Sky news this morning.

[JimX]

Morning all.

Did members see Sky news this morning interviewing ex-pats regarding the UK leaving the Union, many felt that would impact living in Spain regarding health cover for OAPs and other help, it is only speculation because we have 2 years negotiations on this possible problem that we could also face here on Cyprus.

Try and catch up on this if you have Sky news.

http://news.sky.com/video/digi-151012we ... t-10817657

http://news.sky.com/video/digi-151012we ... t-10817657

http://news.sky.com/story/will-brexit-h ... s-10324380


Jim.....

[Dominic]

Provided this thread doesn't descend into a Brexit spat I will leave this here as it is of interest and relevant to a lot of people. If people want to have a row about Brexit, please join one of the (many) threads in the Politics section. If this turns into yet another Brexit row it will join the others in the Politics section.

[JimX]

I agree with your comments Dominic, it is not directly a Brexit thread, but it certainly concerns many OAPs like myself who have lived on the island for a long time.

I had my say months ago about this vote one I was not then or now in favor of, today's Sky news article is worrying for us OAP and those who maybe going in that direction.

I do not wish to join the political sections, been there and done it Dom..cheers,

[Dominic]

In that case, if the B word gets prominent I will leave this thread here and spin off the B posts into a new thread on the politics section.

[ApusApus]

In General it would appear from the clips that the Spanish expats are pretty upbeat about BREXIT! and whilst acknowledging that their will be difficult times ahead, in all likelihood it will to out okay. My personal view in regard to health services, in particular Cyprus, nothing will change and the reciprocal agreements will continue, there may be some changes to our "residency" status but probably going back to a similar situation prior to Cyprus joining to the EU. Gibraltar is different and I am sure he Spanish will try everything to gain further influence on the Colony.

I agree, the average person will probably not notice much difference when we finally emerge from the "B" word!


Shane

[WHL]

If people think things will carry on as they were, they will get a big shock....You will need permission to live / work/ own property/ etc etc.. as for health, think back how things were before Cyprus was in the EU...no EHIC card etc...How many Expats are currently living here with out registering for residency? good luck with that one... I personally wanted the UK to get out of Europe, but Im sure things will be much harder for us who live in Cyprus.

[emgee]

We managed before Cyprus joined the EU, I'm sure we will manage again.

Alan

[cyprusgrump]

If people think things will carry on as they were, they will get a big shock....You will need permission to live / work/ own property/ etc etc.. as for health, think back how things were before Cyprus was in the EU...no EHIC card etc...How many Expats are currently living here with out registering for residency? good luck with that one... I personally wanted the UK to get out of Europe, but Im sure things will be much harder for us who live in Cyprus.

It was very easy to come here pre-EU.

I bought a house, a car, rented somewhere to live while the house was being built and opened a bank account within a three week holiday.

When I returned a few months later, I completed the paperwork to achieve my 'Aliens book'. About the same paperwork that is required 14 years later to get a 'Yellow Slip'.

As you say, Cyprus (rightly in my opinion) still requires migrants to register here and prove they won't be a burden on the state. But that needent be complex or onerous...

[trevnhil]

We managed before Cyprus joined the EU, I'm sure we will manage again.

Alan

Cyprus will still be in the EU..

Trev..

[WHL]

If people think things will carry on as they were, they will get a big shock....You will need permission to live / work/ own property/ etc etc.. as for health, think back how things were before Cyprus was in the EU...no EHIC card etc...How many Expats are currently living here with out registering for residency? good luck with that one... I personally wanted the UK to get out of Europe, but Im sure things will be much harder for us who live in Cyprus.

It was very easy to come here pre-EU.

I bought a house, a car, rented somewhere to live while the house was being built and opened a bank account within a three week holiday.

When I returned a few months later, I completed the paperwork to achieve my 'Aliens book'. About the same paperwork that is required 14 years later to get a 'Yellow Slip'.

As you say, Cyprus (rightly in my opinion) still requires migrants to register here and prove they won't be a burden on the state. But that needent be complex or onerous...

Years ago, very few people came to Cyprus to work, the majority came to retire here, if you wanted to open a business you needed to have a Cypriot partner,...many people now come here with young family's, hoping to find work...that will change as priority will be given to EU nationals....Before EU..you needed permisson for everything...that will return..My reply was to the people who take the attitude nothing will change, have another KEO....as I said, are they in for a shock.

[cyprusgrump]

If people think things will carry on as they were, they will get a big shock....You will need permission to live / work/ own property/ etc etc.. as for health, think back how things were before Cyprus was in the EU...no EHIC card etc...How many Expats are currently living here with out registering for residency? good luck with that one... I personally wanted the UK to get out of Europe, but Im sure things will be much harder for us who live in Cyprus.

It was very easy to come here pre-EU.

I bought a house, a car, rented somewhere to live while the house was being built and opened a bank account within a three week holiday.

When I returned a few months later, I completed the paperwork to achieve my 'Aliens book'. About the same paperwork that is required 14 years later to get a 'Yellow Slip'.

