How to programmer move to Cyprus

Disclaimer: I started writing this article a long time ago and finished just now, as there was no time. During this time, 2 more similar articles were published: this one and this one . Some of the information in the article repeats the information from these two articles. However, since I view everything described in the article through the prism of my own experience, I decided to leave it unchanged.

Yes, today we are not talking about the most common model of the tractor, but it just so happened. Although the events described occurred relatively long ago, by and large the situation has not changed and the tractor model is still operational. So, in this article I will talk about the process of finding a job, preparing for the move, moving and general impressions about life here.

Work searches

So, what brought me to the place very popular among tourists, but not very popular as a direction for job search? Actually, a combination of desires, opportunities, necessity and circumstances. Everything is simple with desires - I have long wanted to live somewhere by the warm sea, among palm trees and houses with tiled roofs. Just before the described events, my wife and I considered the option to move to Bulgaria and work from there remotely on a Russian company, where we worked at that time. And then maybe not on the Russian, when we settle in on the spot. Opportunities for this are quite available: I am a developer for Android, the wife of QA engineer. But then circumstances intervened - there was a black Tuesday of 2014. The ruble fell by 2 times, and with it fell the attractiveness of remote work for a Russian company. And after a while, it was the turn of necessity - the doctor strongly recommended changing the child’s climate from nasty St. Petersburg to warm sea for a couple of years. Actually, until this point all plans were speculative enough and were not supported by any actions. But then I had to move.
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While we were thinking about what to do with all of this, I occasionally looked through the vacancies and watched the market wages rapidly detach from my current, recently increased. During one of these masochistic sessions, I came across a vacancy in Limassol. According to the description and the money seemed to look good. After reading about the city, I realized that this is what we need. Sent a resume. And nothing. Sent a resume in English. Nothing again. We discussed the situation with my wife, decided that the world in Cyprus did not come together and began to look at options in other countries. While reading about other countries, I found several Cypriot sites for job search and several more vacancies for them. Sent a resume there. Silence again. After a few weeks of exploring job search portals in different countries, I got to LinkedIn. And there again came across a vacancy in Limassol. I wrote a message and went on. Suddenly, an hour later, a letter arrives in which they offer me to send a current resume to the company's address. Actually, this was the beginning of the process of finding a job and the subsequent move.

In the next letter, we sent an Employment Application Form, asked to fill out and send it a scan along with a passport scan. After that, we agreed to conduct an online test a week later. At that time it was unclear what kind of beast. As it turned out, at a certain time a set of tasks and questions are sent, and after an hour and a half it is necessary to send back the answers. The test was simple, so in the allotted time I was completely packed. The next day they offered to organize a Skype interview in 2 weeks, and a little later they pushed a little further. The interview was fairly standard. There were no technically difficult questions, rather, general questions. Of the difficulties was communicating in English. So I knew him quite well at that time, plus I additionally worked for several months to refresh him. In particular, I watched TED talks with English subtitles in order to be better perceived by ear. But the reality surpassed all expectations - the sound quality in Skype was disgusting, plus the interviewer found a very specific pronunciation (British). Yes, it sounds strange, but it is significant communication with the British or those who lived there for a long time causes significant difficulties. To my surprise, despite the fact that I repeated each second sentence, the next day I was offered to fly to Cyprus for 2 days. And all in 10 days. Fortunately, to fly to Cyprus from Russia, it is enough to arrange the provision, which takes 1-2 days. Then, as always, they were shifted for a few days, but in the end I still safely flew away. Of course, as is the case in all normal companies, the company assumed the costs of the interview. Those. in my case, the company paid for tickets, hotel and taxis. I only paid for dinner on the first day of stay.

As I said, everything took 2 days. On the first day I flew to Cyprus. From the airport, I was taken by taxi directly to the office. After a short respite, the interview began. Two interviewers asked different things, mostly non-technical again. In the end, I had to solve a series of puzzles. After that, a taxi took me to the hotel. The next day, a taxi got to the office. This time they issued a computer and told me to wrap in a couple of hours a simple Android application with a certain functionality, which I did. Then they gave time to talk with the employee of the company on abstract topics. After a taxi was taken to the airport.

A week later, there was another Skype interview with the HR manager. It was supposed to be during my arrival in Cyprus, but did not work out. In any case, there was nothing interesting - standard questions. A week later, they wrote that they decided to make an offer, but have not yet decided on the conditions. After another week and a half, they again wrote that everything was on the way, but they could not send an offer, as they were waiting for confirmation from the immigration service. After another 2 weeks I was tired of waiting and I wrote myself and asked when it would still be an offer. That's when they sent it to me. Total process took almost 3 months. The conditions were quite good: the average salary at the hospital, the 13th salary, a bonus, full medical insurance for the whole family, lunches, a parking space at work, tickets for the whole family, 2 weeks of the hotel for me on arrival and transportation of all things. Another day was discussed and I signed up. At this point, the job search phase is over and preparations for the move have begun.

