# Don't know what to do, please help...!



## southlondoner (Oct 18, 2011)

Hello to everyone!

I've seen many threads by people that want to move and have kids and what-not and want to start fresh, but nothing much about someone in my age range wanting to start a new life in Cyprus, so a few opinions would really help make my decision.

I'm 25, British, and I want to move to Cyprus to live for good. I've just spent the last 2 months there and really enjoyed it. Hot weather, nice people, good food etc, but facing the facts, everything is expensive and it's hard to find work, especially not being Cypriot. Now I did ask a number of people about the current situation, and it sounded mostly negative. But despite that I'm still set on doing this. Leaving London has it's reasons, I don't like the crime, the cold weather, and all the usually things, but the main reason is that I just want to make a change because I hate where I live and the people around here (Croydon). I did say I'd asked some people about living in Cyprus, and it was mostly negative answers I recieved, and whilst I'm hoping for some positive replies to combat what I've heard, the truth is the truth, so I'd like some down to Earth responses.

Firstly, I'm not a fluent Greek speaker, I'm going to start learning, but job related I know this isn't good, I will learn it if I know for sure I will move there, and I'm half Greek and can get help if needed from my family, but I will need to get a job, so let's just pretend I did learn the language. I've been told that if you're a foreigner to 'forget it' by a friend out there, also an estate agent I spoke to told me it's hard, but I told him I'm a sattelite engineer and apparently you can earn money if you have the right contacts for this type of work, but either ways I would be happy to work anywhere like a shop or restaurant, how hard finding this will be I don't know. A job is the main focus if I want to live there, so my question is, realistically, will I be abe to find work in Cyprus or not?

Then there's the crime, while I was there, 2 bank robberies occured, in Larnaca and Limmasol, and this to me is serious crime, plus an internet cafe was exploded. These crimes seem worser than in London! Plus, the same friend who told me to forget finding work told me about how the Police force is corrupt, small shops and even bakeries are being robbed at gun point and the mafia there seem to cause a lot of problems. I couldn't believe what I was hearing from her, and found it a bit hard to take in, as Cyprus seemed to be very pleasant and safe to me, especially in Larnaca where I stayed. The bank robbers did get caught anyway. Also, and another person told me that the reason why bank robberies happen there is because the chance of getting away is higher. So this question is, is the crime really that bad?

Lastly, I've heard a lot of 'we made a big mistake by moving' from people that did move from London to Cyprus, the cost of living there is a joke, food, clothes, bills for gas and electricity are too high, and that has also had an effect on my decision, but I am a very conservative person, I won't be wasting electric and gas much at all, I don't watch much TV, and don't think the issue of paying these bills will be a major problem if I can find some form of work. Is the cost of living really that bad?

I won't go on, those are the main subjects, but finallly, I would appreciate any general advice from people who have made the move and what other probems I may encounter. 

One piece of information to include is that my Gran is planning to buy a flat there, and that's the big benefit for me, because I won't have to worry about rent, so that plays an important role in me being able to make the move without the problem of finding somewhere to live and rent, so with that happening, I hope it will be possible for me to live there as I would live here in London. And I do know I'll have to serve at least 6 months in the army...that is not a problem for me, if it means leaving London I don't care because I've just had enough of living here. I hate all these young thugs out on the streets, robberies, rude people, depressing weather, and even finding a job here at the moment is really hard aswell, that's why despite all the bad things I heard about making a move to Cyprus, it doesn't compare to the life in the part of London I live in. Cyprus seems like a breath of fresh air.

I will respect any responses to this thread anyone decided to give to help me out here because I'm just not 100% sure what to do. Is leaving London really a good idea or not?

Thanks for your time!


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## zin (Oct 28, 2010)

Hi. 

First let me start by saying I'm a Cypriot however I've been raised around Cypriots and non-Cypriots and have MANY friends in Cyprus who do not speak Greek yet have lived and worked there their whole life. A few have Cypriot background but most have no Cypriot family.

