Living in North Cyprus

For those considering a move to beautiful Northern Cyprus this article should highlight some of the features, benefits and truths about life here!

Summer and winter bank, local authority and official building opening hours differ! If you move here in the summer and need to get your water, electricity or telephone sorted out or visit the bank to open an account be aware that these places open at about 8.30am and then close at lunch time (around noon) for the rest of the day so you have to be prepared to get up early or stand in long queues as everyone scrambles to get everything done during the shorter summer opening hours! In the winter most places re-open after lunch at about 2pm and then close again at 4 or 6pm.

If you’re living in North Cyprus and would like to open a local bank account don’t necessarily head straight for HSBC on the main street! Most British expatriates do though as they are drawn to the familiar name...but HSBC in Northern Cyprus is some sort of satellite office or franchise! It is affiliated to the HSBC we all know and love but it ain’t quite the same and it suffers the worst queues in the summer of all the other banks put together. Garantie Bank, Turk Bankasi and Is Bank all offer a fair degree of security (in terms of having been established and around a while), they offer accounts in Sterling, Dollar and Lira and they are all used to dealing with English speaking people.

If you’re lucky enough to be on mains water and you’re careful with your consumption you shouldn’t need to call a tanker even in the heat of the midsummer sun. But if you do the tankers usually arrive swiftly and same or next day so you don’t have to panic about running out of water. Many people here also buy a water cooler/heater and you have to buy big water bottles to go on top of these...the benefit of these is the water is totally clean to drink and you get instant cold drinks or cups of tea! You can order delivery of these water bottles and gas bottles from many companies - they all advertise. Water and gas are both reasonably priced. Electricity on the other hand can be an expensive commodity! This is usually due to the fact that you have air conditioning all summer and heating in the short winter to pay for.

In terms of power cuts the situation seems to be improving - especially if you live in the main towns of Kyrenia (Girne) or Lefkosa (Nicosia). In the summer there are a few black and brown outs and in the winter when the weather gets stormy there are a few more! People work hard to get power back on but it can sometimes take a good few hours - especially if it goes out in the middle of the night! It’s a good idea to have a gas heater, candles and a lighter on standby...and if you venture out in a black out please be very careful of falling down potholes...I speak from experience! But the most important if not critical piece of information for anyone living in North Cyprus is...buy power surge protectors for EVERYTHING! These are just like normal extension cables that you can plug everything into but they stop your kettle, fridge, TV and other important electrical items from dying when faced with a power surge. Please heed this advice! These items are not expensive to buy and they will save all your key electrical goods from almost certain death otherwise! Go to any electrical shop like Tektan in Girne or any of the bigger supermarkets and you’ll find stacks of them.

Furniture delivery is usually same or next day, especially from the big shops - which will shock British people but cause new German residents a heart attack. In Germany it can take months for furniture delivery (I know, I lived there for seven years!)! If you don’t see what you like sometimes they have catalogues of what else they can order for you. Worst case scenario you’ll want something they have to order from the Turkish mainland...you’ll only wait a week or so. It’s the same with many electrical goods, or gas goods (?) such as cookers and dishwashers (though these are damaging for the environment!)

Labour in North Cyprus is very inexpensive so if you have a nice new garden to dig you can hire someone to help you, or if you want some renovation carrying out on your home it is often more cost effective to hire someone than to do it yourself. Personal recommendation is usually the best way to go, so get to know other expatriates and local people and ask them for their advice. If you need any specialist furniture then you will find craftsmen to make it for you...just like you’ll find incredible iron work available hand made, and skilled craftsmen to build you a dry stone wall or a beautiful archway in your garden for example.

The main supermarkets here are Lemar, Tempo and Astro and they tend to all sell similar produce for similar prices and are open nearly all the time (until about 10pm daily) so if you have the choice on your doorstep it’ll have to come down to personal preference! When it comes to paying for most things - from your weekly supermarket shop to a car to furniture and labour it is a cash economy. Forget bank transfers, credit cards or cheques if you want best price!

If you want to buy a car take a local person with you and shop around a LOT. Those vendors who feel they have a captive market will make the very most of their situation! Also if the salesman doesn’t offer to sort out your tax and insurance for you tell him you’ll go elsewhere! I bought my tiny pink car from Nicosia Motors and they sorted the tax and insurance out and provide on-going customer support to one automobile-knowledge-challenged person!

Christmas in North Cyprus is great fun! Many people celebrate the holiday, including some Turkish Cypriots - especially those who have been living in London - and families come together for a party and fun, you can buy all items associated with the festival - from decorations to Christmas puddings - but don’t forget that it’s business as usual for most of the island and it can seem strange that all the shops and business are open and local people go about their business as normal! Bayram and New Year in North Cyprus are great fun and when everyone celebrates together...expect great firework displays and a good party atmosphere.

Most people here have mobile telephones as there are a limited number of land lines available and getting one installed can be a true labour of love and take many years unless you know the right people!

Health and medical facilities are good and relatively inexpensive - especially for the more routine problems and procedures. Few people have medical insurance in North Cyprus as the insurance, exceptions and excess can cost more in a year than your visits to the doctor and dentist. If you have to have a hospital stay nursing care is limited as a person’s family are expected to provide such care. This reduces the costs significantly but it places a burden of responsibility on family members...not such a bad thing unless you are living in North Cyprus alone. If this were the case, you’d soon find your many friends and even acquaintances would step in. Expatriates and Turkish Cypriots all get along and live in harmony in Northern Cyprus and you’ll never feel alone here.