and Muhtar letter in hand, medical tests can be carried out for around 120YTL at a number of clinics, and they will know which tests are required for the different permit types.  Normally test results are issued within 4-5 days, and they will be given to you in a sealed envelope which you must not open!  Ask at the police station when you first visit it for the names of clinics in the area which can carry out these tests.

You will need copies of bank statements and/or pension payouts to prove that you have enough funds to cover living expenses for the foreseeable future – this proves to be a somewhat grey area as there are no guidelines on the set amount required apart from government officials stating that you should not be a burden to the state.  People are unsure as to whether UK bank statements can be provided or if you need to have monies available in the TRNC.  Many do provide UK bank account statements though, so we believe these to be acceptable.  But you need to have a sum on deposit  which is equivalent to a years worth of living costs, and immigration have apparently started questioning people with proof of less than £10,000, so the sum needs to be fairly substantial!

The final items required are at least 3 passport photos, copies of the picture portion of your passport, (subsequent applications for permits require copies of your previous permit also), and around 20YTL worth of government stamps available at post offices.  This is probably more than you will need, but just to be on the safe side have this value of stamps with you!

Once you have all of these documents together you will then need to pay another visit to your local police station’s immigration department, and these are generally at the large city stations in Kyrenia, Lefkoşa and Famagusta.  Here you will need to obtain an ‘in and out’ paper which details your trips in and out of North Cyprus to date.

The police official will then go through all your documentation to make sure that you have everything in order.  It is then their responsibility to transport your documents to the main Immigration Department in Lefkoşa.  They will give you a timeframe, but it usually takes around three weeks before you are required to visit Lefkoşa to obtain the stamp in your passport.

Once this is done then you are entitled to reside legally in North Cyprus for one year, and you will be furnished with a little registration/record book which you need to keep safe for subsequent permit applications.  Every year you will then need to repeat the majority of the process, thankfully without repeat medical tests, but each time it should in theory get easier!  Rules do change though, so checking with the police station before you apply is advisable.

So, if you have gone through the process then you should feel relaxed that it wasn’t as bad as you thought it was going to be!  There are different rules for some people, for example those who are living with parents and don’t own their own property.  In this situation they are required to have their parents as guarantors, requiring different papers to be authorised at a local notary’s office, and then depending on their age they may also be required to produce individual bank statements too!  We can’t mention every permutation to the process here, so it’s worth checking with the authorities if you are not the standard resident!

It is also important to mention that if you are retiring to North Cyprus with children under the age of 18 (yes, early retirement for some is a reality!), then children do not have to go through the residency process.

It is prudent to ensure that you do go through this process if you intend to reside in North Cyprus permanently.  The authorities these days are taking a more proactive approach in ensuring that the rules are adhered to, and there have been instances of fines and even deportations of those people who have failed to ensure they have obtained temporary residency or have been found to be working without the relevant permit.

Just a final pointer, there are people who will take care of the majority of the process for you if you really can’t face it!  The British Residents’ Society can advise for example, or you’ll often find so called ‘runners’ at one of the expat markets that are held regularly.  These runners can also help with getting you a TRNC driving licence, business permits and even importing goods.

However, do remember that at the moment those who fly to Ercan have to land at a Turkish mainland airport first, and Turkish passport and visa requirements may differ.

Passports will be stamped with a 30-day visa at passport control on arrival to North Cyprus.  As most visitors on holiday will only require this as a maximum then you need not be concerned about overstaying.  However, rules can change very quickly and you may find that a 60 or even 90 day visa stamp has been issued!  It is worth asking for a longer visa at passport control if you intend to stay over 30 days as they can give a discretionary automatic extension.

If you do intend to stay longer than your stamp allowance it is possible to visit one of the immigration departments which are located in the larger police stations in Lefkosa, Kyrenia or Famagusta.  They have the authority to extend your stay.  For children up to the age of 18 travelling to North Cyprus there is no time allowance restriction.

Whilst it is completely unnecessary, as visa stamps for the TRNC in passports are not illegal in any other country, including Greece or south Cyprus, you may, depending on what you have heard, prefer to not have your passport stamped on arrival and departure.  If this is the case then tell the official and they will provide you with a separate visa entry form which is then stamped and needs to be kept for your departure when it will be stamped again.

If you intend to visit the south of the island during your stay, then again you will just need to produce either your existing visa paper if you did not want your passport stamped on arrival, or complete a new one at the checkpoint.  You generally do not need to show your passport again in the south side unless you are specifically asked for it. The process is then repeated on your return.  If you arrive into and depart from North Cyprus via the south from Larnaca or Paphos airports for example, then the above process is also applicable.