Preparing for the move

That's just where the main troubles begin. In order to correct (and we will not consider the wrong) order to bring an employee to Cyprus, the company must have an Entry Permit, which allows for the actual entry. For this we need: a diploma, a certified and apostilled copy of the diploma, blood tests for all sorts of bad sores, fluorography, an apostilled certificate of non-conviction and a certified copy of the passport. Everything is natural with the translation. It seems at first glance and not scary, but the devil is in the details, and there were a lot of them. For the wife you need the same thing, minus the diploma, plus an apostilled marriage certificate. For a child, instead of a marriage certificate, a birth certificate and instead of a fluorography, a certificate of manta.

So, look at the details. Maybe someone will save a pack of nerves. The original diploma from me was taken only to see, it was not necessary to apostil it. But with a copy more difficult. The algorithm was as follows: we make a notarized copy, translate the copy, notarize the translator's signature, put an apostille on it all. Moreover, the apostille goes as a separate sheet for the entire previous packet.

Blood tests and fluorography should be done in the clinic or any other public institution, private clinics will not work. In order not to suffer too much, I found some kind of hospital where it can be done quickly for money. After receiving the certificates, they must be translated and certified by the notary’s signature of the translator. We also make a certified copy of the passport with a notary. On the certificate of non-conviction, we put the apostille, translate the certificate along with the apostille, and certify that the translator has to be signed by a notary. For residents of St. Petersburg I can give a hint - do it in the Unified Document Center. Yes, the price tag is not the most humane, but quickly and efficiently. In fact, you only need to visit the hospital to obtain medical certificates and several visits to the ECD. Some will be needed because, for example, for a diploma, you must first give it up without translation, after translation you must visit the notary (in the same URD) and only then give it to the apostilization.

For my wife, the procedure is similar. The marriage certificate is apostilled, a notarial copy is made, the copy is translated, the translation is notarized. His wife was released from fluorography due to pregnancy.

For the child makes a birth certificate is apostilled, a notarial copy is made, the copy is translated, the translation is notarized. Instead of fluorography, a certificate of manta is made. In my opinion, they did not even translate it, and they did it at the last moment.

All translations are enough to be done in English, no need to translate into Greek.

After all the documents were collected, I sent them via DHL to the employer to start the paperwork for the migration service. After the company receives the documents, they begin the process of registration in the migration. Initially it was said that it takes about 2 weeks. Then it turned out that some additional piece of paper is needed (fortunately not from me). Then another month passed. And finally permission was obtained. Actually, the received piece of paper is called an entry permit (Entry Permit). It is valid for 3 months and allows these 3 months to live in Cyprus and work for the employer specified in it.
Further agreed on the date of commencement of work and the date of the flight. And so, having worked for the prescribed 2 weeks, I flew to Cyprus. 6.5 months passed from the moment of the first contact to the departure.

Moving

Of course, at first there is a bunch of things to do. The main business of course was the search for housing, as the company paid for only 2 weeks of the hotel. And then there was an ambush. Housing options in the summer are catastrophically small (now everything is generally bad, bad, but more on that later). Colleagues advised a couple of real estate agents through whom they were looking. Plus I turned to one of the agencies. For 2 weeks of searching I was shown only 5 apartments, and far from perfect. As a result, I had to choose the best of the worst and last day of the paid hotel to transport things into the acquired housing.

But here the epic of housing does not end. Need electricity, water and internet. To connect electricity, you need to visit the Electric Authority of Cyprus. Tell them the address and leave 350 euros as a deposit (deposit), in case you decide to treacherously leave Cyprus and not pay the last bill. To connect the water go to the Limassol Water board. Here the procedure is repeated, only take "only" 250 euros. With the Internet options already appear. I myself for the first time took a 4G device, distributing Wi-Fi. 20 Mb / s for 30 euros per month. The truth is with the restriction on traffic, in my opinion 80 GB. Then they cut the speed. Yes, of course, they also take a deposit, 30 euros. A prepaid SIM card was purchased for conversations, since there was no desire to bother with the contract.

Also, at first, it is necessary to get used to it at work and sign a contract, which will later be required in different places.

