# Child Benefit in Cyprus etc



## Lazer (Feb 11, 2009)

Dear All,

I have a question about moving to Cyprus. We are planning to move over Jan 2010 but keep our house in the UK. After moving, will we automatically lose things like child benefit, or will we still be entitled to receive it in our UK bank account until we've lived abroad for 187 days? 

Can anyone recommend a good website for info about changing residency status/expat stuff for people of working age with children? Do you automatically become expat after so many days' living abroad? Do you have to register somewhere when you first arrive? 

L


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Lazer said:


> Dear All,
> 
> I have a question about moving to Cyprus. We are planning to move over Jan 2010 but keep our house in the UK. After moving, will we automatically lose things like child benefit, or will we still be entitled to receive it in our UK bank account until we've lived abroad for 187 days?
> 
> ...


If you intend to stay in Cyprus you need to Register at immigration. 
It can take a few months to get your yellow slip and ID cards but once you have them you can register at the general hospital.
If you are working, whether self employed or employed you must register for social insurance. Many people have worked without registering in the past but the social insurance are now clamping down and large fines are given if you don't register or your SI payments are not kept up to date.
If you de-register for tax in the UK and register here your tax will be far lower than in the UK.
You can earn somwewhere in the region of 18-19K per year before tax
Then the next amount (I don't know how much as it recently changed) is only 10%.
I don't know what happens to your child benefit but I am sure that someone with children who has already made the move will tell you.

Veronica


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## Lazer (Feb 11, 2009)

Veronica said:


> If you intend to stay in Cyprus you need to Register at immigration.
> 
> I don't know what happens to your child benefit but I am sure that someone with children who has already made the move will tell you.
> 
> Veronica



Thanks for all the helpful info. I find this forum very informative! I visited the Dept for Work & Pensions & Inland Revenue websites and found some info there. I think nearer the time I'll phone them and discuss all the details. I'm hoping to get a job over there (I teach English as a Foreign Language) but my husband will most likely continue to be paid by a British employer & work "remotely" over the internet. We'll need to work out the best residency status, but if the tax benefits are so good over there it'll probably be best to register as permanent residents of Cyprus, in which case we would only get whatever child benefit they pay their own residents, if any.

My next project is to set up an ebay selling account to start de-cluttering. I'm so excited and yet daunted by it all after our recent trip there, but feel it would be the best thing for the family, especially since my parents are moving out at the end of this year and need someone to keep an eye on them  What a chore that will be!!

L


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