There are quite a few expats that have fallen in love with Cyprus and moved there permanently. Luckily for us some of these people have set up websites to help individual settle in Cyprus. They have been through it all and can give you all the inside tips you need to know.
Have a look at the following:
http://www.move-to-cyprus.com/
http://www.movingtocyprus.com/
http://cyprus.angloinfo.com/countries/cyprus/cymoving.asp
If you are sick of the rat race or your cold and wet country, Cyprus could just be your Mediterranean paradise dream come true. The people are friendly, value for money is great, the weather is fantastic and there is almost no crime to speak of. There are many British expats in particular who live in Cyprus, which means that they have by now influenced the culture, and caused almost everyone to learn English.
If you do decide to sell your home and move to Cyprus permanently, you have to learn that there are several pitfalls that you must learn to avoid. "move-to-cyprus.com" deals with these pitfalls extensively as they set up their website in order to help other English folks to move. They will be able to help you with loads of advice and contacts, especially everything to do with renting or buying a property or car.
Many people who move to Cyprus decide to build their own properties as it can prove to be very affordable. You must bear in mind that it will take around about a year to build your new home and that you will have to find somewhere to rent meanwhile. Luckily, low-cost rents make this possible and you will be able to rent a top of the line three bedroom flat for around four hundred pound a month.
If you plan on building you will have to start by choosing a plot. There are quite a few nice sea and mountain side plots available to choose from. You will then see the plans to ensure everything will fit in and you can give your input on what the house should look like. You will also be in the position to choose your own kitchen fittings, floor tiles and sanitary ware. You can even choose how many electrical outlets you want and where. Most people who build houses also include a pool and patio area and you will be able to choose a design you like.
Remember to find a comfortable apartment in the meantime, as you might have to live there for more than a year if necessary. Don’t just take any one because you are so excited about planning your new house and don’t let any agent ever push you into signing their contract by saying things like “today only special” or tomorrow this one will be gone. Rather take your time and find a suitable apartment as super smooth agents only feel its necessary to aggressively push flawed apartments.
There are many good websites available to help you settle in nicely in Cyprus. Here are a list of the most commonly used ones.http://www.cyprusbroadband.com - Cyprus has broadband Internet that is now available all over Cyprus with a satellite connection from Glotech Enterprises Ltd.
This company can offer you a download speed of up to 4M and an upload speed of around 2M. You won't need a telephone line to get this broadband and you can use it at home or your office. They offer user support services and you can always opt for a monthly contract that you can switch off whenever you leave the country.
You can expect the weather to be dramatically different from what you are used to. While you are getting to know the seasons and weather patterns, you can always rely on http://www.weather.com to help you with a 36 hour and weekly forecast.
You will also have to get used to your new exchange rate. On 10 February 2008 it cost 2.5 dollar and 1.3 pound for one Cyprus Pound. http://www.xe.com is a universal currency converter and claims to be ‘the world's most popular currency tool’. You can do interactive foreign exchange rate calculations, using live currency rates.
http://www.cyprusairways.com is the country’s national airway. The website allows you to check up new information from the national carrier and check flight availability. The site also links to various modes of transport and hotels that you can book ahead of time. Of course British Airways also has regular flights to and from the island to and from all major United Kingdom airports.
The Cyprus Weekly - http://www.cyprusweekly.com.cy/ is an English paper published every Friday. The paper offers local and international news, features, opinions and letters. They also have sections especially allocated to help you find a property, a car, or even friendship/love.
The UK Citizens Association http://www.ukca.com.cy/ - Is based in The Paphos, Cyprus and helps UK citizens gain information and organizes social events. They currently have over a thousand expat Brit members and is still growing by the day. They try to cater for as many tastes as possible by having an assortment of activities. It ranges from Barbecues, computer groups, libraries, and scrabble groups to Quiz night and Bridge. They have traditional British lunches on most days of the week with a special roast on Sundays. They publish a monthly magazine called the UKCA Paphos that contains a great deal of local info and social events.
Cyprus Yellow Pages: www.cytayellowpages.com. You will be glad to know that Cyprus has its own yellow pages to help you find all sorts of local businesses.
