Finally lost it with Cyprus bureaucrats

It is a bit crazy as the ID card appear to be taking up to a year to come thru. The regulations I read say you must change your UK license for a Cypriot one within 6 months of arrival. Well that does not work then! My ARC was issued in Feb so I am waiting another 4 months before I start looking for the ID Card. The customs still have not permanently cleared my vehicles and they arrived in Dec 2022. I have to visit and extend the temp import every 2 months now.

The speed of the Cypriot authorities makes even their saying of siga-siga  seem nonsense lol

It must be that Cyprus is overwhelmed with legal immigration and the authorities just do not have enough staff or the inclination to speed up! As long as I do not get a Police fine, if stopped, I am not concerned as I am not paying the road tax while the vehicles are pending as well :-)

@phildraper for every downside an upside and vice versa

Learning to stay calm and collected with a smile is hard to.do...

I now understand why Island life makes you laid back after a while. It could be the wine, sun sea etc..... I am now well end truly laid back :-) And only 8 months into it!

That's the way .....don't stress the things you cannot change do the Cyprus shrug and smile and walk away

I have kept a smile on my face when opening a bank account, getting through the immigration process, registering for tax ( though that was easy), dealing with customs and finally registration for Gesy. But this morning with the driving licence and ID card was just too much.  The smile has gone, I renew my immigration status in 2 months surely I will have my ID by then.

Good luck but don't hold yer breath... gan canny bonny lad 

@Toon cheers Marra

Back in the day before Brexit all was fine. No ID card no nothing. walked in to the Citizen Advice with my yellow slip driving license & Passport They did everything and bingo got my Cyprus driving license the following week.

I still dont have a ID and unless pushed will not apply for one on this side of the island everything seems to be very relaxed (Famagusta)

dont stress yourself out this will cause you to freak out. when it happens it happens.

you are right some of us have lived here so long that we have become as lax as the locals and once you get local friends as I do I ask for help and get it. My local Mayor is my next door neighbor so it is easy for me and more to the point I speak Greek now.

I have spent months trying to get an appointment to change my UK driving license to a Cypriot one. Every time I rang the phone never got answered. Finally six weeks ago I got an appointment.
I arrived today with all my documents but they told me I needed my biometric id card as the yellow slip I had was not valid.

I have now been waiting ten (10) months for my card. So I went to immigration and asked when my card would be ready, what a waste of energy that was they had no idea.

to be honest this is a complete crock of s**t
-@MacGeorge8035

Thanx to Brexit its like this all over the EU now, because we are 3CN.

@charles533 Where do you live, we are moving from Paphos to Paralimni at the end of August whilst our house being built in Freneros is completed.

@SimCityAT I understand this, but we are supposed to change our driving license to a Cypriot one after being resident for six months. These are the EU rules, not the UK rules. How can this happen if Cyprus cannot even get the issuing of ID cards done in a reasonable time scale to allow us to comply with the law?

@SimCityAT I understand this, but we are supposed to change our driving license to a Cypriot one after being resident for six months. These are the EU rules, not the UK rules. How can this happen if Cyprus cannot even get the issuing of ID cards done in a reasonable time scale to allow us to comply with the law?
-@MacGeorge8035

I am well aware of that, but these were the rules in place before Brexit, so they need to change. Here in Austria, it took 18 months for one person to get their Article 50 Card. You need to bring it up with the Embassy, no one here can do anything.

@SimCityAT Who needs to change the Cypriot Bureaucrats or the rules?

@SimCityAT I contacted the Embassy today, let's see what happens.

@SimCityAT Who needs to change the Cypriot Bureaucrats or the rules?
-@MacGeorge8035

The rules of cause. Its the same all over Europe.

Sadly the government dept staff need to get their act together too not just a rule change.

Last week I had occasion to go to the land registry to get some information.. the man on the door on security was fine he guided us to the right spot and the guy at that spot was literally fast asleep at his desk it was only 1130am ... we looked at security and he just shrugged smiled and said "hes tired give him 10 minutes..."

Jobs for life in government dept's... And canny payouts too .

the jobs for life and early pension system in government jobs do not encourage hard work...

Protected employees seems to be a common thing here ....

@MacGeorge8035 They don't know. They never know. So I send a text message to 1199 with the ARC application number. The format is:

STATUS 123456/2023

I sent that text about 2 weeks ago. I got a response that said

“H aítnon as éEETáoTnKE Kal

ÉXEL EVKpLOsi. Oa MáßeTE ETtionun atávTnon MéOW taxuSpousiou. (123456/2023)

Your application has been examined and was approved. You will soon get an official response by mail. (123456/2023)”

Nice. But where's my new card? Because I'm right here in Nicosia, either send it by post or tell me to come… silence. Complete silence.

And imagine, I'm here from Singapore where EVERYTHING was online. Maybe it's a sign that I need to slow down or something. 

@MacGeorge8035 They don't know. They never know. So I send a text message to 1199 with the ARC application number. The format is:
STATUS 123456/2023
I sent that text about 2 weeks ago. I got a response that said
“H aítnon as éEETáoTnKE Kal
ÉXEL EVKpLOsi. Oa MáßeTE ETtionun atávTnon MéOW taxuSpousiou. (123456/2023)
Your application has been examined and was approved. You will soon get an official response by mail. (123456/2023)”
Nice. But where's my new card? Because I'm right here in Nicosia, either send it by post or tell me to come… silence. Complete silence.

And imagine, I'm here from Singapore where EVERYTHING was online. Maybe it's a sign that I need to slow down or something.
-@ADIyer

Instead of copying a message please explain what it's about because on its own it makes no sense at all.