English is widely spoken, in fact I'd go as far as to say I would not want to try and find work for a company where Greek is mandatory as even though I speak Greek fluently I am more comfortable with working in the English language . So as much as you are going to learn Greek I don't believe you should aim for a job which requires it.

The problem you have is your skillset. You want to work in a restaurant or bar but these kind of jobs go to the people who will accept the lowest pay. The people I know who work in Cyprus have a skill, they work in a office, some are programmers, others have a background in admin, some are teachers and others are qualified accountants. What's your line of work?

Crime is more evident in Cyprus as it's a small country and gets reported more. I lived in Cyprus most of my life and serious crime has never affected me or anyone I know. The only crime you need to worry about is more petty crime such as handbag theft or house burglary, very common things in London. The serious crime you see is usually gang related, keep away from gangs (much as you would do in London) and this will not affect you in the slightest. 

Personally I think your friend is exaggerating because something like a bank robbery or a bakery getting held at gun point is a big thing and by the time word of mouth reaches your friend it gets blown out of proportion (some kid probably stole a koupa or something and ran off on his bike). I don't think getting away in Cyprus is easier, we have no land borders so unless the thieves intend to cross the border to the Turkish side and disappear for good then it's likely they will get caught if it's a serious crime. I know someone who had their laptop stolen and within 40 minutes the CID found the kids that did it and got his stuff back for him (this was quite lucky to be fair, but can you imagine that happening in London?).

Cost of living has been covered many times on this forum, have a look around for specific costs. The cost of living is not as high as you think, the problem is the salary you earn may not be as high but again you don't get taxed as much so it's all swings and roundabouts. Personally I believe that if you live your life in the same way you do in London the cost is quite comparable, the mistake people make when they come here is they start going out more (restaurants, cafes etc...) as the culture is such that you do. The more you go out the more money you spend, it's simple. For every one thing that is more expensive in Cyprus there is another that is more expensive in London.

If you wait until you are 26 I think you only do 3 months army.


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## Nok (Sep 29, 2011)

Hi southlonder

I'm very much in the same position as you, I am planing a move to Cyprus (larnaca) next year, at 31 I want to start a new life and have the same worries about work, I'm also living in Croydon, had enough, and im sure i would be more suited to the life style there. 
Would also have to do national service but have no problem with that if it means to live in Cyprus  if I even get called up with I hear is unlikely. 
Zin and all the guys on this site are most helpful and have a fountain of knowledge  
It does seem that it is who you know not what you know in Cyprus when it comes to work and the horror story's I hear lot of seem to be couples or young family's , I think for us with no ties as long as we can get our foot in the door in relation to work is key, also not having to pay rent is a big factor. 
Good luck and hopefully we will get the chance to chat about all this over a drink next year in Cyprus


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## JonandGaynor (Jun 8, 2009)

I don't know where you're getting your info from but National Service only applies to those who have Cypriot citizenship and from Cypriot parentage, you will be there on a residents permit (yellow slip).


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## Nok (Sep 29, 2011)

Both my parents are Cypriot but I was born in the uk


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## Miss Daisy (Jan 24, 2011)

It seems to me that people who have negative experiences here in Cyprus or Cyprus has not met their expectations can be quite vocal and then they make negative statements that can deter others. Sometimes I wonder if they are living in the same place I am living in or maybe they say these things to deter others from moving here. Or maybe my tolerance level is different than theirs.

Anyway, I have found Cyprus to be a wonderful place to live. I have lived in many places in the USA, 2 different locations in Russia, in Slovakia, and in Bulgaria. I find Cyprus to be very safe, though I do live in a village in eastern Cyprus and not in one of the major cities. I can run out to the store and leave my front door unlocked without any worries. I have found the government people to be helpful (all except one man at the Dept of Transportation and perhaps he was having a bad day). 99.99% of the Cypriots I have encountered have been most pleasant and very kind to me.

