I moved to Cyprus
Thoughts about the move I had for a long time, ever since I began to work remotely and realized that the whole world is open to me, and I can live where I want. And like the sea, mountains, heat, dirt and less rain, more fruits and seafood.
To Cyprus I was invited by my head – I worked in the Russian web studio remotely and searched for options where to go to winter. The boss has long lived in Cyprus, promised to help with housing, and I decided to use this chance. After three months in Cyprus, I returned to Russia and after three months I went there again – already with a plan to stay for a long time. I expected to find a job in Cyprus, but it was not challenged with her, but I found a future husband. He from Russia, worked as a programmer in the Cyprus company. We both dreamed of a big journey around the world, both could work remotely, so we decided to search for the country of your dreams, gathered two backpacks of things and went on a trip. We traveled for the year of 20 countries in Europe and Asia, but I did not find the ideal country and decided that Cyprus for us is still the most suitable option.
We had several criteria – the presence of the sea and the warm climate, pleasant locals, the eurozone, the opportunity to make a visa without the right to work (with income from abroad), an adequate amount that should be shown on the account, and not too a free list of documents. Chose between Cyprus, Spain, Italy and Portugal, and Cyprus ended up with the most suitable for life.
Cyprus can come along a regular tourist visa and on the spot to submit documents for residence permit. On a regular visa, you can be at no more than 90 days in half, during this time you need to prepare all documents, find accommodation and be afraid to go to the migration service, where you give leaves with a number with which you can cross the border waiting for the CAR card.
We arrived at the beginning of February, for two weeks found an apartment, another month was gone and the translation of all documents, and at the end of March we went to a residence permit. Cypriots – Guys are leisurely, so be prepared for the fact that the document is a residence permit ("Pink Slip") will have to wait a few months. The card in our type of visa is issued for a year, and often it happens that, only having received "Pink Slip", you immediately need to submit documents for the extension of a visa. After five years of residence in Cyprus with the residence permit, documents can be submitted for permanent residences, and another two years – to citizenship and European passport. If children are born in Cyprus, they do not become citizens of Cyprus, and get the same type of visa as parents. I think Passport We are unlikely to wait – Cyprus for us temporary stage. My husband and I dream to live in other places of our amazing planet.
Show account in the Cyprus Bank at least 15,000 € per one, from 20,000 € for spouses and another 2000 € for each child. This amount must be made a one-time, as well as to show a stable income of at least the last year in the same amount. It may be salary, rent for the survey, dividends and other income. When replenishing the Cyprus account, you may ask confirmation of income documents – these may be certificates of personal income tax, tax declarations, lease agreements, discharge from bank accounts, etc. These same documents will be useful to you when applying for a residence permit. Money to account is easier to make interbank transfer than in cash, but consider that when transferring from the Russian bank, you will need to notify the tax on the opening of the account in Cyprus, otherwise the translation will be blocked.
First impressions
I got the first impression of Cyprus when I arrived for a week on vacation, and Cyprus didn’t like it terribly, I said to all friends that I would never go here. But something went wrong 🙂 Gradually came to understand that the ideal country for recreation and the country for life can not always coincide.
Russian person adapt to Cyprus is very easy. Here are a welcoming local population and a huge Russian community, about 30% of the population of Limassol – Russian-speaking. Here, without any problems, you can find a company of interests, Russian-speaking doctors, hairdresser or nanny. There are several stores with Russian products, so without your favorite buckwheel and the seal I also do not miss. English in everyday life We almost do not use, and I even a little sad about this – practices are missing. We communicate mostly with the Russians, first friends, I found through the site CouchSurfing, and then the circle of communication gradually broke up.
In Cyprus, I feel at home, the feeling of a foreign country, there is absolutely, I am used to very quickly. Friends tell stories sometimes unpleasant when someone’s neighbors Cypriots or classmates of children start to stick and shout to Russian left the island, that they there are too many, but it is rather an exception to the rule.
Of course, there are some things for which I miss in someone else’s country. For me, this is a beautiful architecture in the city, the availability of active cultural life, developed public transport. But for architecture and culture is always possible to fly to Europe or Russia, benefit tickets are inexpensive, especially in winter, but the opportunity to swim in the sea and cycling all year round to compensate for these shortcomings me.
Advantages and disadvantages
From the advantages I can note a warm climate, fresh products and a very tasty Greek cuisine, an excellent atmosphere for the birth and raising children up to a certain age, the presence of a large number of sports activities – I am a fan of a bicycle and water sports, which is in excess, and even Cyprus is considered one From the safest countries of the world.