It is necessary to once again pass the tests for all sorts of nastiness and do a fluorography. And the process is again not the most trivial. You can do this in a public institution, but everything is in Greek and does not look much better than the Russian polyclinic. Therefore, I went to a private clinic and did everything I needed there (the company compensated for the expenses). However, in the migration service documents from private clinics are not accepted. Therefore, you still need to go to the local clinic (in fact they are not here, but this is the closest analogue) - Old Hospital. Yes, there is a new one, here it is just a hospital, and in the old one they receive and out-patient treatment. There sits a specially trained person who, looking into your honest eyes, can determine with accuracy that your state of health coincides with what is written in the analyzes. For only 10 euros, he stamps your papers, and they become relevant for the migration service.

You need to open a bank account. If I remember correctly, they require a rental agreement, so it will not work right away. The first 1-2 months I received a salary on a Russian card, and a colleague received checks, which went to cash out.

And so, everything seems to have been done, but at the same time the quest “collect all the documents for the immigration service” was completed.

After another couple of weeks, a specially trained person from E & Y submitted my documents to the migration service. After that, not very soon, the migration service issues a document called ARC (Alien Registration Certificate). After that, you need to go to them, take pictures and pass fingerprints. Then, after a couple of weeks, you can finally become the proud owner of Residence Permit, also known as the pink slip. You can live and work with him in Cyprus. It is natural to work only on the one specified in this permission. The first is issued for a year, the next can be done at 2.

In parallel with all this, my family in Russia was engaged in collecting the necessary documents and preparing things for shipment. And I, in turn, talked with the transport company in Cyprus. Transportation of things is quite a chore and time consuming. Although it all depends on the transport company. In our case, we packed all the boxes ourselves and made inventories. The result was 3-4 cubic meters and 380 kg of things. This is in addition to suitcases and hand luggage. To check all things, a person comes from a transportation company and looks at the topic of prohibited transportation. For example, we were advised to lay out all the batteries, as it was planned to send things by plane. On the appointed day, the transport company takes the things and sends them to the country of destination. In order to get things, you need to provide a bunch of pieces of paper at customs to prove that they are personal belongings and they are transported for the purpose of a long stay. Papers by the way it is desirable to translate, if they are in Russian. Papers are needed in 2 categories: about departure and arrival. Necessary papers of the first category: a contract for the sale / lease of real estate in Russia (if there is one), receipts for utilities, a document on the closure of a bank account, a document on completion of work, a certificate from a school for children. Necessary pieces of paper of the second category: contract for the purchase / lease of real estate, payment of utilities, certificate from school, employment contract. Naturally, all these papers may not be, but to have at least 2 from each category is very desirable. Another problem was that the sender was his wife, and the evidence was provided by me, since, for example, among the pieces of paper were a lease agreement in Cyprus and a water / electricity bill (utility bill). As a result, at customs, we looked into our honest eyes, at a small child, a pregnant wife, and waved our hand. After customs clearance in about a week, things are brought to the desired address. In fact, the process with things took about a month from the moment of packing until the moment of unpacking.

While things were going to Cyprus, my family also flew here. They called on a regular tourist visa (pro-visa), which allows you to stay in Cyprus for 3 months. Just at the end of these 3 months, the migration service did make them a residence permit. It happened so long because the process for the family can be started only after the process for the sponsor (in this case, me) is completed. In the case of a family, everyone also needs to do tests and fluorography (or manta for children). His wife was really released from her because of pregnancy.

In general, the whole process took about 9 months.

Life in Cyprus

We have been living here for almost 3 years. During this time, quite a lot of impressions have been accumulated about life here, which I will share further.

Climate

I think any tourist who has visited Cyprus is delighted with the local climate. 300 sunny days a year, summer all year round and so on and so forth. But, as you know, do not confuse tourism with emigration. In fact, everything is not so rosy, although, in any case, much better than in the same St. Petersburg. And so, what's the catch. Let's start with spring. Although it feels like it's more summer. In March, the temperature moves over +20. And in principle, you can open the swimming season (tested on yourself). In April, the temperature is approaching +25, and the swimming season should definitely be opened. In May, the temperature thinks about taking the bar at 30 degrees. In general, spring is a very pleasant time here. Not very hot, everything is blooming. Summer comes on. The temperature in June is 30, in July and August often over 35. It is very unpleasant to live without air conditioning or a fan. Sleep is almost impossible. Half an hour on the street at noon without sunscreen fraught with sunburn, even despite the already existing tan. Dry and dusty. I don't remember the rains in the summer. But the water is great, degrees 28-30. In August, Cyprus is almost extinct - all Cypriots are crawling around. Many cafes, pharmacies, small shops are closed. Autumn is definitely better than summer. The temperature in September is slowly slipping below 35. In October, it is still summer, the temperature is closer to 25, it is still possible and necessary to swim. In November, it starts to “get cold”, the temperature is already below 25. By the way, swimming is still quite pleasant, usually in November I just close the season. In October and November it is possible to rain. In general, the fall here is also quite good, as in the spring. And then winter comes. It is warm, usually 15-18 in the afternoon. It often rains. But there is one big nuance - the Cypriot houses, especially the old ones, are built without a hint of thermal insulation at all. Therefore, the temperature in them is the same as on the street. Those. it's hot in summer and cold in winter. When +16 outside, yes in the sun, that's fine. But when +16 in the apartment, it is very disgusting. It is useless to warm - everything is blown out almost instantly. But I still have to, so in the winter the electricity bills are much more than even summer ones, not to mention the off-season. Some heat-loving Cypriot colleagues manage to spend 400 euros on electricity for 2 months in the winter. But in principle, winter problems are solved by the presence of a normally isolated house. Summer is worse - you still have to crawl out on the street, and it’s also a small pleasure to sit all day under air conditioning.

