RESIDENCY DOCUMENTATION POST BREXIT - PLEASE TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO READ THIS
As you
know, BHC have been advising and encouraging UK nationals to get their
residency in order for quite a few years now. This is a priority for anyone
living in Cyprus who holds an old brown ARC book/stamp in a passport or nothing
at all.
The only documents now recognised by the Cypriot Government are the MEU1 and MEU3 - any residency permit stamps in passports or any other form of 'residency' whether they be white, orange or brown or any other colour, are no longer valid.
This
is to let you know about the newly created Cyprus Residents
Planning Group (CRPG).
CRPG is an amazing not for profit, local
organisation run by volunteers who have come together with the help of funding
from the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office with the aim of assisting and
guiding the most vulnerable UK Nationals in Cyprus through the process to
register for MEU1 or MEU3 by 31/12/2020.
They have a Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Residency-Application-Support-MEU1-MEU3-Cyprus-109169213981387/
Also an extremely comprehensive web page here containing very
detailed information: http://cyprus-crpg.org/?fbclid=IwAR2JJREYKM0nswY4Wid1YqXN5cyJj59aQvF3-DvNzvOaHz8ZP-cI7KwDuKQ
To be clear, this is a service only for those that
are in some way vulnerable, disabled, elderly or otherwise not able to make the
application on their own for whatever reason.
We are
mindful that people are not able to visit Civil Registry & Migration Dept
offices currently so while they are staying home, this provides an ideal
opportunity for CRPG to gather and collate information in preparation for the
immigration process so that when circumstances allow, field representatives can
assist with the process.
I am asking you as a British Citizen to help yourself
and especially all your friends. Please copy this to ALL your British Ex-Pat friends,
immediately, and ask them to do the
same. It is essential that every
British Ex –patriot gets and understands this information.
For those who already have it or receive it
multiple times, I sincerely apologise, we
are using the Cascade call down system to try to reach as many as possible, but it is far better that you get informed
many times, than a single British
e-patriot is missed.
BREXIT looms ever nearer on the
horizon. If there is no other deal you will
cease to be an EU citizen! After UK
leaves the EU, if you live in Cyprus
this will affect YOU- basically your
residency in Cyprus, since it joined the EU, is based SOLELY on the EU directives for MEU 1 (Temporary residency) and MEU
3 (Permanent residency (available to you after 5 years ) but it is set up, for EU Citizens only.
MEU1 (temporary residence) just advises the Cypriot Government of an EU
nationals presence in the Island.
MEU3 (Permanent residency) confers on an EU citizen, who has been
legally resident in the Republic of Cyprus for 5 years, the rights of a Citizen
of the Republic of Cyprus including: the right of permanent abode in the
country; the right to own one or more properties; the right to vote in local
elections; the right to social welfare, and the right (when registered) to
health cover under GESY. These rights are only lost after an absence of 2
years.
All previous authorisations for
permanent or temporary residency have been invalidated by the Republic of
Cyprus Government this includes any issued before 2004 under the Bi-partite Agreements
– That means: All white and pink slips,
stamps in passports, Cyprus Id cards issued to ex-pats are NO Longer Valid and haven’t been for some time. Only MEU1 and MEU3 are valid. If you
doubt check with the BHC. So if you are using these documents, you are in the
wrong, at risk and need to get an
MEU 3 ASAP it is not difficult see below and
it does a lot for you, is pushed by (to protect your rights) and makes a lot of sense anyway.
Being here without a valid MEU1
or MEU3 makes you vulnerable to a fine in excess of €2562.
Post BREXIT
the status of the MEU3 permanent residence will be maintained!
The medium
term state of MEU1 after 5 years is in some doubt.
The
British High Commission have consistently and most strenuously advocated all
ex-Pats who qualify to get an MEU3 and
have run many such publicity campaigns. At present, there are estimated to be 70,000 Ex-Pats in Cyprus. However, despite
the campaigns of the BHC, some 31,000
are still unregistered for MEU3.
The Cypriot Authorities will
accept registration until 31/12/2020 for those resident before BREXIT, to get
their registration. The process is very simple if your case is straight
forward, and advice is available, if not. We can give you the easiest way to do
it. DO THE MATHS! WHICH END OF THE 31,000
QUEUE DO YOU WANT TO BE ON?
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
1)
pass this on!
2) First help yourself and family.
3)
Please, Please - Help friends and especially the infirm and disabled.
There
are estimated to be overt 2,500 elderly, disabled or infirm who cannot get to
the Cypriot registration offices. We need to find and help them.
The BHC will fund our organisation to
advise help and assist the disabled. BHC assume the able people will help
themselves. At least please! Get
involved and help those who cannot help themselves, either off your own
back, or through your organisation/club first and, if not, through us. However
we are a small organisation. We also need your help if you are willing.
Please help the disabled or if unable to do
so at least inform their details and any willingness to help us to the Cyprus
Registration Planning Group (CPRG) help
line 99826087
