# From Riches to Rags



## V8Cerby (Jan 4, 2012)

Hello community,

I visited Cyprus a couple of times and love the country. England was good to me but I'm afraid a huge slide from grace (due to the awful economic conditions here) has taken it's toll. 

My wife and I are keen to move. We'd be coming to Cyprus just like students - looking for work and digs with little cash. I'm really looking for some advice from anyone. 

I've spent most of my life in procurement, I've run an online business and a couple of bars. My wife works on a production line and is relatively unskilled.

I'd love to hear from anyone with advice. I appreciate the economy in Cyprus may also be struggling but would love to know more. 

Thanks


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## Mycroft (Sep 9, 2009)

V8Cerby said:


> Hello community,
> 
> I visited Cyprus a couple of times and love the country. England was good to me but I'm afraid a huge slide from grace (due to the awful economic conditions here) has taken it's toll.
> 
> ...


Firstly Welcome,

The job situation here is as bad as in UK. It would help to have a little more information about you both. Do you speak Greek? the official language of the south is Greek Cypriot, and although a lot of the Cypriots do speak English a knowledge of the language is important. How old are you both? This is not UK in the sun, healthcare is not free, and there is little social support if you have not paid into the local social security system. Do you have children? local schooling will be in Greek, and private schools can be expensive.

However on the positive side, if you can get a job in a tourist area or for an offshore company language may not be so much of a problem. Life here is very different, it is very much a family orientated society, there is little crime, although in some areas this is rising, but the drunkenness you see in British cities has not yet arrived, and hopefully will be a long time coming. I think what most people will suggest is that you will need enough money to support yourselves for a few months while you look for a job, and be sure to have enough in reserve to get you back to UK should this be necessary. Perhaps you should come over for a visit months and see how the land lies.

Good luck in what every you decide. I am sure there will be a lot of people who will respond to your posting and will be able to help you.

Kind regards.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Ditto to everything Mycroft has said, except that if you do not speak Greek finding a job which will give you reasonable standard of living will be more difficult than in the Uk and also if you cannot find work you will not get any help from the Cyprus government.

Veronica


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## wheelmaniatuning (Jan 10, 2012)

the cypriots look after their own people unlike the uk. the government will give you no help whatsoever and your pound is worthless in cyprus against the euro although it has gained a little over the last few months. Cost of living is very expensive and many retired expats have had to return to england because their pensions can no longer support them. the only work for non greek speaking people is bar work which is prodominently flooded with eastern europeans who are exploited by the cypriots and are working for peanuts. On a more positive note the climate is terrific, theres hardly any crime, the beaches are like the carrabean as are the clear blue seas.


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## daveyboy37a (Dec 3, 2011)

You know everything the last person wrote is also exactly the same as for here in Spain, if only Britain treated there foreigners in the same way. We came here to retire and after a few years started to get bored of the hot weather and decided that we needed something that would give us a small income as our savings where starting to dwindle so we decided to take a market stall selling per products that we got from the uk as they were a lot cheaper, that was 2 years ago we are still doing this 1 day per week giving us enough to pay our bills and eat out twice a week? Work can be found if you want it enough.
Good luck with whatever you decide on doing.


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