By Trevor Hughes ….
Minimum Wage Increase….
With effect from 25th February 2020, the Minimum Wage was increased by 420TL and is now officially 3820TL pm.
Because the Government Health Insurance fee is related to the minimum wage, (although not at the moment) the emergency health facility will probably increase to reflect the increase. For residency purposes, you will have to show 3 x 3820TL for proof of income in regards to rental property or 1 x 3820TL if you own a property.
Also, there are many traffic violations connected to the level of minimum wage paid, so be aware that even these fines have increased.
Wills & Testaments
For those of you who are in the process of completing your Last Will & Testament, you may wish to
register it at the Girne Court House. The office is located by the archway and is the second office on the left hand side.
Working hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 09:00am till 11:00am only. The cost of registration is by way of 98TL, paid in postage stamps.
If you are in need of assistance creating a Will here in the TRNC, Capital Bank, Alsancak Branch offer all the help you need to formulate an acceptable Last Will & Testament. The cost is only 75TL for a professionally written Will, tailored to your exact requirements, far cheaper than paying a legally qualified person up to £250 per will. These Wills have been tested in the courts here and are more than acceptable.
TRNC Driving Licence Applications/Renewals
When applying for a first-time TRNC driving licence, please ensure that the licence you submit for verification is still valid and has not expired, because it will not be accepted by the main Licensing Office in Lefkoşa.
If you are in the process of renewing your UK or EU Licence, a letter/receipt confirming that you have applied for a licence will not be accepted either.
In order for a successful application, you must provide a valid photocard licence for the application to proceed. Not all foreign country licences are accepted here for automatic transfer. If your licence is from one of these countries the only way to obtain a full TRNC licence is to re-sit a driving test.
If your application is supported with a South Cyprus Licence, you must also provide Title Deeds OR a Tenancy Agreement in your name as proof of residence, in addition to the usual paperwork.
Muhtar Letters
Please bear in mind when using a Muhtar Letter for any Government procedure, it must be dated and is only valid for a 7 day period within one week of your application.
Price Hike for Medicines
Drug prices have been increased by 12.1 percent, by the Cyprus Turkish Pharmacists Association. Around 80 percent of drugs sourced from Turkey increased in price in private pharmacies as of Tuesday, 18 February. Even with this price rise, many drugs here, are considerably cheaper than prescription drugs in the UK. This is only one of many price rises in the pipeline that will be introduced before or after the election in April this year. Eg;- petrol, electricity, etc. etc.
Koop Bank Residency Health Requirements
Be aware. The Koop Bank on the GAU site in Karaoğlanoğlu are telling customers that those under the age of 60 years, do not need the insurance for temporary residence applications. This is completely inaccurate.
Changes to the Temporary Residence applications
Within the next couple of weeks, when you have made a successful application at the police station, you will receive a telephone message from the Ministry in Lefkoşa informing you of an appointment date and time you can go to finalise the procedure. This will avoid people going there in the early hours in the hope that they will be seen on that day! With effect from Monday, 2nd March 2020 the Immigration Department handling Residency Applications will send out SMS Messages giving you a date and time for the 2nd stage of the procedure.
Here are some more changes.
There are some more rule changes when applying for Temporary Residence, again!
- If you are under the age of 50 years and single, you will only be granted a permit for a one-year period. You must take with you an original Koçan for your property, or your permission to purchase paperwork, or your purchase sale agreement.
- If you are under the age of 50 years, married and your spouse is over 60 years, you can apply for a two year permit, but you must attend with your spouse when applying.
In the next couple of weeks, when you have successfully applied for Temporary Residence at the police station, the Ministry of Interior will call you by phone message and give you an appointment date and time to complete your application process. This will avoid you going to the Ministry at an early hour to stand a chance of completing the process.
Turkish Visa
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement: “As of 2nd March 2020, Turkey has decided to exempt visa requirements for the members of the European Union Schengen area, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Poland as well as the United Kingdom citizens, for touristic travels to Turkey for every 90 days within a 180 day period.
Akın Motors
This motor dealership I have known for some years and always found him to be very trustworthy and offers a wide selection of good quality vehicles. He has two sites both on the main road in Karaoğlanoğlu and the other in Karakum. He is now offering motor finance at very competitive rates and you can get an answer in just a few minutes, worth a try?
Car Repairs
Capital Bank Alsancak has found that car repairs not being registered on their insurance portfolio, thus keeping their “no claims bonus” intact is proving popular. The 3 days it takes to rectify damage and benefiting from the use of a free car hire service is proving that quality service is the main reason for choosing their preferred insurance provider. No other insurance provider can match this service!!
Bayram Holidays
There are no Bayram Holidays this month.
We would like to wish all you young ladies out there a very Happy International Women’s Day which is on March 8th!
Do take a look take a look at the most recent CyprusScene.com weekly enewspaper
For any further information please email me through the contact box below or at Capital Bank in Alsancak.
