Moving to Cyprus – What You Need to Know

The British summer of 2012 was spectacular for many reasons – but the weather certainly wasn’t one of them. With record rainfall levels and numerous floods across the country, the UK’s seasons last year seemed like one long winter.

For many households up and down the country this is reason alone to move abroad and start a new life in the sun, but where? The island of Cyprus just off the Turkish coast is a popular destination for ex-pats to set up home, but what should you consider before making the move?

Cyprus by NASA

Check Out the Island First

When planning for a move abroad it is essential that you do your homework on the prospective destination. You can find out a lot of information via the internet and by speaking to other Brits who have moved out there, but without doubt the best thing to do is to book a week or two in the country in which you can really discover all you need to know.

If you’re planning a move to Cyprus it may be that you have a particular place in mind, and if so you will want to research the town or city thoroughly. If you’ve got a young family then you will need to investigate the schooling options for example, while you may also need to look into employment opportunities if you aren’t going to have a job waiting for you.

Learn the Language?

Cyprus has two official languages – Greek and Turkish – however with an estimated 76% of the population speaking English the emphasis on learning the language is not quite the same as in other foreign destinations.

Despite this, it always helps you to integrate into the culture more effectively if you know the local lingo, so you should give serious consideration to learning the language that is most widely spoken in the region you’ve moving to.

The Cost of Living

When a British family moves abroad permanently it is often the case that they will enjoy a lower cost of living than in the UK. However, Cyprus is the exception to this rule, and you may be surprised to learn that many everyday goods are significantly more expensive than in Britain.

White electronic goods are one example of this in particular, and with this in mind it is essential that you do a full appraisal of your income and expected outgoings to ensure you will be able to afford the cost of living.

Taking Your Car?

One consequence of this higher cost of living is that you will have to consider how many of your possessions you wish to take with you. It may be that after analysing the cost of living in detail that you need to take more with you than you originally planned, but can you take your vehicle with you?

Car shipping by Kirsten

This is actually a lot simpler than you might think, as there are a number of companies who can provide reliable car shipping services to ensure you don’t have to buy new transport once you’ve made the move. Roll-on/roll-off car shipping is one particularly efficient method, where your car is simply driven into the hold of a ship, strapped securely in place and transported to its destination. It is then driven straight off again without the need for any additional packaging or preparation.

Starting a new life in Cyprus is an exciting time for any family and a dream come true for many. To ensure it doesn’t turn into a nightmare prepare as fully as possible by following the above advice.

This guest blog was written by John Rooney on behalf of Auto Shippers, providers of reliable roll-on/roll-off car shipping services.

Tags: brits, doubt, employment opportunities, everyday goods, floods, homework, households, island of cyprus, local lingo, long winter, nasa, official languages, pats, planning a move, rainfall levels, record rainfall, schooling options, speaking english, turkish coast, weather

Category: Cyprus