# North Cyprus



## haymarket (May 23, 2010)

My husband and I want to relocate to Northern Cyprus, we are both retired. He is recovering from a major stroke four years ago, and requires a lot of medication. I realise medicine is quite cheap there, but if he had another stroke or anything else serious would it be expensive for treatment or is it free anyway in hospitals for all residents.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

haymarket said:


> My husband and I want to relocate to Northern Cyprus, we are both retired. He is recovering from a major stroke four years ago, and requires a lot of medication. I realise medicine is quite cheap there, but if he had another stroke or anything else serious would it be expensive for treatment or is it free anyway in hospitals for all residents.


Most of the users on this forum live in southern cyprus so you might find it hard to get much information.
I would however urge you todo your homework very thoroughly as Northern Cyprus unlike the south is not a member of the EU and you may not be entitled to free medical treatment there.

Also if you do decide to live in the north I would advise you to rent and under no circumstances consider buying in the North. Google the orams case and the latest ruling which gives the rightful owners of much of the land which has been built on illegally the right to compensation and re-instatement of their land.

regards
Veronica


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## haymarket (May 23, 2010)

*northern cyprus*

:focus::focus::focus:


Veronica said:


> Most of the users on this forum live in southern cyprus so you might find it hard to get much information.
> I would however urge you todo your homework very thoroughly as Northern Cyprus unlike the south is not a member of the EU and you may not be entitled to free medical treatment there.
> 
> Also if you do decide to live in the north I would advise you to rent and under no circumstances consider buying in the North. Google the orams case and the latest ruling which gives the rightful owners of much of the land which has been built on illegally the right to compensation and re-instatement of their land.
> ...


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## haymarket (May 23, 2010)

Thanks Veronica, good advice, we know really it has to be the South, because of the E.U. just wondering about the North but as we all know, there are no free lunches, and cheap accomodation should not be the first priority. It is the healthcare that comes first, especially for my husband. I hear the South has premium healthcare, which is very reassuring. Thank you once again.

Haymarket.


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## cati (Jun 7, 2010)

although it's true that N. Cyprus is not an EU member, I find that what is written and published about it is greatly exaggerated and somewhat misinformed. check things out for yourself. BTW health care is certainly not free of charge in S. Cyprus!


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

cati said:


> although it's true that N. Cyprus is not an EU member, I find that what is written and published about it is greatly exaggerated and somewhat misinformed. check things out for yourself. BTW health care is certainly not free of charge in S. Cyprus!


Whether it is free or not depends on yoru circumstances. Anyone who is working has to pay a contribution according to their earnings.
Uk penioners get free treatment which is reimbursed by Britain.

For anyone who is earning uop to €10k treatment at the general is f ree.
earnings from €10k to €15k you pay 25%
earnings from €15k to €20k you pay 50.5
earnings over €20k you pay the full amount.


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## Cleo Shahateet (Feb 23, 2009)

When you go into the general hospital too it seems to depend on who is there and what the situation is. We took our 5 month old in to the ER when his doctor was out of town and they took good and quick care of him but did not ask for any ID, paperwork or anything at all - just the age of the baby to treat him properly. When we left they wrote us a prescription, we asked if we owed anything, they said no and that was it - we left. We left a bit confused about it all but overall happy with the service we got.


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## haymarket (May 23, 2010)

Thank you for that input, I should also think baby's would have priority anywhere, which is wonderful to hear.


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## cati (Jun 7, 2010)

Veronica said:


> Whether it is free or not depends on yoru circumstances. Anyone who is working has to pay a contribution according to their earnings.
> Uk penioners get free treatment which is reimbursed by Britain.
> 
> For anyone who is earning uop to €10k treatment at the general is f ree.
> ...


exactly, Veronica! so, even though UK pensioners get a pretty sweet deal here, the rest of us do not enjoy free health care at all :eyebrows:
thanks for the detailed info too!


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## gerrit (Jul 15, 2008)

How is the ecomomy in Northern Cyprus? Is it easy to find a job when you don't have a special university degree but are fluent in multiple languages?


I have considered the option because I have lived in Turkey proper. I couldn't stay because the employer made a mess out of the working permit application, but by then I had long fallen in love with Turkish culture, and the Turkish people. I'd love to return. 
But since Turkish economy is a disaster at the moment and working permits are hard to get, it has already several crossed my mind that maybe the Northern part of Cyprus could be an alternative. It for sure will have a Turkish-like atmosphere, the question for me would mainly be if it's easy to find a job there as a foreigner.


