North Cyprus Trevor’s Tips for July 2017

By Trevor Hughes……

TRNC Property Rental Agreements

As you probably know, if you rent out your property, you must issue the tenant with a rental agreement and register it with the Tax office in Girne for taxation purposes.

The current rate of tax is 10% of the monthly rent times the number of months the agreement period lasts. You must register the agreement for renewal in March each year with the method of payment being either monthly, quarterly, six monthly, or annually, the choice is yours.

If you choose the annual payment method because it is more convenient and the tenant leaves the property before the automatic termination date, you will not be eligible for any pre-tax payment refund.

When you decide that renting out your property is no longer for you, can I strongly suggest that you complete the end of rent form and take it to the tax office for process. The cost to de-register the rental agreement is only 3 x 2TL stamps.

Failure to comply will mean the annual tax to be paid will keep accumulating and attracting interest until you do! When you come to sell your property, the fact you have not deregistered the rental agreement will hinder the successful sale of your property.

I know of one such person who had to pay £10,000 because the system was not followed.

To download a property tax declaration form, please click here.

TRNC Driving Licence Application/Renewal.

If you chose a third party to process your driving licence renewal, beware!!

They will offer you their service based on a faster completion time and you will save time, petrol and money which may appeal. Their charge for this service is around 60TL, well worth it you may think, but beware, I know of one person who was attracted by this service and decided to apply for a three-year renewal. Within two weeks their new licence duly arrived, but although paying the agent for a three-year licence the licence supplied was for two-years, but they had paid for a three-year licence plus the 60 TL.

Yet another TRNC scam???

Editors note:

Another member of our team renewed their driving licence this past week at Girne tax office and we noted the following licence charges.

165TL : First year for a learner driver who has passed their driving test.
240TL : 2 Year driving licence (This is the initial and only licence that expats can apply for.

Please note despite claims in the local press, at present when you apply for a TRNC licence you are required to show your nationality driving licence but you are not required to surrender it.

325TL : 3 Year licence
490TL : 5 year licence
815TL: 10 year licence.
240TL Student provisional driving licence issued in conjunction with driving school tuition.
120TL : Cost of replacement for lost driving licence application made at the tax office.

When applying to renew your driving licence do remember to take:

Copy of your passport.
2 approved sized pictures of you (with white background).
Payment by cash or credit card.
Old TRNC driving licence.

You will then be given a receipt which acts as a temporary driving licence and should be carried with you until the official driving licence is in your possession, which should be ready for collection in around 15 days from the application.

To download a driving licence application form, please click here.

UK Passport Renewal

Dagli Sigorta in Karaoğlanoğlu have asked me to remind you that they are only a collection point for DHL. They are not in a position to offer a document checking service and cannot be held responsible if anything goes wrong with your application!

To make your application successful, take with you your application form (printed off when making the overseas application) two passport sized photographs of yourself (meeting the conditions laid down by the passport authorities) the old passport, 50 euro’s (only) and a suitably sized envelope with the address written on it of the office to which it is going.

This service is for passport renewal only.

Thank you in anticipation

Akin Motors in Girne

The above-named company has asked me to bring to your attention that if you are leaving the island on a permanent basis and need to sell your car, they would be pleased to offer you a good price if you wish to sell it to them. They are always on the lookout for good quality used cars, but you will need to go to their showroom (on the corner of the Bellapais traffic lights) for a valuation as they will not give a purchase price without firstly seeing the car.

Metahan Border Crossing

The opening hours for purchasing insurance to enable you to cross the border is as follows:

Mondays, closed
Tuesday – Sunday 0800 – 1430

Temporary Residents application

If you need to go over the border for whatever reason and your Temporary Residents application is in due process, you will not be allowed to cross the border without your passport, so make sure you have plenty of time to avoid difficulty.

Bayram Holidays

Thursday 20th July all Government Offices and Local Government Offices and Banks will be closed.

For any further information please email me through the contact box below.

Chemist Rota: July 2017: North Cyprus

By Trevor Hughes……

I have compiled the Chemist Rota for July 2017 for the Girne/Alsancak/Lapta areas and this can be viewed by clicking here

By Trevor Hughes……

White Rear Number Plates

The fitting of white rear number plates to your vehicle is gathering momentum. The police Authorities here are encouraging their early fitment before it becomes mandatory.

In the next few months it will become compulsory to fit them, so early fitting is recommended before the local outlets catch on and start increasing the cost, which is currently 20 TL.

TRNC Driving Licence Proposals.

You may have read or heard recently, the Government have woken up and realised the amount of deaths and road traffic accidents on the TRNC road’s are way ahead of most other European countries (by head of population).

As a way of trying to address the situation, they are proposing that non-TRNC people living here, must apply for a TRNC driving licence after 90 days of staying here!! They obviously have not studied who by way of nationality, are the main culprits here. The reason for causing many of the road deaths and traffic infringements is the diabolical standard of driving and having no regard for anyone else on the road, whether it be fellow drivers and/or pedestrians. Driving at high speed, talking on their mobile phones whilst driving, applying make-up while driving, jumping traffic lights, none use of their rear view mirrors and no compliance to the Laws of the road are only a few reasons for the carnage on our roads.

