Cyprus-Forum.com

[Tim Drayton]

I remember that when I was in the UK I always had to show ID to the teller when withdrawing cash from my Barclays bank account. Since I don't drive, I always took my passport. There is surely a good reason for this. It is to protect against somebody who knows my bank account number and has a sample of my signature using this information to steal money from me. As such, I don't have any problem with it.

[Cypriotatheart]

If UK bring in ID cards at a sensible cost I would be happy to carry one. I think my new Cy ID card was a good investment.
It is surprising in the UK how many people are against the idea but at the same time are already wearing a Company Pass to work everyday. Some are worried about how much info. will be put on the card, I think those that want to find out this info already do so without our knowledge.

What a good result in Nicosia on Saturday night.

[Niki]

if u registered ALIEN, u can get your ALIEN ID...

I am and I have the Alien ID but they still said that wasn't good enough!!! Passports only. Considering you must have a passport to get an Alien ID - why?

The point is that is it the UK being too relaxed by never having the need or is it Cyprus being too cautious?

Maybe I should have a big sign on my forehead that says "yes it really is me!!"

Would you trust ET?

Me and ET need the Alien ID!! I'll paint myself green and have boggly eyes glasses!

Why though when I bought the car - isn't my money alone good enough?

I can understand it drawing money out of the bank and I do agree this is a good thing. So many people in the UK were against it - maybe they had something to hide!

[devil]

Why though when I bought the car - isn't my money alone good enough?

Not if it is registered in your name. The cops need to know where they can find you after they see you breaking the traffic laws or if you haven't paid the road tax.

[Tim Drayton]

Every time we have gone through some form of transaction in Cyprus they have asked for our passport number. We gave our alien visa's instead recently when buying a car but no that wasn't good enough. When you draw money out of the account they need the passport - anything!!

In the UK the passports never came out other than for going abroad at airports. We never had the need for ID. What is the difference and why? I don't believe it's because we're not Cypriot as other people need ID as well.

Do you have a RoC ID card, which is a peice of plastic the same size as a bank card, or are you talking about the yellow or pink slip of paper issued as a residence permit by immigration? I ask this because in my experience an identity card is accepted as ID for absolutely any transaction here, and I believe you can also travel anywhere in the EU with it. The same does not apply to your residence permit. You have to apply for an ID card from your local district office; you are not automatically issued with one just because you are a bona-fide resident.
It just occured to me that this may be the cause of your problem

[Kent]

Do you have a RoC ID card, which is a peice of plastic the same size as a bank card, or are you talking about the yellow or pink slip of paper issued as a residence permit by immigration? I ask this because in my experience an identity card is accepted as ID for absolutely any transaction here, and I believe you can also travel anywhere in the EU with it. The same does not apply to your residence permit. You have to apply for an ID card from your local district office; you are not automatically issued with one just because you are a bona-fide resident.
It just occured to me that this may be the cause of your problem

Tim Do you need your residents Permit Before you can apply for a ROC ID?

I to agree that its no bad thing that every one is asked for ID on transactions. Near all forms of ID can be faked but just the fact that you are asked for It often means that it has to Be faked, thus making it harder for a Criminal/terrorist.

after Being in the forces, you'd be amazed at the amount of People that turn up at the gate, often after traveling alot of miles to get there, with no ID, who are Suprized that they get asked for it never mind angry when they are not let on/turned away.

[Niki]

Every time we have gone through some form of transaction in Cyprus they have asked for our passport number. We gave our alien visa's instead recently when buying a car but no that wasn't good enough. When you draw money out of the account they need the passport - anything!!

In the UK the passports never came out other than for going abroad at airports. We never had the need for ID. What is the difference and why? I don't believe it's because we're not Cypriot as other people need ID as well.