PS: I know it's risky to buy property there but I wouldn't want a property anyway, I prefer rentals because I never stay a really long time (= years and years) in a same place. So I would not consider buying anyway, my only concern would be if there is opportunity to earn an income and if the atmosphere is distinctively Turkish.


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## gerrit (Jul 15, 2008)

PS: if there are job opportunities, where to find them? Is there any employment agency in Northern Cyprus that also caters potential expats and whom I could send my CV?


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## Mgeo (Jul 13, 2010)

The 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' is not recognised by the British Government. Check out the fco.gov.uk website and its there in black and white.

Veronica is right, the Orams paid a high price for purchasing property that was built illegally and there are a lot more Greek Cypriots now filing court orders....its just not worth the risk.


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## gerrit (Jul 15, 2008)

My own opinion on the issue aside (that's irrelevant here) , it's not like I'm intending to buy anything even if the TRNC would get full diplomatic recognition. If I'd end up living there for a while (which I do consider should it prove to be impossible to go back to Turkey with a stable income - the TRNC seems a good alternative) then I'd rent a flat. I wouldn't buy anything even if it's not on disputed land. My question was more related to how easy/hard it is to get employed in the TRNC


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## gerrit (Jul 15, 2008)

The lack of responses (except for a very useful reply I got through PM - thanks to that member, you know who you are ) probably indicates jobhunting in Northern Cyprus is a rather difficult thing and that vacancies aren't plenty in numbers? 

There must be SOMETHING to do? But what type of work and what industry? What requirements have to be met to get a permit to live and work there? (I would assume that the Turkish rules may be valid due to the international community regarding Turkish Cyprus as being governed de facto by Turkey - even when that's not actually true) 

I'd really be interested in some serious advice on this, even if it's bad news. I love Spain but I still miss Turkey a lot. The economy in Turkey is in decay and it is increasingly hard to get in there. I often thought of TRNC as an alternative: distinctively Turkish, and probably quite open to expats as they can use influx from abroad to support their call that they're a proper country with people willing to go there... Maybe I'm wrong on that one but I wouldn't be surprised that the conditions to get into the TRNC are less strict than the conditions to legally get into mainland Turkey.


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## AradippouTales (Jan 27, 2010)

gerrit said:


> The lack of responses (except for a very useful reply I got through PM - thanks to that member, you know who you are ) probably indicates jobhunting in Northern Cyprus is a rather difficult thing and that vacancies aren't plenty in numbers?


I don't think so. My guess would be that the lack of responses is because those of us who live in the south just don't _know_ about job opportunities in the north. If you take a look at the locations of recent posters the majority are in the south.

<snip>

Best of luck,
Mands


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## gerrit (Jul 15, 2008)

I know, but still, I thought some may cross the border now and then and catch signals of which professionals are in demand, or maybe just by reading or hearing about it ... Is there any English language paper or online resource on Northern Cyprus that would list things like this? Or anyone who has an extended knowledge of life in the TRNC who could at least point me in the right direction?

If only Turkey-proper had a better economy I wouldn't even ask these questions as my biggest wish is to move back to Istanbul as soon as I possibly can. Unfortunately, economy in Turkey isn't doing well and permits are hard to get. Northern Cyprus may be a nice alternative should employment be less of a hassle there and under the condition that culturally it feels pretty much like Turkey proper.


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## Ardslad (Aug 8, 2009)

*Northern cyprus*



haymarket said:


> My husband and I want to relocate to Northern Cyprus, we are both retired. He is recovering from a major stroke four years ago, and requires a lot of medication. I realise medicine is quite cheap there, but if he had another stroke or anything else serious would it be expensive for treatment or is it free anyway in hospitals for all residents.


