North Cyprus and the UK…same, same, but different

If you’ve never visited north Cyprus before you might be pleasantly surprised to find just how at home you will feel in the north of the island.

After all, the entire island of Cyprus was under British administration for nearly a century, from 1878-1960, and so even to this day there are many aspects of North Cyprus life that will feel quite familiar to you.

A home away from home…only it’s much warmer!

In terms of climate, thank goodness North Cyprus is nothing like the UK! With over 300 days of sunshine a year, this dry Mediterranean climate is ideally suited to outdoor living.
There are hundreds of beaches to choose from and you can swim for most of the year, with water temperatures rarely dipping below 20⁰C from May to the end of October.
And when you’re not sunbaking, snorkelling, sailing or turtle watching on the beach, there are a multitudes of castles, monasteries and ruins to explore, as well as hiking and bird watching in the mountains.

No need for a visa or adaptors, just pack your passport and swimmers!

By far the best way to explore North Cyprus is by car, so it will come as a huge relief that unlike Europe, you drive on the left hand side of the road in Cyprus. And to make things even easier, you can use your UK licence if you are visiting as a tourist.

And as a UK resident there is no need to apply for a visa—you just need your passport. If you’ve arrived in the south of the island, rather than the north, you will need to fill in a form to cross over to the north, but there is no need to apply for a visa before you leave home.

Another great feature of North Cyprus is they use the UK square three-pin plug, so there is no need for bulky adaptors—your appliances will work just fine over here. And even though the Lira is the official currency, you can use your UK credit card and many places also accept euros and pounds.

You don’t have to be fluent in Turkish

Although Turkish is the official language of North Cyprus, many locals understand and speak English. This said, just like in any other country, if you try to learn these few key words of the local lingo (which is Turkish in the north), it will go a long way to breaking down the ice.

“Hello” is “Merhaba”

“Good morning” is “Gunaydin”

“Please” is “Lutfen”

“Goodbye” is “gule gule”

“Yes” is “evet”

“No” is “hayir”

“Thank you” is “tesekkur ederim”

But if you ever get stuck, you can always use the translate feature on your smartphone or refer to your pocket guidebook.

What if I don’t want to go home?

Well, quite frankly, we don’t blame you! After all, there are hundreds of Brits, just like you, who came for a visit, but stayed for the lifestyle.

It’s also the many differences between the UK and North Cyprus that make it such an attractive destination to visit or relocate to: glorious sunshine, incredible value for money, delicious food, uncrowded beaches, stunning scenery and property prices unheard of in the UK.

And because the North Cyprus legal system (including property purchase law) is based on the English legal system, purchasing a place to retire is easier than you think. In fact, 90% of foreign property buyers in North Cyprus are currently British!

So whether you’re visiting for the first time or deciding to relocate, we know you’ll feel right at home in North Cyprus…a country that in all the best ways is worlds apart from the UK.