Cyprus may boast many things like great weather, a strong economy and low unemployment, but hits deep lows with civil service customer relations and service for foreign nationals.
If some believe that demanding pink slips from fellow citizens of Europe is bad enough, the assistance and quality of government sector services can be even more mind-boggling.
Kathy Cooper, 36, has only recently moved to Cyprus from England and is residing in Nicosia. But early on she is already feeling the strain and her desire to obtain a learner’s licence so she can start driving is become an increasing headache.
“I have recently moved to Cyprus with my husband and am very disappointed with the attitude of some employees on trying to obtain a learner’s licence so I can start driving.
“On requesting for my ARC (Alien’s Residence Card) and residence permit from the Migration Department, I did all the necessary procedures and the people at the Migration Department told me that my residence permit would not be ready yet.
“So instead they gave me a pink receipt instead saying ‘Receipt of payment for residence permit’ and told me that that would suffice until my actual work permit was ready.
“However, when I went to the Transport Services in Latsia to obtain my learner’s licence they told me that they needed proof that I have been residing in Cyprus for more than six months. So, because they didn’t stamp my passport when I came into Cyprus, I had to go to my children’s school and get a letter stating when the children started school. When returning once again back to the Transport Services in Latsia, some employee in charge refused point blank to even speak or see me because he wanted the original residence permit as well.
“I cannot understand this kind of behaviour. I am, after all, an EU citizen and should not be treated like this.”
Complaints about government employees have long been par for the course, with jibes against civil servants and their cushy working hours and fat-cat salaries.
The recent wave of complaints of European nationals on the island who had been hoping would improve with EU accession prompted us to try to get to the bottom of the new requirements for work permits, driving licences and identity cards, something of a thankless task.
Mahatma Ghandi once said: “A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption of our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider to our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to do so.”
It would seem the closest some Cypriot civil servants come to Ghandi’s quotes is from the queue-upon-queue of unfortunate and hapless Indians waiting in frustration to sort out their papers at the Immigration Offices. And it doesn’t stop there.
Many have argued that some services like the Migration and Immigration Services are simply over-swamped with work, but is that a good enough excuse? Some people have argued that the overload of work are simply excuses and have accused the government of not hiring more employees, not creating a much stronger customer service and basically not making an effort to get all the government sectors better co-ordinated and synchronised with each other.
Finding the correct procedures for work permits, driving licences and identity cards proved hard work, with receptionists continuously redirecting calls to lines that are simply not answered. The Immigration Offices proved the most fruitless, with not a single call from 10am to 1pm answered.
Minister of Interior Andreas Christou, did, however, return our call, admitting to the Cyprus Mail that civil service customer services and equality for EU citizens were not yet up to scratch, though he was confident that things would be in top shape in the near future.
“Regarding the problem of EU citizens still needing pink slips and having the delays that Cypriots perhaps don’t have, that is down to the fact that we have just joined the EU and are still adapting.
“Let us not forget that we only joined the EU last year in May so we are still trying to click everything into shape. This problem will be sorted out soon.
“Regarding the problems of services in the civil sector, again we have to admit that there is a problem and there are also reasons for those problems. First of all, we have had a sudden and huge rise in the number asylum seekers, with numbers reaching 10,000, while we have also have a sudden increase in the amount of people wanting residence, passports and identity cards.
“The personnel at the Immigration Offices are the same personnel of three or four years ago, so things are obviously very difficult for them also.
“We are aware of the problems and we plan to have more departments set up in all the districts of the island to ease off the pressure in the one department in Nicosia and we believe that the problem at the civil services will be resolved by the end of the year.”
STARTING FROM SCRATCH
To obtain an Identity Card
STEP 1
Migration Department (22-804400)
– Need to fill in a form
– Take passport pictures
– Pay £5 to obtain your alien book (ARC) and residence permit (pink slip)
– Time will be needed for the process of the ARC and residence permit and in the meantime a payment receipt will be given until the ARC and residence permit has been sent.
STEP 2
Immigration Department (22-804295)
– Present your ARC and residence permit together with your birth certificate and passport. You have to be in Cyprus for more than sixth months to qualify for an identity card.
To obtain a Work Permit
STEP 1
Migration Department (22-804400)
– Need to fill in a form
– Take passport pictures
– Pay £5 to obtain your alien book (ARC) and residence permit (pink slip)
– Time will be needed for the process of the ARC and residence permit and in the meantime a payment receipt will be given until the ARC and residence permit has been sent.
STEP 2
Ministry of Labour (22-804414)
– Go to the Ministry of Labour and request application forms for a work permit.
STEP 3
Migration Department (22-804400)
Go back to the Migration Department with your ARC and have the forms submitted from the Migration Department. For European Union citizens, a work permit is given without question for up to five years.
To obtain a Cypriot driving licence
STEP 1
Ministry of Communications (22-807101)
Turning in a foreign driving licence is optional but recommended by the Ministry of Communications. However, driving licences from EU nations as well as Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Australia, Zimbabwe, the USA, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Russia do not have to be traded in.
Drivers from the above countries do not need to replace their licences with a Cypriot licence, though the authorities will advise you to do so. Licences traded for a Cypriot licence are returned to the country of its origin and stored there. It can be re-obtained should the driver return to his/her country of origin and hand in his/her Cypriot licence after six months of residence.
In the event of a traffic violation on a foreign driving licence, the penalty points are submitted from the local Transport Department to the country of the licence’s origin and noted.