In 2019 all expats living here for more than 90 days, must hold a valid TRNC driving licence, this has always been Law here which many expats have not adhered to. Upon application for a 5-year period (maximum) and for those over the age the 60 years must also have a medical examination to determine if they are fit enough to drive, before the TRNC licence is granted, and then the successful applicant must hand over to the Authorities their driving licence from where it has been obtained. How this will apply when you need to drive, say, in the UK when an emergency deems it necessary, I cannot comprehend. Can you trust the Authorities here to keep your licence safe and easily found for return when you most need it, beggars belief?

If you wish to drive on the Greek side you will only be allowed to by showing your non-TRNC licence to the border control (if you don’t have a Kimlik card).

The proposal is two years away and by judging how frequent things change here, their final proposal will look nothing like the proposals in their current thinking

If this does come into force in 2019, two or three months beforehand, I will apply for a 10-year TRNC driving licence and when that needs renewing I will apply to the DVLA for a new licence as mine has been lost, when the time comes to hand over my UK licence to the Authorities here I will surrender the licence which I reported as lost.

Akin Motors

Akin Motors in Girne, are offering a free one year motor insurance package when purchasing one of their vehicles, from their showroom. This will go some way in reducing the ever-spiralling cost of running a car here in the TRNC.

They have also asked me to bring to your attention that the market is being flooded with second hand cars at extremely competitive prices. But as the old adage goes “if something is too good to be true, it generally is”. The reason for these competitive prices is due to hire car companies selling off their cars on to car dealers and then the dealer registers the car in their name, disguising the fact the car has been a hire car earlier in its former life.

When buying a car, ask to see the car’s log book and MOT certificate and this will give you all the information you need to ensure the car is the right one for you! *Terms and conditions apply.

UK Import Tax

If you own a property in the UK, or use a UK postal address for what-ever reason and you are considering leaving the TRNC for good, taking back your furniture with you means you will be charged import and VAT on the value of your furniture. This is because the Authorities there deem you as not having left the UK. Check with your carrier on the amount of duty you will be liable for, because the amount payable may not be cost effective!!

Bayram Holidays

Sunday 25th June
Monday 26th June
Tuesday 27th June

All Government, Local Government offices, Banks and some shops will be closed during this period.

For any further information please email me through the contact box below.

Chemist Rota: June 2017: North Cyprus

By Trevor Hughes……

I have compiled the Chemist Rota for June 2017 for the Girne/Alsancak/Lapta areas and this can be viewed by clicking here

Please note that as the chemist rota is normally published a month in advance it could be subject to change.

North Cyprus Trevor’s Tips for May 2017

By Trevor Hughes……

Old UK £5.00 and £10.00 Notes

From the 5th of this month (May 2017), old £5.00 notes will not be accepted when making purchases, or exchanging them into local currency. You have only until September this year, to cash them in at banks in the UK. Old £10.00 notes are also being phased out later this year, so watch this space!!

New TRNC Vehicle Number plates

You may have noticed, number plates on hire vehicles have a white background on both front and rear number plates. This requirement is to become mandatory on all registered vehicles sometime soon. One or two people have already met the new requirement and have had them fitted.

Repatriation of deceased persons to the UK

Some people prefer to have the body of the deceased family taken back for burial or cremation in the UK. This arrangement also helps friends and relatives paying their last respects who may not be able to travel to the TRNC.

The usual method is via the body flying out from the South. Well here is an alternative! By contacting Niazi Gursoy 0n 0392 225 3917 -71 or e-mail her on niyazi@gursoyandsons.com you can speak to her and discuss your requirements which I am sure will meet your every need on the matter. The charge covers all the legal requirements and they are very professional and sympathetic.

This company was recommended to me because someone had the need of their services. The cost of flying the body from Ercan to Glasgow cost is £2.500 stg, which is less than taking the body though the Southern border and flying from Larnaca airport.

The big advantage is the Authorities in the UK do not need a post-mortem certificate unless foul play or suspicious causes of death are involved, unlike the authorities in the South.

TRNC Road Tax

Confusion is abound regarding whether you need to tax your vehicle, or not. There are many, many stories from every quarter of the TRNC, not least the Authorities themselves.

The release of information was somewhat ill conceived by them with little thought into how it was to be introduced.

Carry on as normal and tax your vehicle as before and wait for the next announcement.

Editors Note: One of our team needed to tax their vehicle and visited the Girne tax office and was informed by an English speaking official that they were awaiting full instructions regarding the change and suggested that the vehicle be taxed for just 6 months rather than one year which our team member did.

Bayram Holidays

Other than Monday 1st of May there is only one other public holiday this month which is the 19th of May. This is to commemorate the beginning of the Turkish War of Independence and the liberation of Anatolia and Istanbul by Atatürk. Ceremonies are held all over Turkey and North Cyprus with the main focal point being military and civilian officials attending a ceremony at Anitkabir, which is the location of Atatürk’s mausoleum in Ankara.

On this day Government offices, local Government offices and Banks will be closed for the day

For any further information please email me through the contact box below.