Job

Its not so much here, after all, the population is only about a million. IT vacancies are in principle enough. True, half of them are in Forex or similar companies. Often they offer ZP and buns higher than the market average. But they have a bad habit of suddenly disappearing or cutting staff. Not all companies will bother with registration of a work visa and transportation of an employee. In general, if there are big career plans or a desire to change the company every few years to a new one, Cyprus is not the best place for this.

By the way, often the situation when a person goes between several companies to and fro. If there is a desire to get work experience different from Russia, or to consider work as a mandatory supplement to Cyprus as such, then it is quite another matter. As I mentioned above, the company draws up the visa. Although it is quite possible that it will collect the necessary package, give it to you and make you run with the design. I would not recommend this experience. Taxes are more than humane. I have social insurance including something around 10%. True, I still have a bonus in the form of the release of 20% of tax revenue.

Tongue

Basically, English is more than enough. Some people I met managed to manage only Russian. For 3 years, I probably met 5 people who spoke only Greek. Minor complications may occur when visiting government agencies. There, all the inscriptions in Greek and English are not duplicated. However, most employees know English, so sooner or later you will be sent to the right place. Sometimes you have to fill out papers in Greek, but again you can find someone who can help.

Housing

With this here recently pechalka. I note that you first need to get used to the fact that apartments / houses are measured not by the number of rooms, but by the number of bedrooms (bedroom). Those. in the apartment by default there is a living-kitchen-dining room in the form of a single room, and the rest is a bedroom. Plus a balcony / terrace. Also different types of housing. You can choose from: detached house (detached house), half of the house (semidetached house), maisonette (maisonette, town house, block house, family house), apartment (apartment). Another of the unusual: the numbering of the floors here starts from 0 (ground floor), because of which the 1st floor is in fact the second. Returning to the actual rental. The price tag in my opinion now starts somewhere around 600 euros. Something decent for living with a family is closer to 1000. 3 years ago the price tag was 2 times lower. In addition to the fact that the price tag has grown very well, the number of available options has decreased. It is necessary to search either through real estate agencies, or through the Avito analogue - bazaraki.com. If you are lucky enough to find an apartment, a contract is concluded. If the amount of the contract is more than 5000 per year, it will still need to be registered. Presumably, the mukhtarius (there are such strange people here that you won't find right away) or in the tax service, but I won't say for sure, since the company did it for me as part of submitting documents to the immigration service. The contract is most often for a year. At the conclusion of the contract is left a deposit, again often in the amount of the monthly rental price. If the tenant leaves early, the deposit remains with the landlord.

What you should pay attention to when renting.

• Location of the house. Near the house there may be a school, for example, then in the morning you will get traffic jams, and during the day crowds of children. Or the church, then a wake-up call at 6 in the morning is provided for you. In houses near the sea, high humidity, especially in winter. For a week, the carelessly left passport tried to curl up into a tube. In some areas, an increased concentration of mosquitoes. They are trying to poison, but the difference is still noticeable. If all the windows face south - in the summer it will be very, very hot. If to the north - it will be cold in winter. The optimal version of the window at once on two sides: west and east.
• Most homes are equipped with solar water heating. Stuck very useful. But here, too, there is a nuance. If the house has 5-6 floors, and you live on the ground floor, then to get warm water, you need to lower the entire riser from the apartment to the roof. And so every time that is not very economical. We have no such thing in the apartment at all, but there is a flowing electric water heater.
• The stove can be electric or gas. If the stove is a gas stove, then it will be necessary to buy cylinders, since there is no central gas supply in Cyprus. Cylinders can be bought near supermarkets.
• Well, finally the trouble in my opinion of all housing in Cyprus - leaks. We were flooded in both rented apartments. Colleagues complained polls. It seems that Cypriot plumbers' hands do not grow from where they should be. By itself, leakage is not so terrible, but if you do not remove the consequences, you can lead to black mold. In principle, it tends to wind up in any wet place in an apartment. So if you see mold, or drips on the walls / ceiling, it is better not to risk it.

