BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER Stephen Lillie publishes a letter to UK Nationals living in Cyprus about the UK´s departure from the EU and its implications.
I last wrote to you in May. Since then, I am pleased to have met some of you during my first months in Cyprus and look forward to meeting more members of our community as I travel further around the island in the autumn.
The autumn will be an important period in the ongoing Brexit negotiations, leading up to the European Council meeting on 18 October. I expect to be able to provide you with more clarity on the rights of UK nationals living in Cyprus as the negotiations progress.
Ahead of that, you will have seen that last week the Government published a series of technical notices on a range of areas, in the unlikely event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit in March 2019. More of these technical notices will be published over the coming weeks.
Let me be clear that the Government does not want or expect a no deal outcome in the negotiations.
However, a responsible government should prepare for all potential outcomes. As such, we are preparing options, as other EU countries and the Commission are doing, for an unlikely no deal scenario. The technical notices provide detailed sector-by-sector information on the actions citizens and businesses should take to sufficiently prepare for a no-deal scenario.
I know that many of you remain concerned by the ongoing uncertainty, but let me encourage you to be patient as the negotiations run their course.
Where to go for further information
We will continue to post important updates on Brexit on our UK in Cyprus Facebook and Twitter accounts. You can also sign up for Brexit related alerts to get the most important Brexit updates direct to your inbox.
In October and November, I will be visiting key towns and cities in Cyprus to meet representatives of British communities and exchange views on any issues of concern you have. More information on dates and locations will be posted on our social media channels soon, so keep following us!
We will also be using these channels to seek your views on issues you may still be confused about relating to Brexit, and how we can help to clarify the official information available.
More general information about living in or moving to Cyprus is available on our Living in Cyprus page.
As previously advised, we recommend that, if you have not already done so, you should register as a resident with the Cypriot authorities. All UK nationals who have been residing in Cyprus for more than 90 days and wish to continue to live here should legalise their status by registering. Further information on how to do this can be found here.
We are working closely with the government of Cyprus to ensure this process runs smoothly. I hope this is useful. I look forward to discussing these and many other issues with you in the autumn.
Stephen Lillie, High Commissioner
Keith,
There are many UK nationals who have purchased property in Cyprus with a view to retiring there in the near future but are not yet in a position to do so. Officially, they cannot apply for the ‘yellow slip’ as you need to remain in Cyprus for 90 days or longer to do so.
I understand politicians have enough complexity on their hands with re to Brexit but it does appear to be an area that has completely been ignored.
Gary
Ed: As I have explained elsewhere, if Brits are treated as third-country nationals they will still be able to obtain residency status. My wife and became permanent residents in 2002, long before Cyprus joined the EU – and there are many Cypriots who became resident in the UK before Cyprus joined the EU.
I can’t see this being an issue – just some more paperwork.
Non-EU citizens that have a secured annual income apply as ‘Category F’ migrants – see “Civil Registry and Migration Department“.
The terms for the Uk leaving the EU are that it has to pay SEVERAL BILLIONS to the EU (no one single person seems to know WHAT FOR AND WHY.
If there is NO DEAL which we all expect to happen due to the gross incompetence of T MAY and her Government is she still going to pay the UK the Billions they are DEMANDING ????
Hence throwing away the UK residents MONEY for no purpose.
The UK should just forget all about the EU and LEAVE paying NOTHING.
The UK residents were stupid enough to VOTE to LEAVE persuaded by the Politicians instead of listening to the FINANCIAL EXPERTS (of which there is not a single one in the Government )
I guess that those who voted to leave will now get what they deserve, and those intelligent enough to vote to stay will suffer due to there actions, maybe all those that voted to stay should start a massive court action for compensation ????? against those that chose to leave.
How can the High Commission take so long to tell us absolutely nothing. Just become a Cyprus resident and you have the same rights as any Cypriot.
Ed: Becoming a Cyprus resident does not give you the same rights as any Cypriot. I don’t know from where you got this idea?
We moved here in 2001 and at that time Cyprus wasn’t in the EU. Cyprus didn’t join the EU until 2004 and fully become a member until 2009. I didn’t see any problems.
My daughter moved to Australia in 2006, Australia has never been a member of the EU. Despite this they are still able to buy bread and drive cars, even the planes fly.
I don’t understand what it is with people who so want to be a fully paid up member of an unelected Council. Come Brexit the world will still turn or maybe not?
OK British politicians will now have to work, instead of being nodding donkeys for EU Regs, but they’re asking for more money for the extra responsibility.