@SimCityAT Refer to the thread. Might help. Anyway, the initial issue of MacGeorge8035 was about the status of the biometric card. I posted a solution of how I track the status of my card. And I gave the number to where a text message can be sent, with the message format. I also gave a sample of the text that was to be expected IF the application is approved. Should have been easy to understand.

@SimCityAT Refer to the thread. Might help. Anyway, the initial issue of MacGeorge8035 was about the status of the biometric card. I posted a solution of how I track the status of my card. And I gave the number to where a text message can be sent, with the message format. I also gave a sample of the text that was to be expected IF the application is approved. Should have been easy to understand.
-@ADIyer

Maybe if you weren't rude MIGHT help. Try writing in proper sentences and then you will get a proper response!

@SimCityAT - You didn't understand what the format was? You found me rude? Perhaps then you should just ask me to rephrase versus tell me that I should not paste the exact format and be exact, right? :-) Just admit you did need help & that you did not understand. Simmer down and read twice. Look for the information instead of bursting and venting just because you didn't understand. Do NOT write instructions like “Instead of copying a message please explain what it's about because on its own it makes no sense at all.” I don't need instructions or rudeness from you but thank you for offering. You WILL get it back if you start it. Promise. This way OR that.

This is a place where grown people share useful information and exact formats where applicable. Everyone is angry, impatient, etc. No one is giving other people advice on what to do how, right? Calm down.

Was fun talking to you but I must let you go.

@ADIyer I have been using the same SMS mechanism for a while now, the most recent response I had was exactly the same as yours. I agree that the messages you get back from the SMS mechanism are almost useless as the information they give you is not very extensive.

I am now waiting for the mail telling me when to collect our cards. However, I have seen a number of responses on other threads that state the mail never arrives and they have gone to immigration and the card has been available.

So today I am going to immigration in Paphos to see if our cards have arrived.

Good luck

@SimCityAT - You didn't understand what the format was? You found me rude? Perhaps then you should just ask me to rephrase versus tell me that I should not paste the exact format and be exact, right? :-) Just admit you did need help & that you did not understand. Simmer down and read twice. Look for the information instead of bursting and venting just because you didn't understand. Do NOT write instructions like “Instead of copying a message please explain what it's about because on its own it makes no sense at all.” I don't need instructions or rudeness from you but thank you for offering. You WILL get it back if you start it. Promise. This way OR that.
This is a place where grown people share useful information and exact formats where applicable. Everyone is angry, impatient, etc. No one is giving other people advice on what to do how, right? Calm down.
Was fun talking to you but I must let you go.
-@ADIyer

Follow the Forum RULES !!

@MacGeorge8035 - Good luck :-)

So here is what I did. So I found out an agent who does these things for corporates in Cyprus that employs expats, and filled out a form that authorizes a person of my choice to pick up the card on my behalf. Found out from him that the card is ready to be picked up for me, which I do on Monday. I think the delay was because people go on a vacation in August so things slow down.

if anything, the renewal of the card is a good exercise in patience

Just an update on how poor the immigration service is here in Cyprus. When I was issued with my Temporary Residency in Oct 2022 I was informed that my Biometric ID card would take around 6 weeks. Today 11 months and 5 days later I have collected my ID card. Only to discover that the card expires in 25 days.

What a waste of everyone's time. I don't know why they bother with these cards if they can't issue them in a timely manner.

I am renewing my temporary residency in 10 days time so another wait for a card that is virtually useless if it's not issued in a timely manner.

Good afternoon

I am in the exact same situation just still waiting for my card to turn up.

Then I will like you need to apply for another one.

Everything else is on hold while waiting for the card.

Can't register car

Can't change driving licence etc etc

Very very frustrating

Thanks for sharing though!

Welcome to Cyprus...  I've resisted changing my MEU3 YELLOW SLIP for the biometric card...  mainly due to the antics and incompetence at immigration. I know I will have to bite the bullet eventually.....  so not looking forward to that ...although it should be simple.. it's a safe bet it won't be

Judging by others experience it looks like the ID card is taking about 11 months to arrive at immigration. No point in checking earlier unless you like waiting in line lol.

Customs are still clearing my car and motorcycle after they arrived on the 20th Dec 2022. Looking on the bright side I have not had to pay any road fund tax or get an MOT.

Given there seems to be a number of speed traps now on the roads near Tala using white Small vans I might be OK as I have a UK number plate :-/

Given there seems to be a number of speed traps now on the roads near Tala using white Small vans I might be OK as I have a UK number plate :-/
   

    -@phildraper

Nope, you will be caught and finned.

:-(

    :-(
   

    -@phildraper

Friends & family have been caught in France, Spain & Austria. They finally do catch up with you as they share details across Europe.

@SimCityAT

Your are not wrong SIM....  those vans are all over the coastal roads.. and they do and will trace all plates .... whether the authorities have funding staff and the will to do so am not convinced

@MacGeorge8035 same here I got my card yesterday along with a letter to say I am at immigration on 29/11 to renew my yellow slip 🤫

@Toon   

Always good to see your observations here :-)

I wish you luck with your MUKW3 application process.

Perhaps i was lucky but once I booked my appointment (at Limassol office), the process went very smoothly.

Took my passport and the other usual stuff but found I only needed my MEU3 (ORIGINAL).

The officer was polite and efficient and actually filled the form for me (~5 minutes).

Biometrics next (~ 10 minutes); then payment (few minutes).

I seem to recall that the new card was ready in a few weeks.  (I called in to check).

I recognise that my experience may have been untypical but wish you well as the biometric card is so much more convenient than the paper MEU3.