In terms of home buying, everything is also not very bright. The price tag is actively growing. In the secondary market, half of the lots lacked documents (title deed). The construction of his house, this is still a bureaucratic bother. And even less budget than the purchase. Mortgage interest is quite low, but that's just how it probably will not give.

Transport

He is practically absent in Cyprus.There are several bus routes, but they are clearly not enough. Intercity bus also runs between cities. Actually, this transport and ends. There is something like a minibus (travel express). But they do not drive just like that. You need to call and order from some place to some place. And in a completely arbitrary, they may not go. Mostly convenient if you need to go to the airport or another city. There are also special buses to the airport, about once an hour, less often at night.

You can use a taxi, but quite expensive. And it is not always reliable, as the taxi driver may be late or send someone else instead of himself. We got burned a couple of times. The first time went to the airport. They warned us to be two adults, 2 children, who need car seats, 2 large suitcases and a stroller. The taxi driver was busy with something and asked a friend to come, omitting all this information. As a result, this friend of our entire load for a long time and uploaded with matyukov in a normal Mercedes. And driving with an open trunk, tied with a string. The second time drove from the airport. Taxi driver warned in advance. Arrived, called. To which they received an excellent answer, that he was just about to leave. With that, the ride is 40 minutes minimum.

Uber and analogs are not here, as taxi drivers do not want competition. Carsharing either. I guess the reason is similar. You can rent a car, but the price tag is also quite biting.

As a result, the only way to get around is to have your own car. And by and large, in my opinion, every self-respecting Cypriot has it. And if not, then he has a motorcycle, or a moped. In general, people who are walking or cycling are looked at as slightly obsessed. In view of the widespread automobilization of the Cypriots, there is a habit of driving a car everywhere, including grocery shopping on a nearby street. Also, in their opinion, it is necessary to park exactly at the place where you went, even if it breaks the rules and interferes with someone. Usually, sidewalks are used for parking, so it is difficult to walk along them, and with a sidecar it is generally impossible. So that the life of pedestrians does not seem like honey to them, Cypriots plant trees on the sidewalks where they are not driven by cars.

Buy a car here is easy. There are quite a number of sites where you can buy a used car, you can also buy offline. When buying, a new certificate is just issued in 5 minutes. Before this you need to get insurance (analogue OSAGO). For her, too, nothing is required. It is possible to issue both with the Russian rights, and with the local. The cost of insurance is something in the region of 200-400 euros per year, depending on the insurance, your rights and driving experience in Cyprus. It is also quite simple to get local rights if you have Russian ones. You need to collect a handful of pieces of paper, go with them to the transport department, pay 40 euros and get Cyprus rights in 2 weeks. With Russian rights, you can safely ride the first six months. Further, in principle, it is also possible, but in theory they may even find fault.

Driving a car here is much nicer than in Russia. Not to say that the rules are universally respected, but the order is still present. Such a ride "by the rules." At least, if it is written on the lane that it is only for turning to the right, then there is very, very rarely an idiot who will go straight or to the left. In St. Petersburg, such idiots usually line up. In general, on the roads, people are much more tolerant to each other. For 3 years, I have never been swapped, nor have I cut it and have not tried to “teach life”. I had an accident once - I was driven from a secondary road. First of all, the second participant asked me if everything was alright. The second said that it was him who was to blame, now he will call the insurance and we will quickly settle everything. And indeed, in less than an hour, everything was already decided and I drove on in a replacement car,which rode another week, while repairing my. Also here insurance (at least in my version) includes roadside assistance. Once I was evacuated from somewhere in the mountains, the second time from another city.

The roads are of quite good quality. Could be better, but at least they do not go along with the snow every year. Perhaps due to the lack of snow.

Shops and pharmacies

There are several supermarket chains in Cyprus: Alpha Mega, Sklavenitis, Lidl. We mainly buy them once a week. Some little things you can buy in small shops near the house. It is also better to buy bread and fruit in them, although not at times. I had no complaints about local products. The quality in my opinion is better than in Russia, the price is higher, but not much. Well, at least there are no sanctions, you can safely eat normal cheese, and not its substitutes. Supermarkets work all week. Alpha mega exactly, I will not vouch for others. Other shops at the request of the left heel of the owner. Most likely, many of them will be closed the second half of Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. And many other institutions by the way too. Hairdressers do not work on Thursdays. Doctors the second half of Thursday. Pharmacies as shops.For all three years I have not got used to it so completely.

