Can you leave Northern Cyprus with a 60% residency status?
Obtaining residency in Northern Cyprus is not a swift process, and many find their 60% status pending for months.
Meanwhile, being in such a semi-legal status, one might need to leave the island to attend to various matters. We are exploring whether this is possible.
Residency Progress
Between registering to submit documents for residency and actually receiving it, there are several stages, expressed in percentages, which are displayed in your personal account.
- 20% - when submitting documents online and before visiting the police with physical documents
- 50% - after visiting the police and submitting documents (appointment)
- 60% - after submitting tests and paying for them
- 70% - after receiving test results and before paying the residency fee
- 100% - after paying the residency fee
Conditions for Leaving the Island
Leaving the island at 20%
After submitting documents online and before visiting the police (20% status), you are not allowed to leave the country. However, lawyers claim that if you provide sufficient reasons (e.g., a doctor's visit outside of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus), the police may accept your documents out of turn within a week before the trip and change your status to 50%.
Leaving the island at 50% and 60%
If you want to leave the country with a 60% status and more than 60 days have passed since your appointment at the police, you need to complete the legalization process before your departure. This will require a visit to the Ministry of Interior in Nicosia. If not done, the residency process will be postponed until your return.
If you want to leave Northern Cyprus with a 60% status and less than 60 days have passed since submitting documents to the police, there is no need to contact anyone - you can freely leave, and at the border control, show your progress level at 60%.
You can also leave the country with a 50% residency (after the police accept your documents) and complete the process upon your return. But since there are only two weeks for submitting tests and payment, many wait for the next stage.
Frequently Asked Questions about Residency in Northern Cyprus
On which website to apply for residency in Northern Cyprus?
Registration and initial document upload occur on a special website.
How to apply for residency independently?
We have outlined this process here. Additionally, read the registration instructions in this material. If you want to obtain residency without unnecessary headaches and time waste, call our specialists at +905391140555.
What is the timeframe for obtaining 60%?
This is a very individual parameter. Most often, the police appointment is scheduled within a month, after which the address of the clinic for tests submission is sent within another month. Then it's a lottery; there are cases where the 60% status remains for several months. In such a case, you need to contact the Ministry of Interior in Nicosia before six months from the registration date expire. The location is on the map below.
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Author
Born and raised in Yekaterinburg, visited more than 40 countries, lived in the USA for some time, and in 2022, moved to Northern Cyprus. Education: Ural State University (now Ural Federal University), Faculty of Political Science and Sociology. Professional Experience: Since 2008, worked in the…
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