The residence permit process of foreigners in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is one of the most curious and researched issues. Today, foreigners who own an immovable property in Northern Cyprus can obtain a one-year residence permit for the first three years. In the next process, if the title deed of the immovable residence is in the person’s own name, it will be possible to obtain a residence permit for two years. For this reason, it is very advantageous to own immovable property for foreigners who want to obtain a residence permit.
Residence Permit Criteria for Foreigners Owning Immovable Property in Northern Cyprus
Foreigners who own immovable property in Northern Cyprus should know the criteria in this regard in order to obtain a residence permit and should act accordingly. The criteria taken into account at this point are as follows:
- First of all, the person must have a residence in which he can reside in Northern Cyprus and this residence must be used for residence purposes.
- In some cases, the title deed of the same residence may be divided into more than one share. If a person who owns one of the shares in such a house has obtained a residence permit, a short-term residence permit for the same house is not granted to another shareholder of the same house.
- In case the immovable property is purchased through the contract, at least one third of the sales price must be paid in order to obtain the residence permit. In addition, it is important that an application has been made to the relevant ministry for a real estate purchase permit.
- If the title deed of the immovable property is in the name of the person who wants to obtain a residence permit, the monthly income of the person must be at least three minimum wages. However, if the immovable property has been purchased with a contract and the payments are still ongoing, the income must be at least three minimum wages per month in addition to the monthly installment amount in the contract.
How is the Residence Permit Application Process?
In order to achieve the desired results, it is important that the residence applications are made in the most correct way. At this point, it should be well known how the residence permit application process proceeds step by step. Residence permit applications are made to the District Police Department, which is responsible for the residence address of the person who will apply. At the beginning of the factors to be considered for the application to be made to the Immigration Authority in the relevant institution, attention should be paid to the visa period that the person has received when entering the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Applications must be made within thirty days at the latest from the beginning of this period.
In addition to obtaining a residence permit, an application must also be made for the renewal of the residence permit. At this stage, the necessary procedures must be done at the earliest sixty days before the expiration of the current permit, and at the latest twenty days before.
Each application for permission is first evaluated and examined by the Immigration Department, which is affiliated to the District Police Department. The eligibility for granting the residence permit is decided and the decision including the reasoned opinion is delivered to the relevant Department within ten days at the latest. In the event that the application submitted to the Department is positive and no further examination is required, a residence permit is issued for the applicant on the specified date.
During the application process, the health report must be submitted to the relevant institution within thirty days from the application date. Otherwise, the person whose application has been rejected will be sent a text message and informed that the person has to leave Northern Cyprus within five days. If the applicant does not leave the country during this process, after the fifth day, he is considered to be in the country without permission from the authorities. This results in the imposition of fines prescribed by law.
The information and documents required for a residence permit may vary depending on the type of residence permit. To see all the details, you can browse the website of the relevant institution. In the future, if the institution allows to apply online through its official website, application procedures can be carried out in this way.
