Excitement and trepidation simultaneously

[Robert]

Well our move to Cyprus is really happening. I've now finished up with work and 95% of our belongings are now on a boat heading to Cyprus. For the next few days we're effectively camping in our flat until the final 5% is collected then it's straight onto a plane for us. We have 2 weeks of temporary accommodation and 2 weeks of car hire booked which hopefully is enough time to get ourselves something more permanent.

In the end we went for 2 shipments which cost about 5% more but it means as we come out of our temporary accommodation most of our belongings will be with us while at the UK end we minimise costs as we only need one night of temporary accommodation.

Thanks to the many of you who've offered suggestions and recommendations which has helped us get this far. I also have a plan, based on many of those recommendations, to get us established. We've started the private healthcare applications which seem to be taking forever so I'm glad we started while in the UK. Now we just need to get our MEU1's before Brexit day. Fingers crossed the waiting time for appointments for those are not the same as for an MEU3 as a couple of weeks ago I heard they were now out to mid-March 2019! The last thing we want is to land and then be turned back in the event of a no deal because of bureucarcy. I guess we all pays our money and takes our chances...

Hoping I can make a bit more of a contribution to PL going forwards.

[Jim B]

I still remember the excitement of leaving the UK for Cyprus nearly sixteen years ago; never regretted it.

Enjoy your adventure.

Jim

[Robert]

Many thanks for the wishes Hudswell and thanks so much for all the suggestions to help get me this far. You're a gem!

[Robert]

I hope we experience the same as you Jim. It feels right, our spreadsheet (LOL) says it's right and our visits confirmed it but you never really know until you're on the ground really living it. Thanks for the wishes.

[Mike.1940]

Robert good luck with your move. Are you aware if you are of retirement age that you are entitled to buy NEW any car and it will be tax free in Cyprus. You can only do this once when you first arrive. Hopefully this info is not out of date so well worth the time making the enquiry.

[Robert]

Thanks for that hint Mike. Unfortunately (well actually fortunately ) it's early retirement for me. Thus the private healthcare requirement. I also have the fun of proving to the migration department that I have "Fixed or adequate income from employment outside the Republic..." without a regular pension payment or monthly rental income.

[PolemIan]

Enjoy!

[jeba]

Thanks for that hint Mike. Unfortunately (well actually fortunately ) it's early retirement for me. Thus the private healthcare requirement. I also have the fun of proving to the migration department that I have "Fixed or adequate income from employment outside the Republic..." without a regular pension payment or monthly rental income.

€ 30,000 credit per person in your bank account will substitute for that. At least it did in 2016 I was told.

[ApusApus]

I remember going back to the UK in 2017 for a few days and couldn't wait to get back to Cyprus so don't look back Robert, it's a no-brainer as far as I am concerned!


Shane

[WHL]

My advice is make friends with Cypriots, Brits and any other good people, your be richer for it.

[Robert]

€ 30,000 credit per person in your bank account will substitute for that. At least it did in 2016 I was told.

Thanks for that hint jeba. I've never been able to get a number from anybody. Did you get that from the migration department or a red tape company? Also did you need that in a Cypriot bank or was it good enough to be in a UK bank with a few transfers to Cyprus?

[Robert]

My advice is make friends with Cypriots, Brits and any other good people, your be richer for it.

I agree - any other good people will do me.

[Yioula]

Enjoy embrace the life learn a little Greek never look back.......

[jeba]

€ 30,000 credit per person in your bank account will substitute for that. At least it did in 2016 I was told.

Thanks for that hint jeba. I've never been able to get a number from anybody. Did you get that from the migration department or a red tape company? Also did you need that in a Cypriot bank or was it good enough to be in a UK bank with a few transfers to Cyprus?