Pharmacies are all about the same. Is that some have Russian-speaking pharmacists. If you do not have the right medicine, you can order it. When brought, they will call that you can come and pick up. The range of drugs is different from the Russian. Something intersects, some are better in Russia (maybe not better in principle, but they help better with specific sores), some are better here. It is necessary to determine empirically. There are no 24-hour pharmacies, but there are on-duty pharmacies that are constantly changing. The list can be found either on the door of the nearest pharmacy, or on the website , or in the Maps Cyprus application. Needless to get to this pharmacy at night, you can only by car / taxi, if she suddenly was not there.

For household things you can go to the Super home center. There you can find various things for home / garden / car. You can also go to Jumbo, there is also clothing, office and other trifles. Clothes and shoes can be bought either in various small stores, or their gatherings, on the sort of Debenhams. We usually buy either in Russia, as it is cheaper, or in a small shop next door.

The medicine

Medicine in Cyprus is a separate song. The system of medical services here is fundamentally different from the usual Soviet man. There are practically no public medical facilities here. For the whole of Limassol, one hospital and one clinic. I can’t tell you anything about them, because I haven’t been able to use it. But local people in my opinion try not to fall. The rest of the medicine is private. There are at least 2 hospitals / clinics (Ygia Polyclinic and Mediterranean Hospital). The rest is private practitioners. Some of them have their own mini-clinic, while others are content with a room in the business center. In fact, these doctors are just replacing clinics. They conduct a primary examination, prescribe medications and carry out simple manipulations. Difficult in general, too, they spend. If the doctor has his own equipped clinic, then in it. If not,then rent elsewhere. And you can often come to the doctor for an appointment, but it turns out that at this moment he has an emergency operation in another clinic. If you need some serious research, you will most likely have to use the services of private clinics or public hospitals, as serious equipment is only there. All private medicine works naturally only for money. And not very humane - the usual reception costs 50 euros. If you rarely get sick, then it is tolerable, otherwise you should think about the services of insurance companies.as serious equipment is only there. All private medicine works naturally only for money. And not very humane - the usual reception costs 50 euros. If you rarely get sick, then it is tolerable, otherwise you should think about the services of insurance companies.as serious equipment is only there. All private medicine works naturally only for money. And not very humane - the usual reception costs 50 euros. If you rarely get sick, then it is tolerable, otherwise you should think about the services of insurance companies.

In terms of insurance, basically it all comes down to the fact that after a visit to the doctor, you need to fill out special papers for the insurance (claim form), attach checks to them, notes from the doctor and send them to the insurance. You have to pay either with your money or with a card if the company provides it. Insurance is considering a request, and if the case was insurance returns money. By the time it takes from a week to a couple of months.

The advantage of this whole private system is that you can freely choose a doctor and the visit is usually quite pleasant. But I think this is more or less true for paid medicine in any country. The disadvantage of such a system is that a normal doctor still needs to be found. Every doctor in this system is a “thing in itself,” since his communication with his colleagues is very limited. Good doctors have more experience, as more patients come to them. Those.good doctors become (ideally) even better, and bad ones stay that way. The reputation of the doctor turns out either on their own experience or by reading various forums. The choice of doctors in Cyprus is very small, especially narrow specialists. The situation is complicated by the need to find an English-speaking or Russian-speaking doctor, which further narrows the circle of searches.

The attitude of Cypriot doctors to treatment is quite specific. Many of them are inclined to the tried-and-true means “yes figs with it will pass by itself”. In my opinion, their vision of the world is too optimistic, which leads to the fact that when they do notice something wrong, it is too late or difficult to heal.


In general, as in any country, it is better not to deal with the medical system. And the nerves and wallet will be more whole.

Children

Consider preschool and school facilities, as well as available entertainment. For children of preschool age there are kindergartens. They can be divided into Greek-speaking, English-speaking and Russian-speaking. The first gardens are state. Of course there may be private ones, but I was not particularly interested. Children take there from several months and do not take money for it. Most likely there is a queue. These gardens work in my opinion only the first half of the day. Since we never had a particular desire to visit them, I have little information about them.

English-speaking gardens a lot. They are all private and cost money, and quite big ones, something from 200 euros for half a day. There are those who work full time. Children take there mostly from 1.5 years. In one such garden we went for some time. Impressions are very pleasant, especially compared to the free garden in Russia. Russian-speaking gardens only a few pieces. They are also all private. The price tag is smaller than in English-speaking, but also closer to 200 euros per half day. Children from 1.5-2 years old are also taken there.

