halil wrote:Northern Cyprus is home to around 200,000 residents and the Brits in North Cyprus make up just one percent of the population but their numbers are increasing annually as the attraction and appeal of the island becomes more widely known and appreciated.
This article discusses the rights of British citizens in TRNC and also what life’s like for Brits of all ages in North Cyprus.
British passport holders can freely enter the TRNC without the requirement of any specific visa. When you arrive at Ercan airport, Girne or Magusa ports or any of the North/South border crossings you can complete a simple visa form and have this stamped instead of your passport if you prefer. After three months of residing in North Cyprus you should apply for temporary residence or leave the country. At the moment you need only leave for a period of 24 hours before returning and receiving a further 3 month tourist visa but this is under review.
Brits coming to the island to start a business or seek a job need a work permit in addition to their residency and both can be applied for at the same time. The British Residents Society in TRNC are best placed to advise on the procedures to obtain both of these documents and their website address is
http://www.brstrnc.com/ For a long time Northern Cyprus was mainly home to retired expatriates, many of whom had links to the island pre 1974, many of whom had military ties and all of whom had a strong affinity with the Turkish Cypriot people. These people had the secret island all to themselves until the property boom began in earnest about four years ago and the island’s profile was raised with the creation of the Annan Plan and the Republic of Cyprus’ entry into Europe. Since then there has been a large influx of expatriates, mainly from the UK, who have bought holiday homes, second homes, investment properties and even a new home for life in the TRNC.
Now that the community of Brits in North Cyprus includes many young people and families it’s important to know what’s available in terms of education and health care facilities and also, what there is to do in Northern Cyprus to keep both children and adults entertained!
When it comes to schooling there are a number of options available. Firstly there are quite a few local kindergartens in and around Girne that are very reasonable especially compared to UK fees. The English language school Sunny Lane also accepts children from as young as 2 and a half years old into their preschool program. Sunny Lane is west of Kyrenia and it offers teaching through the medium of English for pupils up to the age of 16. Class sizes are restricted to a maximum of 15 pupils so that children get maximum attention and focus. Sunny Lane is a private school, state school options at primary and secondary are available across Northern Cyprus with many towns and villages having primary schools and most pupils then attending secondary schooling in Girne, Lefkosia or Magusa.
One other option open to parents now that the border between the North and South is open to British passport holders is letting your children attend one of the bilingual or English language schools on the South.
Health care in Northern Cyprus is excellent. The options available to you depend on your budget. Some people choose to take out health insurance but often find that their excess is more than they have to pay for treatment! You can attend state or private doctors, clinics and hospitals and you will never go untreated if you do not have health insurance. There are a lot of doctors, specialists, dentists and opticians in Northern Cyprus so you should always find someone to assist you. Pharmacies sell the majority of prescription drugs over the counter so if you need a course of antibiotics for something not too serious you can just self-prescribe rather than having to visit a doctor. Furthermore many of the pharmacists will happily advise you depending on the severity of your condition of course!
In terms of what there is to do in Northern Cyprus - well, when you get bored of gazing at the Med, swimming in it, diving under it or sailing on it you can lie on the beach or build sandcastles. When that gets too tedious you can visit one of the many spectacular Byzantine castles or a mosque or two, a couple of ancient cities, do some shopping North and South of the border, visit aqua parks, golf courses and spas, travel up the Karpas, see the donkeys, go parasailing, socialise with the many, many friends you will make here. And when all that gets too much you can eat out in a different restaurant every night of the week for about six months, go bar hopping, listen to a myriad of live bands and singers, play bridge, badminton, rugby, football or go to church. You can walk in the mountains, quadbike in the mountains, go horse riding in the mountains or go South and ski in the mountains.
