By Bejay Browne.
Up to 31,000 British nationals living in Cyprus may not yet have the proper registration which, when the transition period for Brexit ends on December 31, has serious implications as they will no longer have automatic right of residence in Cyprus.
“There are around 31,000 of the 70,000 or so British nationals living in Cyprus which are unregistered or hold registration that is now invalid, as all of the old forms of registration will not suffice. Around 5,000 of those may need help to collate and complete all of the paperwork as they may have mobility issues, live in remote areas, or face other issues,” said Wendy Nash from the Cyprus Residency Planning Group.
“The UK withdrawal from the EU makes residency registration essential and if you are unregistered you are also liable for a €2,500 fine,” she added.
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted how important holding the correct documentation is. Permanent residents of Cyprus that were stuck abroad due to the flight ban and who did not hold the correct papers would have found it incredibly difficult to apply for repatriation.
The UK withdrawal from the EU makes residency registration essential and all EU citizens living in Cyprus must hold a valid MEU1 or MEU3 permit.
The Cyprus Residency Planning Group (CRPG) is working to ensure that all British residents in Cyprus, particularly those in vulnerable categories, are in possession of the necessary residency permits ahead of the end of the year.
CRPG is made up of concerned professionals and volunteer residents and is a free service funded and supported by the British foreign office.
All individuals who remain in Cyprus for longer than 90 days are obligated by law to register with the ministry of interior, civil registry and migration department for an MEU1.
British residents that have lived in Cyprus for five years or more are entitled to permanent residency status, which is an MEU3 certificate.
The Brexit transition period still officially ends on December 31, 2020. All previous forms of temporary and permanent residence registrations issued to UK nationals prior to 2004 are invalid, and if British nationals do not have permanent or temporary residence, they are in danger of being declared illegal aliens with dire potential consequences.
“As long as a UK national has an MEU1 before the end of the transition period (currently December 31, 2020) they may still apply after five years for an MEU 3.”
The not for profit organisation is dedicated to locating and getting assistance for those UK nationals who may find it hard to complete all of the paperwork, particularly pensioners and disabled, those living in remote areas or those with mobility difficulties, or needing assistance with language translation, or interpretation. Also, UK nationals that cannot help themselves for whatever reason, she said.
The group is asking the wider community if they know anyone who needs help to get in touch.
All personal information will be deleted from CRPG files when the group closes on December 31, 2022, she said.
“If you know anyone that is deemed at risk, please contact us so that we may contact them.”
www.cyprus-crpg.org
Email : contactus@cyprus-crpg.org
Telephone : 99826087 Monday—Friday: 10AM – 1PM
And follow Cyprus crpg on Twitter and Facebook