With schools, the division is about the same. We were not interested in free Cypriot schools. And according to the reviews of colleagues, both education and upbringing are lame there. In English-speaking private schools queue for several years, which makes it very difficult to get there. Plus the price tag starts from about 400 euros per month. Among them are both good and not so. Need to read reviews about each particular school. Russian-speaking schools in Limassol 3. At least 1 in Paphos and at least 1 in Nicosia (at the embassy). Price tag there from about 300 euros per month. In one of them, we just go. As far as I know, they are all engaged in the Russian program with the addition of local (in particular the study of Greek). Certificates can be obtained both Cypriot and Russian. For the Russian certificate you need to pass the EG. You can rent it at the school at the embassy.

There is a fairly large number of different circles and sections, both in schools and individual ones. For example: singing, dancing, music, martial arts, equestrian sport.

In addition, with the entertainment of children, everything is quite sad. Playgrounds are practically absent, for the whole of Limassol normal units. There are indoor playgrounds, but they are paid and there are not many of them either. There are a couple of cinemas and entertainment centers, but this is for older children. Of course, there is always the sea and the beach, but sometimes you want diversity.

In general, to properly teach and entertain children, you need a sufficiently large amount of money. But if they are, then everything is good enough.

Funny fact. Many Cypriots either want to become a teacher, or are already in line to become. And not out of love for pedagogy, but for the simple reason that the teacher’s salary is comparable (or even higher) with the lead developer’s salary.

People

Here everyone is smiling and waving. In the life of a Cypriot, everything must happen "whitefish", that is, slowly. Nobody is straining, everything is positive. It is rather improbable that they will cheat you somewhere. If you need help - help. If you meet the gaze with a stranger, he is likely to smile in response, and will not look beech. Quite a frequent picture when Cypriots met on the road while driving, stop talking. And they can do it in the middle of the intersection. In general, in this regard, being here is quite comfortable. In addition to Cypriots, there are many people of other nationalities. Most probably there are Greeks, “Russians” (anyone who speaks Russian is automatically credited to Russians) and Asians. However, there are by itself negative sides. Getting something from Cypriot is very difficult and requires a lot of effort.And if it is also needed by a certain time, it is almost unreal at all. As a result, banal actions can be delayed for an absolutely unimaginable period.

The situation in Europe

At the moment, Cyprus is part of the European Union and the euro area, but is not part of the Schengen zone. Those.if you want to travel here in Europe, you still have to do a Schengen visa. Geographically, Cyprus is the backyard of Europe. And in principle, compared to other countries, it looks more like a village. As the Cypriots themselves say, Cyprus in development lags behind the rest of Europe by 20 years. You can get out of here for traveling only by plane or by ship. Which is not very convenient. Cyprus also has its own internal problem. According to the official version, 38% of the island are territories occupied by Turkey. According to the unofficial version there is a TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus). As a state, only Turkey recognizes it, so the official version is closer to reality.

It happened a long time ago, there’s no point in describing it. Attempts to settle this somehow come to naught. Visit the northern part of the island is quite possible. Northerners to the south, too, ride quite freely. But at the same time it is necessary to cross the demilitarized zone, which in theory is protected by the UN. There are several crossings, both automobile and pedestrian. The line of separation by the way passes through the capital and divides it into 2 parts. Another 2% of the island is occupied by the military bases of Great Britain. Heavy legacy of the colonial past.

the Internet

Internet in general is here, but mostly inferior and expensive. You can use both mobile (in 4G cities quite to yourself) and stationary. Upon arrival, I used mobile at a special rate, I think there was something about 30 euros per month for 20 Mbit / s, with a traffic limit of 60 or 80 GB, then speed was cut. Then he switched to stationary via optics (many here still offer ADHL). For the same 30 Euro 50 Mbit / s without traffic restrictions. There are various combined rates with a TV and a landline telephone, but I have never used it. Since Cyprus is an island, it is highly dependent on the outside world. Not so long ago, damaged several cables. There was practically no Internet for a couple of days, then for another couple of weeks there was a speed limit for some resources.

Security

It feels pretty safe here. At least, safer than in Russia. Although recently the situation has become worse. Get into the house more often. At night, competitors are set on fire / blow up business each other. Last year, especially diverged. But at the same time, as I recall, no one was hurt, only the property was spoiled.