I have lived in Northern Cyprus for the last eight years and love it.
There is no free medical service for foreigners but they have a very very good medical service with most medical appointments on the same day and their skills and equipment up to date. my wife had a triple by pass which cost £6500 and was done the same week as it was diagnosed.
On arriving here you can get tempory residency of 90 days nd then you have to get it for the year which costs about £75.
Cost of living is less than in the south but you will not be able to get up to date items as easy as in the south. Due to the high tax on imports of electric goods and cars they can be expensive.
If you are coming here to live then it is wise to rent a property for a year. A nice villa on long term rent will be around £300 to £400 a month.
Situation on buying property is much the same in the South. Lots of expats being swindled. If you do eventaully decide to buy then buy a resale and Turkish title deeds. In the South they sell Turkish property and if thee is a settlement that issue will have to be addressed along with the Greek property land in the north. If you have rented for a year you will have found out the do's and dont's.
People say that coming here is like stepping into the past but it is getting there and with the EU grants ( even though we are not in the EU ) the infra structer is better.
There is little chance of getting a work permit unless you set up your own business.
There is very little crime here and what crime there is is mostly in the family. 
One last piece of advice. Do not believe all the propaganda you hear from either side. The problems did not start in 1974. 
If you are in the South on holiday then take a trip into the North. Going across the border either way is hassle free and the border control officers are very helpful.
Hope I have been able to help. You can take hire cars cross the border as long as you let the rental company know beforehand.
Hope this has been of some help.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Ardslad said:


> I have lived in Northern Cyprus for the last eight years and love it.
> . If you do eventaully decide to buy then buy a resale and Turkish title deeds. In the South they sell Turkish property and if thee is a settlement that issue will have to be addressed along with the Greek property land in the north.
> 
> Your information is misleading.
> ...


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## kwacka (Jul 3, 2009)

*The whole of the island is in the EU.*



Ardslad said:


> In the South they sell Turkish property and if thee is a settlement that issue will have to be addressed along with the Greek property land in the north.
> 
> People say that coming here is like stepping into the past but it is getting there and with the EU grants ( even though we are not in the EU ) the infra structer is better.


1. Turkish-Cypriots who own land in the south can (and have) returned to their property - in a couple of cases the courts have removed those living in their house so that the legal owners can return to them. There is also a Government appointed 'Guardian of Turkish-Cypriot properties'. Under law 139/1991: _the Guardian takes over the property and when the Cyprus problem is resolved it is handed back to its legal owners in the state it had been received._

2. The EU website states "*The whole of the island is in the EU.* However, in the northern part of the island, in the areas in which the Government of Cyprus does not exercise effective control, EU legislation is suspended in line with Protocol 10 of the Accession Treaty 2003."
i.e. the EU, along with every other country (bar Turkey) recognises that the Republic is the legitimate government of Cyprus.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

kwacka said:


> 1. Turkish-Cypriots who own land in the south can (and have) returned to their property - in a couple of cases the courts have removed those living in their house so that the legal owners can return to them. There is also a Government appointed 'Guardian of Turkish-Cypriot properties'. Under law 139/1991: _the Guardian takes over the property and when the Cyprus problem is resolved it is handed back to its legal owners in the state it had been received._
> 
> 2. The EU website states "*The whole of the island is in the EU.* However, in the northern part of the island, in the areas in which the Government of Cyprus does not exercise effective control, EU legislation is suspended in line with Protocol 10 of the Accession Treaty 2003."
> i.e. the EU, along with every other country (bar Turkey) recognises that the Republic is the legitimate government of Cyprus.


quote' the Guardian takes over the property and when the Cyprus problem is resolved it is handed back to its legal owners in the state it had been received.'

In many cases the properties are actually handed back in a better state than it was received as the people who were living in them, paying a rent to the government have updated them and spent money on keeping them in good order.


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## gerrit (Jul 15, 2008)

Veronica, since you seem to know the island very well, have you got any ideas on the job market in the North? 

I'd prefer moving back to Turkey proper, but I'd see the TRNC as a nice alternative should the desired move to Turkey not happen. I guess the TRNC is the closest to Turkish culture and lifestyle (and that's what I miss so much) you can get except for Turkey proper. Of course, you can't go without a job, bills must be paid (and then I indeed mean rent, I wouldn't buy a property in any place as for several reasons I prefer renting, regardless what city or country)


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

gerrit said:


> Veronica, since you seem to know the island very well, have you got any ideas on the job market in the North?
> 
> I'd prefer moving back to Turkey proper, but I'd see the TRNC as a nice alternative should the desired move to Turkey not happen. I guess the TRNC is the closest to Turkish culture and lifestyle (and that's what I miss so much) you can get except for Turkey proper. Of course, you can't go without a job, bills must be paid (and then I indeed mean rent, I wouldn't buy a property in any place as for several reasons I prefer renting, regardless what city or country)


Hi gerrit, 
Sorry I cannot help you as I don't have any contacts in the North. We have been contacted by developers in the north but refuse to become involved with selling property there because of all the problems.
Good luck with your quest, and I am pleased to hear that you are being sensible and not intending to buy up there.

Regards
Veronica


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