# new life in cyprus advice needed please



## Jonnyfox123 (Dec 13, 2016)

Hi all. Me and my wife would like to move our family from the uk to Cyprus, we love the country, the people and the way of life. we are thinking of just packing a few bags, selling the rest of our items and jumping on a plane as we only rent our house. I work with power lines here in the uk so if all go wrong I would be able to get a job when I come back if needed. Has anyone done this? and if you did was it with kids in tow? We will have about £6000 and friends to stay with for a few weeks. At the moment I don't have a job lined up but will be trying before we leave (14th April) I do have a few skills, spent many years as a tree surgeon, I have qualifications with working with power lines and qualifications with refuelling and landing helicopters.
Im 32 my wife is 31 and our to daughter's are 8 and 6, we have spoke to some schools and are happy with that.
Would we be making a big mistake?
any advice would be greatly appreciated
thanks in advance


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## houdinibun (Oct 8, 2015)

It is a lovely place to live BUT I really think £6000 is too little for a family of 4 t make the move.

That will run out so quickly and jobs aren't easy to come by if you cannot speak Greek? You want to have enough for at least the first 12 months and to buy tickets home if need be.

Remember you will need health insurance, as well as living expenses, and transport... travel insurance and EHIC will not cover you if you plan on being resident. Sorry to seem negative but with small children you need me to be honest.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

I have to agree with everything houdinbun has said. 
I would recommend that you take more time to save some more money. Come over a few times and research job opportunities.
It would be far better if you have a job lined up before you come so that you know what your income will be and you can do your sums to see if you can afford to live on it.
Bringing children up in Cyprus is not cheap.


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## Jonnyfox123 (Dec 13, 2016)

hi Veronica and Houdinbun.
thanks you for the advice. I have been told it is hard to find a job in Cyprus but I have also been told its a lot harder nor being in the country. As for speaking Greek we don't yet, now about to start an online course as there is nowhere where we live that have lessons. 
As for money in the bank what is a realistic amount? We are a not a materialistic family, we would have a nice view over a nice TV. The £6000 is what I will have in hand on landing (if we left in April) the car would have already been shipped over and we have £1500 in a old bank account for flight if things go wrong. We would also have a further £2900 for the first two months and that will be reduced to £300 after. I know what you mean a job before we leave is best.


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## SunnyPaphos (Jul 25, 2016)

Also, have you talked with your kids about how they feel about going to a foreign language school? And bear in mind that the state schools in Cyprus are not very good. It is bizarre, the teachers are something like the highest paid in the EU, but achieve some of the worse results. If Cypriots have the money they send their kids to private school, but that isn't feasible for you unless you have a steady job.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

SunnyPaphos said:


> It is bizarre, the teachers are something like the highest paid in the EU, but achieve some of the worse results. If Cypriots have the money they send their kids to private school, but that isn't feasible for you unless you have a steady job.


There was an article in the Cyprus mail recently which said that Cyprus has the worst education record in the whole of Europe.
It is ironic that the teachers who fail so miserably in school times are often the ones who earn extra money giving private tuition despite being so highly paid.
The cost of private tuition is almost as much as sending children to private schools in the first place.

A years fees for a child can be as much as 10K per year for the older children.
Another reason it isn't a good idea to move here with children unless you have a job with a very very good salary.


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## SunnyPaphos (Jul 25, 2016)

I wouldn't say you need a huge salary, If you were selling a property in the UK and using the money to buy a property in Cyprus outright, then you will find, as we did, that the school fees for a private school are less than what we used to pay in a mortgage. But I don't think that is the case here.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

SunnyPaphos said:


> I wouldn't say you need a huge salary, If you were selling a property in the UK and using the money to buy a property in Cyprus outright, then you will find, as we did, that the school fees for a private school are less than what we used to pay in a mortgage. But I don't think that is the case here.


But the OP has said they will have 6k to come with so I would imagine they will be paying rent. That makes a big difference.


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## _misha_ (Nov 2, 2016)

Hello and welcome. 

You could do it. But if i were you I would come alone at first then find work. Once you have it and you're registered and stuff you can ship the family over.

Or bring the family and stay with friends for the couple of weeks, then you stay and look for work and they go back. 

How old are the kids?


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## SunnyPaphos (Jul 25, 2016)

Veronica said:


> But the OP has said they will have 6k to come with so I would imagine they will be paying rent. That makes a big difference.


That is what I meant when I said I don't think that is the case here.


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## Eva/singh (Jul 22, 2016)

Jonnyfox123 said:


> Hi all. Me and my wife would like to move our family from the uk to Cyprus, we love the country, the people and the way of life. we are thinking of just packing a few bags, selling the rest of our items and jumping on a plane as we only rent our house. I work with power lines here in the uk so if all go wrong I would be able to get a job when I come back if needed. Has anyone done this? and if you did was it with kids in tow? We will have about £6000 and friends to stay with for a few weeks. At the moment I don't have a job lined up but will be trying before we leave (14th April) I do have a few skills, spent many years as a tree surgeon, I have qualifications with working with power lines and qualifications with refuelling and landing helicopters.
> Im 32 my wife is 31 and our to daughter's are 8 and 6, we have spoke to some schools and are happy with that.
> Would we be making a big mistake?
> any advice would be greatly appreciated
> thanks in advance


Hi! may i ask how about your move? as we also planning the same. are you still in cyprus? Thanks
Eva


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