There are quite a few minuses, but on the little things, I will not focus on them, and with some reason I just did not have time to face. For me, the main thing is the high prices for imported products, the lack of a cheap Internet and high quality mobile communication (in Russia it is much better with it), dear and not very good medicine, stores that do not work late (fortunately, at least there is no Sieste and eat in the restaurant you can at any time, unlike Italy or Spain).
We do not have children, but many friends complain about poor-quality education – in schools even more or less, and there are no prestigious universities, all secured people send children to study in England. The biggest minus recently is the highly overpriced prices for real estate, since more and more people from Russia move to live here, companies move in whole offices, and the demand for housing is huge, find an inexpensive apartment for renting is almost unreal.
About local residents
Cypriots are very welcome to the Russians, and to all tourists, they love children very much, almost all restaurants have children’s menu and children’s rooms. They perfectly understand that the financial investments from the visitors of the Russians allowed to bring the economy of the island to a new level. True, it is sometimes a feeling that they are afraid that the Russians will soon become more than local, and many of these are very unhappy, because of this, sometimes conflicts arise.
Family values are very developed in Cyprus. If you are lucky to get to the wedding of Cypriot, be sure there will be half the island there, and they will all be relatives! Men willingly communicate with visiting girls, and many find among them wives, especially Russian. But girls communicate only with those who know their family. Cypriots love their island very much and sure that there is no better place on Earth, none of them travels even on the island (I’m silent about other countries), and young people after studying in England almost always returns to live in Cyprus. I, a man who dreams of going around the whole world, such an approach to life is alien, so I do not find any points of contact with Cypriot and do not communicate with them. And there are a couple of unpleasant qualities at the locals, to which it is difficult for me to get used to, is the petrol and slowness in solving any questions. Favorite expression in Cyprus – Siga-Siga, means "slowly", and use it in any situations when some delay occurs.
About work
By education I economist, but never worked in the specialty. Last year, she finished working in a web studio and engaged in his favorite business – travel organization. This is my main passion, by 30 years I traveled 30 countries and many places in Russia and finally decided to turn your hobby to work. Together with Mom, he opened a travel agency in Nizhny Novgorod and remotely engage in its development. In addition, in Cyprus, together with friends, I am engaged in the organization of yacht training and sports regat.
After moving, my husband and I did not plan to look for a new job in Cyprus, so they chose the type of visas "without the right to work" – money we earn only abroad. If you move on such a visa, but you will find the job on the spot, the employer is obliged to make you a working visa. Employment with a tourist visa illegally – if there are some disagreements with the employer, it is possible to be in an unpleasant situation.
In terms of employment in Cyprus, there are quite a few opportunities, more and more companies from Russia offer branches or transport offices here. IT specialists and financial officers, vacancies can be used in great demand, vacancies on the HH website.RU, LINKEDIN and in the thematic groups on Facebook. But, for example, in the sphere of IT, many of my familiar experienced specialists complain that there are no special prospects for development, and often people who have worked for 2-3 years, move to other countries. But if you have long dreamed of try to live and work in another country, then Cyprus is an excellent start. Many companies offer good conditions for relocation for employees and their families, pay flight, accommodation for the first month and other buns.
The average salary of a normal specialist about 2000 – 3000 €, one person is quite enough, but if you have a non-working wife and a couple of children, then it is already not enough, – at least a third of salary will leave for rental apartments, plus food, purchase or rental cars, Without which it is not enough to do, quite expensive paid kindergartens and schools.
Income tax is calculated by the results of the year, the amount of less than 19900 € per year is not subject to tax, then there is a progressive tax rate.
The main thing
I can not say that moving me somehow changed a lot, except that I became more relaxed and not so hurry everywhere to do, as it was in Russia. Loading Cypriots is the norm, but I can not say that I like this habit. In Cyprus I feel pretty comfortable, sometimes even too. Live here well at some stage of life, for example, when you plan to give birth to children and raise kids, but I know for sure that this is not the place where I want to spend all my life – after all, with time to live here is pretty boring and I want something more.
Top Places Cyprus
In the presentation of tourists in Cyprus only beaches and the sea, there is nothing more to watch. In fact, the island has a lot of natural treasures – without them the impression will be incomplete. If you want to travel around the island, not to roast on the beach, then I advise you to go to the island in March – at this time it blooms all and covered with greens, and in the mountains you can even get snow.