Do you have a RoC ID card, which is a peice of plastic the same size as a bank card, or are you talking about the yellow or pink slip of paper issued as a residence permit by immigration? I ask this because in my experience an identity card is accepted as ID for absolutely any transaction here, and I believe you can also travel anywhere in the EU with it. The same does not apply to your residence permit. You have to apply for an ID card from your local district office; you are not automatically issued with one just because you are a bona-fide resident.
It just occured to me that this may be the cause of your problem

No I didn't know this thanks Tim. I just have the flimsy brown cover booklet.

[Tim Drayton]

Every time we have gone through some form of transaction in Cyprus they have asked for our passport number. We gave our alien visa's instead recently when buying a car but no that wasn't good enough. When you draw money out of the account they need the passport - anything!!

In the UK the passports never came out other than for going abroad at airports. We never had the need for ID. What is the difference and why? I don't believe it's because we're not Cypriot as other people need ID as well.

Do you have a RoC ID card, which is a peice of plastic the same size as a bank card, or are you talking about the yellow or pink slip of paper issued as a residence permit by immigration? I ask this because in my experience an identity card is accepted as ID for absolutely any transaction here, and I believe you can also travel anywhere in the EU with it. The same does not apply to your residence permit. You have to apply for an ID card from your local district office; you are not automatically issued with one just because you are a bona-fide resident.
It just occured to me that this may be the cause of your problem

No I didn't know this thanks Tim. I just have the flimsy brown cover booklet.

Oh, OK.
I am no legal expert, but going from my own experience this brown booklet is just issued while they are making a decision re your application for a residence permit. This can take a year, then in my case I was issued with a yellow document entitled "RESIDENCE PERMIT of Member State National for Self-Emplyed Activity in the Republic of Cyprus" valid for five years. The famous "pink slip" is apparently valid indefinitely, but I did not make it into that league!
When I just had the brown booklet you described I thought this was a big deal, but it is as it reads on the cover just an "ALIEN REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE", and just shows that you have applied to immigration and a decision is pending. It certainly does not have the status of an ID card. Sorry, but you have some way to go yet, although if you are an EU citizen then it is all a formality.
I am afraid you can't even apply for your ID card until you have your residence permit, and if you want to get a voter's book you need to get your ID card first.
It's a nice feeling once you have your ID card, though. You really feel part of the club. I was once in a coffee shop that I regularly frequent in the north of Nicosia and spent an amusing few minutes comparing my rediculous looking photo on my RoC identity card with those of the Turkish Cypriot regular customers there, who were all carrying theirs!

[devil]

although if you are an EU citizen then it is all a formality.

Oh, yeah??? My wife and I have been here for nearly 10 years and are both EU citizens and I even have a Cyprus Driving Licence going back to 1956, but that "formality" has been going on for several years without a resolution. We still are "aliens", ostensibly because we had not lived in an EU country for 35 years before coming here. We made a forceful re-re-application with all the necessary documents in April and the guy in the Migration Office could see no reason why we were refused last time. If it does not succeed this time, we'll be taking it to the Ombudswoman and, if necessary, to the EU.

And you CAN get an ID card with a brown Aliens Certificate, if your pink slip is valid. An ID card is just that: it confers no legal rights per se, although it may be the easiest way to prove identity and status to obtain some legal rights, such as to vote in local/EU elections.

[Sega]

Niki, I hope this clears everything.

Unlike the UK, Cyprus needs an ID card for everything. The reasoning behind this comes from the European Union. Eventually the EU hopes every EU citizen to hold an ID card for traveling and verification purposes. It's also another method of knowing what you are up to, preventing such things as money laundering and fraud. However Cyprus had ID cards way before joining the European Union, it just was not used as extensively as it is now.

Most countries have some form of ID card, including Belgium, Colombia, Chile, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Israel, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Spain and Taiwan. So this is nothing new.

In a way you might say this is a good thing (state safety), however some might argue of it being an invasion of privacy. Either way Europe sees this as a way forward, so it is likely to be the norm.

However from a personal point of view I have noticed that due to the ID card things seem to get done a lot faster and if your law abiding it makes things easier than what they were before.