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Cyprus has been an island that many cultures left their marks. The earliest settlement found in the island is Khirokitia near Larnaca from 6000 to 2500 BC. The island is 224 km long and 96 km wide and it has 768 km of coastline. The closest neighbours are Turkey, followed by Syria, Egypt and Greek islands.
Cyprus is currently divided into two sections, North Cyprus and the South Cyprus. While North Cypriots are the descendants of Turks, South Cypriots consider themselves Greek. Before 1974, Turkish population in the island was limited. After 1974, immigrants (appx 50,000) from the mainland Turkey travelled to Cyprus to settle and work the land. Currently, the population of North Cyprus is 215,000.
North Cyprus is the beautiful section of the island without any doubt. Kyrenia Mountains, also known as the Besparmak Range, has great views and has been photographed in the postcards many times. Although North Cyprus is a whole year destination, it is best to visit the island in spring and autumn. It has a large number of areas to visit, all in very short distance away. Some of the places that you can visit in half a day trip are St Hilarion, Bellapais, Buffavento, Lefkosa, mountain monasteries and beaches to east and west. If you have a whole day, you can try Vouni, Soli and Guzelyurt, Kantara Castle, Gazimagusa and Salamis. Karpas Peninsula is an option for those who would like to stay over at night.
You can fly to North Cyprus with Turkish Airlines and Cyprus Turkish Airlines. Flights are available to Ercan from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester. All the flight travelling to North Cyprus should touch Turkey as it is not recognised as a country yet. You will not get out of the plane and only wait for a few minutes on the tarmac. Or alternatively, you can buy a cheap ticket to Istanbul (they are very cheap with easyjet) and then purchase a ticket from Istanbul to Ercan. This option will cost you less. You can also consider flying to the South Cyprus as the transfers are fairly easy now.
British and US passport holders do not need a visa to enter North Cyprus. Visitors automatically get a three month permit. The cost of the visa is £10. If you travel to Turkey first, you do not need to pay this amount.
Public transportation is not great in North Cyprus. The public buses are available however they do not run at a timetable so you will need to wait until the bus shows up. The easiest transportation would be hiring a car. However, if you are at a major city such as Lefkosa, the bus and dolmus system is well established and it is very cheap (costs £1 from Lefkosa to Girne). Taxis are also not expensive and they run with an official local rate, so you know that they are paying the right price.
Some of the main universities in North Cyprus are The Eastern Mediterranean University (EMA) , the European University of Lefke and Girne American University. The Eastern Mediterranean University has 11,000 students from more than 30 countries. Science, engineering and management are the largest faculties. Newly established Eastern Mediterranean University has courses in architecture, business administration and English language and literature. Girne American University, which used to be called University College of North Cyprus, has architecture, engineering, economics, tourism and hospitality courses.
In the past, the Turkish Cypriots had a bad economy due to the partition in 1974. Although North Cyprus had 80% of the touristic resorts, there was not enough work and the Turkish currency used was not doing well at the time. Currently, 10% of the economy comes from agriculture. North Cyprus exports citrus fruits, tobacco, vegetables and carrot nuts to Turkey, UK and Germany. In the past few years, North Cyprus became a popular spot with holiday makers and many started to buy properties bringing money into the economy.
Property Purchase Process
When you decide on the right property that you would like to buy, you need to get permission from TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) Council of Ministers before. Only after you get this permission, you can get the title deed of the property. In Northern Cyprus, one household can only purchase one property.
There are four main taxes that you will need to pay. Transfer Fee is payable to the Land Registry office. It is paid according to the Assessed Value of the property calculated by the Land Registry. As the new law allows Land Registry to have a look at the sale contract, buyers cannot show the value of the property low. The transfer fee is normally 6%, however every buyer has the right to lower this amount to 3% once in their lifetime. The VAT (KDV) is 5% and paid to the Tax Office. Stamp Duty is 0.5% and it should be paid within 21 days of the contract. These are all taxes paid by the purchaser. Capital Gains Tax is payable to the Tax Office. This is only paid by the vendor. One other tax is the Municipality Tax, but it is only 1% of the Transfer Fee.