Work is a problem here, no doubt. It's not an issue for me, though. The key is to be proactive and get out and pound the pavement so to speak and you will find something. Being able to speak Greek is definitely a plus.

If you have the opportunity, you might want to come and live in Cyprus for a few months before actually making the move. That will be enough time for you to get the lay of the land and a feel for whether Cyprus really is the right place for you.


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## southlondoner (Oct 18, 2011)

Thanks for replying.

zin, you seem to have knowledge on the matter. I know this friend of mine was rather negative, she is about 70, I say friends but she is she's my uncle's girlfriend, it was the first time seeing her and she didn't have a lot to say that was good.

My main line of work would be satellite installation, I have worked for Sky TV, and VirginMedia, so have experience installing TV and internet, and also telephones. I think finding work for this would be quite hard, I know SKY and Virgin aren't in Cyprus, and most people get private people to set up satellites, especially since a lot of people are foreigners and want them massive dishes that pick up channels from all over the world. I'm prepared to do any sort of job while I get settled in, even if it's for low pay.

The way you talk of the crime is more relistic anyway, it's true, gangsters are everwhere, but just keep out of their way, and the same rule applies in Cyprus I guess. Living costs, I think, I'll manage, I went to Greece 10 years ago and we ate out everyday nearly, but during my time in Cyprus, I was expecting to eat out more often, but we never went to one restaurant, we went to the Orphanides center for shopping, and ate home cooked food everynight, only twice we got kebabs from a takeaway, we needed to save the money. 

Thanks for your advice it's a positive look for me.

Nok, you are in my situation, especially being from Croydon too, that a coincidence! You know what its like here, and the things is I'm hoping to move to Larnaca as well so I might well bump into you if I'm out there, it's a small world. Having no ties has its advantages though you're right about that.

And lastly JonandGaynor, I was told that anyone who wants to stay permanently has to serve their time in the army, if you're male and over 16(and not too old either!). If you go there on holiday and stay for over 90 days, legally you have to go to the army, at least I think.

Just noticed your reply miss daisy, yes I agree the negative comments are too much, I relised most were coming from people who made the move expecting things to be easy, I am actually prepared for it, life is hard in the end of the day, and I'm not just getting sucked in by the nice weather, it's going to be hard work and I'm ready for that. It's nice to see you have a good experience of living there, the more good things I hear the better.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Southlondoner I don't know who told you that you will have to serve in the army. That is totally false unless you are of Cypriot origin.


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## steveg63 (Sep 5, 2010)

Hi southlondoner, we moved out here 7 months ago, 3 young kids, my wife and myself, granted we did not need to find a job, the cost of living is probably on a par with the UK, fresh food cheaper, meats/chicken same as, electricity is the big one, but when you put this against the heating costs and Council Tax in the UK your utility bills would not be that much different, the hard part is getting out of the 'holiday mode', very easy to go out for coffee and lunch then dinner - once you get out of this everything works out ok, the job front cant comment but there are a lot of places advertising in the windows for staff, we were is Paphos for coffee this morning and walked past 3 shops wanting staff.
Good luck in what ever you decide.
Steve


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## southlondoner (Oct 18, 2011)

Thanks Steve. I do realise a lot of people eat out and all that, this is something I won't be doing, I will eat at home as I do here, it works out a lot cheaper too. It's true about getting out of the holiday mode too, it's easy to get sucked in and thinking its all about fun and sun but the harsh reality is that life is hard no matter where you live, no matter the weather, and being a foreigner in Cyprus will be difficult, wether I have Cypriot blood in me or not, but anything beats living in a South London council estate where everyone is broke, stealing and drug dealing, I think it's time to make a change, as my family have always been telling me, and now that I've started agreeing with them and made a final decision, I'm coming to grips with how difficult it's actually going to be. At least I have a goal to try and achieve now, gotta go for it.

