So, you want to come and live in Cyprus?

Good reason, if you like long days of sunshine and a short and fairly warm winter with little rain. What next?

'Low cost of living.'

There is another good reason. But likes everywhere else prices generally are on the upward spiral. However, since we joined the E.U. some things have actually gone down.

What next?

'No crime.'

That used to be a real plus. The Cypriot people are inherently honest by nature and never used to lock anything. However the advent of many other Nationals to Cyprus has brought its own problems. People here now tend to lock things up and are much more crime conscious than they were.

OK. You've made your decision and you still want to come. No doubt you have a rough idea of the area in which you would like to live.

The first and most important step is using a reputable developer to find and purchase a property. At first this may seem a daunting prospect, with talk from the developers of "The Council of Ministers" and other such phrases. Don't worry. All you have to prove is that you have sufficient funds to support yourself and permission will be granted.

Now deals with the seller or developer. If you decide to have a house built, make sure that you make it abundantly clear to the salesman exactly what you want and what you are prepared to pay for "extras". These guys love to fill your house with all sorts of beautiful fixtures and fittings, and then expect you to come up with the money to pay for them. This practice can make your property a lot dearer than you had budgeted for. Also, when the company tells you that the house will be ready in "June", make sure you ask them "which June?"

Manyana is not exclusive to Spain or South America, but is alive and well in the building trade in Cyprus. Once you have your house contract duly signed, now you can go to the Migration Department (yes, that's what it’s called!) and seek permission to stay here. Oh, yes. This is still a requirement of the Cyprus Migration Department, despite the fact that we are now in the E.U.

Step One. Hire a big truck to transport the copies of the myriad of documents that they require. Cyprus is slowly sinking into the Mediterranean under the weight of all the copies, of not the X-files but the "ex-pats" files that various departments demand. Having said that, the procedure is fairly straightforward and you will come out of the office clutching a little brown booklet. You are now officially an "alien".

Surprisingly you will also have to produce many of the same documents to the Municipalities, as you are also required to possess a Cyprus Identity Document.
Once your house is ready and you move in, you might like to meet your local neighbours. At first they will probably eye you with some suspicion. Try to greet them with a word or two of their language, even just a 'Kalimera' will do, and you will see an instant change.
The Cypriot people really are the most heart-warmingly welcoming people in the world. Make a friend of a Cypriot and I promise you, you will have a friend for life.

The Cypriot people really are the most heart-warmingly welcoming people in the world. Make a friend of a Cypriot and I promise you, you will have a friend for life.

Just for small word of warning here. The Cypriot people do not have the same doggy mentality' that Brits do. Dogs here are not part of the family; they don't live in their owner's house and are usually kept in cages in the garden.

You may not approve of this, but please do not expect the Cypriots to change. Remember, although Cyprus is an EU member, this is still their island and their way of life. We are the incomers.

Having settled into your new home, arranged for electricity and water supply and applied for a telephone line, (this can take months; a mobile phone is very much a necessity), you might like to take a drive around this beautiful island and see the sights.

Now goes a major gripe. In general, Cypriot drivers are the worst in the world. They are impatient, pushy and arrogant. When driving in Cyprus you really do need eyes in your nether regions. The drivers will come at you from anywhere! Across red traffic lights, straight out of side junctions, the wrong way down one-way streets, or merely right in the middle of the road, and all at high speed.

Remonstrating with them will merely elicit a little toss of the head and a shrug of the shoulders from the driver. And when you are out walking, don't think that the pavements were put down for your benefit. Pavements are for 4x4's and other vehicles to park on. You can walk on the road. You will notice that riders of motorcycles here refuse to wear helmets! Many of them will die from head injuries but none of them will suffer the ignominy of a fractured elbow!

All of the above is part of the charm of this idyllic island.

So, where does that leave you? You have a beautiful house. You've met your neighbours and you've had a brief look around Cyprus. You've organised your pension and made your banking arrangements and sorted out your tax affairs.

Now, sit back on your patio overlooking the azure blue Mediterranean. Pour the wife a glass of excellent locally produced wine and perhaps a gin and tonic for yourself.
 

Relax and Enjoy Cyprus. ?