Expats with no residency permit in North Cyprus could face fines of 170TL a day

Expats aged 60 and over residing in North Cyprus, may find themselves having to pay 176 TL a day in fines if they do not have a residency permit.

The existing so-called “gentlemen’s agreement” permitting some expats aged over 60, who own property in North Cyprus to reside in the TRNC without the need to obtain a residency permit, ended on 23 October.

According to the head of the Immigration Department Emre Hacı, the Minister of the Interior Ayşegül Baybars introduced a one-year transition period for the changes in residency rules. That grace period has now expired.

Following the withdrawal from the coalition government by the People’s Party (HP), it has not been possible to extend the transitional period, Mr. Hacı said.  

My personal view is that there is a need to extend the transitional period for foreign nationals and expats . . . to at least December 31 or even by another year. I will be advising the [next] minister on the need to extend this decree.

However, I make a call to all foreign residents to just apply for residency online immediately and to avoid a fine of 176TL for every day after the deadline has passed.

British Residents Society (BRS) chairman Peter Wilkins said the pandemic had made it “incredibly difficult” for many over-60s to apply for residency and undergo the necessary health checks. 

We understood that an extension had been made for residency permit applications to be made until December 31 with the requirement of a document that proved why an earlier application could not be made due to the Covid- 19 pandemic, he said.