And Veronica, I thought that any male wanting to gain permanent visas in Cyprus had to join the army, I am half Cypriot anyway, don't know if that makes a change, but I thought it was mandatory for all nationaities, maybe I was wrong.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Non Cypriot males do not have to join the army and being half Cypriot does not neccessarily mean you have to join. I think it depends on whether your father or your mother is Cypriot. You will have make enquiries about it.
However being half Cypriot could certainly be of great help in settling here as you will have family to help you.


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## southlondoner (Oct 18, 2011)

Well the Cypriot is from my Dad's side so I think I will have to join the army, unfortunately, but it's not a big deal for me, I'm prepared for that. I do have some family over there and that too does help a lot.


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## zin (Oct 28, 2010)

When I was doing the army the law used to be if your father was Cypriot you had to do the army, I understand this is now either parent.

Satellite installers in Cyprus are usually small family owned companies. The big thing is the set up of illegal dreamboxes. It's not the best industry to be in, in Cyprus however do check Primetel, Cablenet and PlanetSky, they may have something in your field.


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## kimonas (Jul 19, 2008)

It is tough for young families moving over with dependents, because of the poor job propsects situation and the rising cost of living. For those that are youngish, free and single, with only one person to worry about it is easier to compromise, easier to accept poor salaries and sometimes questionable working practices/dodgey working conditions. As others have pointed out, however, it is getting increasingly difficult to find employment. With the economic crisis in Greece (and EU regulations) certain sectors are being flooded with native Greek speakers that will probably have an advantage over non-Greek speakers (as a generalisation). For casual work, the market is already saturated with migrant workers and O/S students whose visa conditions permit employment and they are usually persuaded to work for ridiculously low salaries (as for them it still presents a small fortune). If you have family connections, that will always be an advantage. On balance, and if you go into this with your eyes wide open, it is probably going to be equally tough wrt work and employment, but at least here the weather is good and people are generally laid back and less likely to look for aggro/confrontation which leads to less stress, even if you're overworked and underpaid (but have enough to get by).


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## Kalimera (Oct 19, 2011)

We are stuck in two minds to pack up and leave the UK for a life in Cyprus but the thing that is stopping us is how to earn a living over there to pay the bills. 

If you are planning to work in a bar or restuarant they offer very low wages and you will probably (like alot of people there) have to find a second job.

I would look to setup a business over there doing what you do, and what you know. We have an apartment on a complex and we have installed a satellite dish on the site and then it's upto the individual apartments to contact the isntallers (English I think) to arrange for the install. We are paying 600 Euros for the install, which includes a freeview box. On our complex there are 48 apartments, work out the numbers!


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## southlondoner (Oct 18, 2011)

Thanks zin. I had no idea about these companies so I appreciate the help. And yeah at what kimonas is saying, as I figured, it's all true, especially about the crisis in Greece leading to natives flying in to work, naturally it would happen. I think I gotta jump in and test the water, go there for a bit, see if you can find anything, I didn't go job hunting during the 2 months there, but I would like to pick up on some of the language before getting work, personally. It's South London at the mo...


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## Bubblehead (Oct 6, 2011)

Southlondoner

Hiya mate, sounds like you are living in the Bronx. I was born in London and wouldn't move back there. I don't blame you for wanting a better life. Look on here and you will see so many people wanting a fresh start. You are young with no commitments and have somewhere to live in Cyprus already. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I am sure you wont look back. Good luck


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## Puffik (Nov 27, 2011)

My neighbor's boy was born here - he avoided Army as he has only Brit citizenship. You may have a problem if your family (particularly on father's side) are Cypriot citizens.


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## southlondoner (Oct 18, 2011)

It's not The Bronx (yet) but it's quite grim and depressing, all I have to do is take a drive around the neighbourhood to remind myself how bad it is, Poilce always flying about, hoodlums everywhere, jobs going low, it's not good, there's a lot of jobless people around, and because of that, a lot of thieves too.

Yes, my Dad is from Cyprus originally, so I would have to do time in the army but I actually don't mind, if it's my ticket in I'll do it. Just have to wait and see what happens.


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