However, should you arrive into North Cyprus but then leave via the south of the island, then you have effectively initially arrived via an ‘illegal’ port – according to the Greek Cypriots – and you may be in for a nasty shock as they will more than likely turn you back, so you need to enter and leave via the same location.  It may sound strange for visitors, but this has happened before as people are sometimes unaware of the restrictions imposed by the Greek Cypriot authorities.

You can get complete and up to date information from the offices of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in London, telephone +44 (0)207 631 1930, or from the Turkish Tourist Office, telephone +44 (0)207 629 7771.

Should you wish to learn more about permits for working and living in North Cyprus, border crossings or Embassy and High Commissions located in Northern Cyprus, then please visit our Relocation, Border Crossings and Embassy sections.

Several nations’ embassies, high commissions or foreign missions are located in North Cyprus and they can help with varying issues such as passport renewals, birth certificates, legal advice and much more.  Local Turkish Cypriots wishing to travel to the countries which are represented on the island are required to visit the relevant nation’s offices to obtain visas for their journey.

You would probably be surprised at the amount of information and advice that these offices can give you.  Below are the main offices available in North Cyprus, they are mostly located near to the Ledra checkpoint area in Lefkoşa.  Be aware that some of the offices such as Australia’s only operate on a clinic basis, opening twice a week in the North, so it is always wise to call ahead and book an appointment or check opening times.  Each website mentioned provides details such as opening hours, the services the embassy offers as well as maps and directions to the offices.

AUSTRALIA

‘Australia Place’ – Australian Information Bureau
20 Güner Türkmen Street,
Köşklüçiftlik,
Lefkoşa, North Cyprus

Telephone: +90 (0)392 2277332
Fax: +90 (0)392 2285458
Website: www.cyprus.embassy.gov.au

FRANCE

French Cultural Information Centre
(Association Culturelle Française Chypriote-Turc)
1, Hasene Ilgaz Street,
Köşklüçiftlik,
Lefkoşa, North Cyprus

Tel: +90 (0)392 2283328
Website: www.france.visahq.com

 GERMANY

German Embassy (North Nicosia Information Office)
No:15, 28 Kasım Street,
Lefkoşa, North Cyprus

Telephone: +90 (0)392 2275161
Website: www.nikosia.diplo.de

TURKEY

Turkish Embassy
Bedrettin Demirel Avenue,
Lefkoşa, North Cyprus

Telephone: +90 (0)392 2272314
Fax: +90 (0)392 2282209  &  +90 (0)392 2285518
Website: www.tclefkosabe.org

UK

British High Commission (North Nicosia Office)
Shakespeare Avenue
29, Mehmet Akif Caddesi,
Köşklüçiftlik,
Lefkoşa, North Cyprus

Telephone: +90 (0)392 2283861
Website: www.ukincyprus.fco.gov.uk

USA

American Embassy (North Nicosia Office)
20, Güner Türkmen Street,
Köşklüçiftlik,
Lefkoşa, North Cyprus

Telephone: +90 (0)392 2272443
Website: cyprus.usembassy.gov

OUTSIDE CYPRUS

The TRNC is represented via ‘representative offices’ and consulates in many other countries around the world.  The locations of these offices are useful to know, as you may perhaps need official papers such as a power of attorney notarised at their offices if you are unable to travel to North Cyprus for any reason.  Most unfortunately don’t have websites as they can be in obscure countries, but two which do are: -

The UK – www.turkishconsulate.org.uk

And Germany – http://www.uli-piller.de/nordzypern-online/

Alternatively you can try searching Embassy World but it doesn’t seem to have too much information at the time of writing!  You can also google your particular nation to see if there is a representative office in your native country.

The police force of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus reports to and is overseen by the Security Council and Ministry of the Interior, with the Commander in Chief sitting on the Council along with representatives from the Ministries of Interior and Defence and the President too.

There are police stations located in all the main cities and towns, although villages usually have to rely on their nearest town for a police station and service.  It is probably worth mentioning that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus also assists other countries when they are investigating their nationals who may be residing in North Cyprus.

If you’re unfortunate enough to be involved in any situation which requires the assistance of the police, you can rest assured that they will do all they can to help you.  You may also find that local Turkish Cypriots will try to help you too, translating and accompanying you to a police station if necessary for example.

Please make a note of the number for the police as outlined below and which is applicable to where you’re staying when in North Cyprus, or in serious cases, contact the emergency number:

Emergency Police Number : 155

Police Nicosia             Tel: 228 3311
Police Kyrenia             Tel: 815 2014
Police Famagusta        Tel: 366 5310
Police Guzelyurt         Tel: 714 2140
Police Karpaz              Tel: 381 2325