I was told so by another expat, not from the horse´s mouth - so I cannot guarantuee that it was correct. Plus it was in 2016 (when I applied for my MEU1) so that number might have changed. The regulations are vague on this - it just says "appropriate amount". I don´t know how much leeway the individual case workers have in that regard and whether it´s the same in every district. I applied with pension/rental income so I never needed to test whether it´s true. What I was told by my case worker is that in 2016 a pension would have to be at least € 800.

When I applied I didn´t have a Cypriot bank account which didn´t raise any eyebrows. Therefore, my guess is that it´s good enough to have the funds in a UK account. If I remember correctly I couldn´t open a Cypriot bank account without the MEU1 anyway.

[JimX]

Robert hello again, I think the MEU3 you need to have been a resident for five years or more, so do not worry too much about that just yet, by all means, try for the older version MEU1, you will after a few months need to register with the immigration and tax office, if you are not in the age bracket for free health care here then you have done the correct thing and gone for private health insurance, do remember though they usually do not cover pre-conditions not always but usually.

All of us here I'm sure wish you all the very best, certainly after 18 years I have no regrets. As time progresses you will find it is not that difficult to settle here, some miss family and friends, I am sure you have thought long and hard about that.

Finally I spent days prior to shipping out here, writing all the recommendations members of an old defunct forum suggested, printed large amounts of paperwork, we never looked at it again.

[Dominic]

You will be fine Robert. Welcome to Cyprus!

[Robert]

I was told so by another expat, not from the horse´s mouth - so I cannot guarantuee that it was correct. Plus it was in 2016 (when I applied for my MEU1) so that number might have changed. The regulations are vague on this - it just says "appropriate amount". I don´t know how much leeway the individual case workers have in that regard and whether it´s the same in every district. I applied with pension/rental income so I never needed to test whether it´s true. What I was told by my case worker is that in 2016 a pension would have to be at least € 800.

When I applied I didn´t have a Cypriot bank account which didn´t raise any eyebrows. Therefore, my guess is that it´s good enough to have the funds in a UK account. If I remember correctly I couldn´t open a Cypriot bank account without the MEU1 anyway.

Thanks for sharing jeba

I've contacted a red tape company who wouldn't tell me the requirements but did tell me the resources we had available to us were good enough and that we should contact them when we land.

I did get a response from migration that said "In order to apply with an MEU1 form you should submit an adequate income in your bank account about €1000 per month if you are not working in Cyprus." So that sounds a little like what you were told. I asked for clarification on whether that was for an individual or couple plus where the money had to be and never received a response.

With Brexit just around the corner we want to be sure to get it first time so we'll probably use a red tape service to make sure we have the right paperwork and money in the right place.

[Robert]

Robert hello again, I think the MEU3 you need to have been a resident for five years or more, so do not worry too much about that just yet, by all means, try for the older version MEU1, you will after a few months need to register with the immigration and tax office, if you are not in the age bracket for free health care here then you have done the correct thing and gone for private health insurance, do remember though they usually do not cover pre-conditions not always but usually.

All of us here I'm sure wish you all the very best, certainly after 18 years I have no regrets. As time progresses you will find it is not that difficult to settle here, some miss family and friends, I am sure you have thought long and hard about that.

Finally I spent days prior to shipping out here, writing all the recommendations members of an old defunct forum suggested, printed large amounts of paperwork, we never looked at it again.

Thanks Jim

Sorry should have been more clear. Understand MEU3 is after 5 years but am hoping the MEU1 and MEU3 booking queues are different as the MEU3 queue I know is approaching Brexit day. I hope the MEU1 queue is earlier than that as to be registering post-Brexit if there is no deal on the withdrawal agreement could get very interesting.

[Dominic]

As long as you do the legwork at the start, you biggest worry should be where the best souvlaki is rather than your MEU1 registration. Just do the bits that you have to do and it is out of your hands then.

[Robert]

As long as you do the legwork at the start, you biggest worry should be where the best souvlaki is rather than your MEU1 registration. Just do the bits that you have to do and it is out of your hands then.

My bold. Agreed. Now where is the best souvlaki in Paphos?