As you say, Cyprus (rightly in my opinion) still requires migrants to register here and prove they won't be a burden on the state. But that needent be complex or onerous...

Years ago, very few people came to Cyprus to work, the majority came to retire here, if you wanted to open a business you needed to have a Cypriot partner,...many people now come here with young family's, hoping to find work...that will change as priority will be given to EU nationals....Before EU..you needed permisson for everything...that will return..My reply was to the people who take the attitude nothing will change, have another KEO....as I said, are they in for a shock.

I don't remember it being that difficult. I got the impression that Cyprus was 'open for business' and I'm fairly sure that I'f I'd walked into an accountant to start a company they would have had one of their staff signed up as 'Company Secretary' pretty quickly...

Given the growing strength of anti-EU feeling across Europe, the EU needs to be very careful not to be seen to be punishing UK expats for daring to choose to leave.

It is also difficult to see how they could justify sanctions against British expats while simultaneously welcoming migrants from African countries and insisting that EU countries take their share.

Interesting times.

[Mark]

I arrived here pre EU, and it was fairly straight forward to open a bank account buy a house, etc.

However Cyprus will now need to comply with whatever it sister EU countries decide, the past is just that, its gone.
Cyprus will be 1 of 28 votes, so these reciprocal arrangements need sorted soonest to end the uncertainty.

[WHL]

It was very easy to come here pre-EU.

I bought a house, a car, rented somewhere to live while the house was being built and opened a bank account within a three week holiday.

When I returned a few months later, I completed the paperwork to achieve my 'Aliens book'. About the same paperwork that is required 14 years later to get a 'Yellow Slip'.

As you say, Cyprus (rightly in my opinion) still requires migrants to register here and prove they won't be a burden on the state. But that needent be complex or onerous...

Years ago, very few people came to Cyprus to work, the majority came to retire here, if you wanted to open a business you needed to have a Cypriot partner,...many people now come here with young family's, hoping to find work...that will change as priority will be given to EU nationals....Before EU..you needed permisson for everything...that will return..My reply was to the people who take the attitude nothing will change, have another KEO....as I said, are they in for a shock.

I don't remember it being that difficult. I got the impression that Cyprus was 'open for business' and I'm fairly sure that I'f I'd walked into an accountant to start a company they would have had one of their staff signed up as 'Company Secretary' pretty quickly...

Given the growing strength of anti-EU feeling across Europe, the EU needs to be very careful not to be seen to be punishing UK expats for daring to choose to leave.


It is also difficult to see how they could justify sanctions against British expats while simultaneously welcoming migrants from African countries and insisting that EU countries take their share.

Interesting times.

You needed a Cypriot equal partner not a ''secretary'' to open a Business...

[LouiseCastricum]

When we came to Cyprus 23 years ago, buying a house and opening a bank account was not difficult if you had the money BUT you were not allowed to work (the so-called category F) And if you wanted to start your own company 51% of the company shares had to belong to a Cypriot.

As far as I see it, after two years UK will still be part of Europe but not being a EU member. So, of course things will change, that is what the people voted for.

[WHL]

When we came to Cyprus 23 years ago, buying a house and opening a bank account was not difficult if you had the money BUT you were not allowed to work (the so-called category F) And if you wanted to start your own company 51% of the company shares had to belong to a Cypriot.

As far as I see it, after two years UK will still be part of Europe but not being a EU member. So, of course things will change, that is what the people voted for.

Correct

[JimX]

Not sure if this counts for anything but Cyprus is part of the UK Commonwealth.

[Jimgward]

I don't think Cyprus will take steps to make life difficult for ex pats in cyprus.... as long as they are financially self sufficient. People working may find a different story.

However. The rest of the EU may well become cheesed off with how negotiations proceed. Few divorces follow a smooth path and we see today, Britain threatening lack of cooperation over security and the EU countering with threats of being blackmailed. We will see a lot of this over the coming years.

How it comes out will affect Cyprus, as well as other countries. The eu will vote as a block and follow rules as a block.

[geoffreys]

Not sure if this counts for anything but Cyprus is part of the UK Commonwealth.

Along with Malta.
Deals were already in place on health, property, residency conditions, and so on before either UK or Cyprus/Malta joined the EU.
These deals are easily brought back into use again where there are differences with EU "block" policy/ies.
Might be a little more tricky for British Expats residing elsewhere in the EU.
Which is why, quite correctly, Mrs May refused to guarantee the rights of EU Citizens residing in UK before the rights of UK
Citizens residing in the EU were agreed with the 27 EU Member States.
May you live in interesting times! (Confucious).
Geoff.

[Lofos-Jan]

I think many are missing the point. How it used to be pre EU has got no bearing on the situation now. Cyprus cannot bring back any 'pre-EU' deals because Cyprus itself is now in the EU! The circumstances have changed and Cyprus will no longer be free to set its own rules on who can reside here (as it could before 2004).

Jeanne

[Lofos-Jan]

Only the wealthy Russians reside here and you have to own a property to obtain a visa. There are thousands of Brits living in Cyprus who rent their properties, and many who have to work and live on modest means. These are the ones who may be most affected.

Jeanne