# Postal system in Cyprus



## Karen and Dave (May 23, 2012)

Hi there,

We are looking to move to Cyprus in the next year or so (depending on current work contract) and I have been reading this forum for a while now and have found it really useful. One thing that I can't quite get my head around (despite lots of research) is how the postal system works. Do you have a address for your house that mail is delivered to, or do you have to use a PO box and collect mail? I am assuming that a postal address is required for the tax / health forms that are needed before we leave the UK?

We have had several holidays in Cyprus and I can never remember seeing a post box or letter box.

Thanks in advance (the first of many such stupid questions as we move closer to moving I am sure!)


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## Geraldine (Jan 3, 2009)

Karen and Dave said:


> Hi there,
> 
> We are looking to move to Cyprus in the next year or so (depending on current work contract) and I have been reading this forum for a while now and have found it really useful. One thing that I can't quite get my head around (despite lots of research) is how the postal system works. Do you have a address for your house that mail is delivered to, or do you have to use a PO box and collect mail? I am assuming that a postal address is required for the tax / health forms that are needed before we leave the UK?
> 
> ...


Hi, I have a PO box in Paphos, although the village mail is delivered to it's residents by the village 'postmaster', my electric bill comes this way. I reckon PO boxes are more reliable.

The village is so small I don't have an address, if I have to give it, I give myPO box number, but if I have to give my home address I just say Pano Archimandrita, we don't have a street name. 

It's not difficult here, I am the 'English woman who walks her dogs'.....a strange and rare thing in Cyprus.... unless you're English of course !


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

We have a P.O. box and get most of our mail delivered to it but also have a letter box on our gate outside our house where most of our local mail is delivered to.
I recommend a P.O. box for important mail as the local deliveries can be a bit hit and miss and you don't want anything important going astray.


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## theresoon (Apr 11, 2008)

we have a mail box on our gate but the postal service is very unreliable. I am not sure if it is any better if you have a po box. we lived in a house for 4 years and the mailman insisted on delivering the neighbor's mail into our box. Also, when we got local bank cards they never arrived- make sure you pick those at your local branch. One time I was walking to the pharmacy and saw an envelop on the middle of a very busy street, so i pick it up and it's addressed to the pharmacy lady. she opened the envelop in front of me and it was her new credit card.


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## Guest (Nov 24, 2012)

theresoon said:


> we have a mail box on our gate but the postal service is very unreliable. I am not sure if it is any better if you have a po box. we lived in a house for 4 years and the mailman insisted on delivering the neighbor's mail into our box. Also, when we got local bank cards they never arrived- make sure you pick those at your local branch. One time I was walking to the pharmacy and saw an envelop on the middle of a very busy street, so i pick it up and it's addressed to the pharmacy lady. she opened the envelop in front of me and it was her new credit card.


So when we arrive I have to write the 2-meter Swede in the address field for the bank account application....


Anders


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## sjg-uk (Jan 11, 2012)

Hi Karen and Dave
We moved to Pafos last year and we thought the same thing about PO Boxes.
I think it depends on the quality of the area you live in. We rented a Pafilia property from a very good agent ( now a good friend ) in Iris Village , Pafos. . We had a mail box with our apt number in the main entrance hall. During the 6 months everything was delivered ok. 
We have now bought a villa in Pafos and it is just the same here . No problems.
So we haven't bothered with a PO Box.
When we buy on line from Amazon we get a letter sent from the post office for us to go there and collect.
Sometimes we get a delivery service courier , they call my mobile and we go outside to meet them. Or we collect from the courier office. 
If we lived in a village I might think differently.


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## MacManiac (Jan 25, 2012)

Our experiences of the postal service have been interesting. When we stayed in a friend's apartment in Polis, the post from Cyprus and the UK was delivered to the box outside of the apartment. No problems. Since moving to Argaka, we have received absolutely nothing. I went to the Post Office in Polis to enquire, and was told there was a post lady in Argaka but they did not have her address.

"So what do I do?" Her son runs a restaurant on the sea road, I was told. So off to the restaurant, and son says his mother may be there on Sunday. His English is as limited as my Greek, so that's where we are at currently.

No P.O. boxes available so I'm stuck with this nonsensensical situation. Very important mail has not been delivered, and it is vital we receive it. So after today, when I shall take a note (in Greek) for the post lady in case she is not there, it will be back to the Post Office in Polis and ...


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## PeteandSylv (Sep 24, 2008)

Vegaanders said:


> So when we arrive I have to write the 2-meter Swede in the address field for the bank account application....
> 
> 
> Anders


No. That goes in the name field. The address field will be something like "the villa half way down the hill opposite the field with the dumped refrigerators".

The postcode will probably be rejected if it's an online form and the habit here is to put the postcode prior to the village name rather than at the end.



Pete


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## Karen and Dave (May 23, 2012)

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to reply; looks as though it wasn't as stupid a question as I first thought! I guess that it really depends on where we end up living. My wife is drwn to the Universal area (I prefer somewhere to the north of Paphos) so maybe postal delivery wont be an issue.

Can I ask if anyone had an issue with their Cyprus address when submitting applications in the UK for health cover or double taxation relief.