Citizenship

In theory, after 5 years, you can apply for a long-term residence permit (Long Term Residence Permit), and after 7 years for citizenship. And not calendar years, and spent in Cyprus. Those. if during this period somewhere to go, then the time of absence must be added to the term. If you leave too long - the time will go again. If you are late with the extension of the temporary permit, then the term will be renewed, or they may even be refused, as a violator. But even if everything is fine, and the documents are submitted, you will need to be patient and wait. Maybe a year, maybe two, maybe more. I have already mentioned that Cypriots are very leisurely. And in the matter of documents all the more. You can really speed up the process, and invest in the economy of Cyprus a couple of million euros, then it seems like immediately (by Cyprus standards) give citizenship. So, it is possible in principle to obtain citizenship here, but not very easily.

Prices

And now the most interesting thing is how much this whole celebration of life will cost. Of course, everyone has different needs. And the income is also different. Therefore, the figures are just a guideline. All figures for the month.

Rent apartment. As already mentioned, now everything is bad enough. In the city for odnushku ask 600, something decent for a family get closer to 1000. The price tag is constantly changing, it is difficult to keep track. But there are options. For example, friends recently found a detached 3-bedroom house in the nearest village for only 600 euros. Yes, it is necessary to go further, but since it’s not a car here anyway, the difference is not so great.

Car maintenance , including gasoline, taxes, service and insurance will be something around 150-200 euros. If you are not lucky with the car or drive far, then more. If you're lucky, and drive a little, then less.

Electricity averages 40-50 euros, in the off season around 30, in the winter 70-80. Some of my friends in the winter burn 200 per month, and others in the summer of 20. The price tag is about 15 cents per kilowatt.

Water about 20 per month at a moderate rate. The price tag is about 1 euro per cube, and some more for sewage.

Internet about 30 per month for 50 Mbit / s. Depends on the provider. Somewhere for the money the speed will be less.

Garbage collection 13 euros per month, paid once a year. Utility payments (common expenses) 30-50 euros. This is the cost of maintaining an apartment building. If the house is separate, then there is no such expense. Just the whole house care is on you.

School and kindergarten . There are free options, there are options for 1500 euros. The average private garden is 200-300, and the school is 300-500 euros.

Mobile phone You can take a contract SIM card, pay a fixed amount every month and get minutes / SMS / gigabytes for it. You can use the prepaid (prepaid) tariff. It depends on how much to say. It takes me 2-3 euros per month. Cost per minute 7-8 cents. What is nice to call Russia at the same time 10-15 cents per minute.

Products . 100-200 euros per person. Everything is very individual here. It depends on the store, on the diet, on the quality of the products. But at 150 you can eat pretty well. If you don’t eat at home, then a quick meal will cost about 5 euros, a cafe 8-10, a restaurant 15-20 euros for a trip.

Household goods 15 euros.

Small things and consumables 100 euros per family.

Classes for children . Depends on occupations. An average of 40 euros for 1 lesson per week. Something is cheaper, something is more expensive.

Medicines 200 euros. Maybe less if you are a little sick. It may be more if there is a chronicle or are sick often. The cost of drugs may be covered by insurance.

Hygiene products 50 euros.

In general, a family of 4 needs something around 2,500 euros per month. This does not include entertainment, vacations and trips to doctors.

The salary of the leading developer on average about 2500 - 3500 euros. Somewhere they can give less, but you shouldn’t go there at all. Somewhere give and more. I saw vacancies where people pay up to 5000, but mostly they are Forex companies. If you go alone or together, then 2500 is more than enough. If you go family, then less than 3000 is not interesting. Also, much depends on other advantages: bonus, 13th salary, voluntary medical insurance, provident fund, etc. For example, LCA in good insurance may well cost 200 euros per person. For 4 people it turns out already 800 euros. Those. work for 3000 and good insurance can be more profitable than for 3500.

Conclusion

Of course, there are those who ask, and was it worth it all. I can say that for our case, yes, it was worth it. I am more than pleased with the 3 years here. Despite all the shortcomings that Cyprus has, this is a great place.

Should I go here in pritspe? If you go for 2-3 years, then definitely worth it if there is a good job. First, there will be an opportunity to live in a resort location. Yes, it is impossible to rest 365 days a year, but still it is better than to come here once a year for 7 days. Secondly, there will be an opportunity to gain experience in a foreign company. He is quite different from work experience in Russia. Thirdly, there will be an opportunity to tighten up English in an English-speaking environment.

If we talk about permanent residence, then you need to think hard. And even better to come for 2-3 years and try. As a place for permanent residence, Cyprus is suitable for those who want a quiet (very, very calm) and measured life. And ready to accept the fact that people around lead the same life. You also need to love the heat. Love her very much.

Cyprus is also quite an interesting option, if you want to understand whether you are ready to live abroad in principle. On the one hand, there are a lot of “Russians” here, so as not to feel detached from everything familiar. On the other hand, the environment is still very different and you will need to adapt to it.

In general, welcome :)