Thanks again.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Why is your wife drawn to the Universal area?
It is full of holiday lets and long term lets which are occupied by Eastern European workers on low incomes?
Certainly not my idea of the best place to live.


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## Karen and Dave (May 23, 2012)

Veronica, not mine either! I still have some work to do on changing her mind.


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## Karen and Dave (May 23, 2012)

My preference is for the Emba, Kissonerga, Tala region. Time will tell!


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## Geraldine (Jan 3, 2009)

Karen and Dave said:


> Thanks to everyone for taking the time to reply; looks as though it wasn't as stupid a question as I first thought! I guess that it really depends on where we end up living. My wife is drwn to the Universal area (I prefer somewhere to the north of Paphos) so maybe postal delivery wont be an issue.
> 
> Can I ask if anyone had an issue with their Cyprus address when submitting applications in the UK for health cover or double taxation relief.
> 
> Thanks again.


No, never had an issue with that.

I know it's 'horses for courses' but Universal.....?

There are MUCH better places.


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## sjg-uk (Jan 11, 2012)

Geraldine said:


> No, never had an issue with that.
> 
> I know it's 'horses for courses' but Universal.....?
> 
> There are MUCH better places.


Sorry Geraldine , but we live in Universal !
We thought about Kamares , but the Clicky Expat feeling just was too much and the mountain goat hillside living just was too much of a concern and having now seen all the flood damage up there I'm pleased. Also it's quicker to get into town from Secret Valley or even Aphrodite Hills , than some of Tala and Kamares and that area is starting to look quiet tired now. 
Village life is nice but rather isolated and you constantly need your cars. 
Where as in Universal there are some great clean and well looked after developments , great for first timers to the island. We rented first a Pafilia property in Iris Village , it was an excellent location for 6 months , then we found a lovey detached villa in Universal , Hersperides , again a Pafilia property. We did spend lots of time looking all around the Pafos area . 
From our villa in Universal I can ride my bicycle to the sea and be swimming in just 5 minutes from home . We can walk to the harbour and all the local tavernas, Hotels and restaurants are easily walked too as well , so no need to worry about a taxi or drink driving !
We cycle around the beautiful coast path to the Elysium Hotel every morning and swim in the sea . Universal is a very good location . I can drive to Nicosia in 1.5 hours and Laranaca airport in 1hour 15 minutes. Debenhams s is just a few minutes away , as is M&S. we have 2 excellently maintained swimming pools on our complex and the beautiful gardens are always looked after to the highest standard. 
There are great shops in the "Russian road " and I'm sure everyone uses the Fruitaria , well we can walk to that from home if we need too.
Yes it is humid in the month of August , and yes we hear the hustle and noise of life sometimes , but from my 3 rd floor roof terrace I can see the sea and the Paphos Cruise ship firework shows. 
Life is not boring , we are not isolated , we are not part of some Clicky expat area . We are close to people of many different nationalities , which is great !
If I want some time alone , well that's very easy as we have our own very private garden and also the large complex has lots of quiet lawned areas and 2 separate swimming pools with lots of mandarin and grapefruit trees , which we can pick as many as we like for fresh juice. 
So as for your comment "Universal .......eek ! " , I think you are wrong , in my opinion !


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## Geraldine (Jan 3, 2009)

As I say it is 'horses for courses', where I live is not everyone's cup of tea but I love the isolation, and you do need a car to get about, but it was my choice as where you live, is yours.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Geraldine said:


> As I say it is 'horses for courses', where I live is not everyone's cup of tea but I love the isolation, and you do need a car to get about, but it was my choice as where you live, is yours.


I agree Geraldine. I would much rather be somewhere like where you are than in a built up area like universal. As for Kamares being a clique tha is very much a thing of the past as there is now a very good mix of nationalities unlikein the early daysa when it was mainly Brits who thought they were above everyone else. Most of houses have been updated with only a minority still being as originally built and the whole area is well kept with lots of trees and green making it a very attractive area to live. Give me Kamares over Universal any day.
We recently sold a bungalow on a plot of over 1000m2 for 230euros with private pool and lovely sea views. I wish we had had the moenyt in the bank to have bought it for ourselves.


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## Karen and Dave (May 23, 2012)

sjg-uk said:


> Sorry Geraldine , but we live in Universal !
> We thought about Kamares , but the Clicky Expat feeling just was too much and the mountain goat hillside living just was too much of a concern and having now seen all the flood damage up there I'm pleased. Also it's quicker to get into town from Secret Valley or even Aphrodite Hills , than some of Tala and Kamares and that area is starting to look quiet tired now.
> Village life is nice but rather isolated and you constantly need your cars.
> Where as in Universal there are some great clean and well looked after developments , great for first timers to the island. We rented first a Pafilia property in Iris Village , it was an excellent location for 6 months , then we found a lovey detached villa in Universal , Hersperides , again a Pafilia property. We did spend lots of time looking all around the Pafos area .
> ...


Strangely enough the reasons you give for living in Universal are exactly the reasons that my wife wants to live there! I think we will probably end up somewhere close to Paphos to begin with and the spread our wings after a year or so.


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