We moved to Cyprus in May 2021. We decided on the move a few months before that because we wanted to have a new family experience, because of financial issues, and because we had a desire to slow down in life. Roman and I work remotely and I have a Portuguese passport (I picked it up from Portugal in April 2021), so we could move to any country in Europe and we chose Cyprus.
The truth is that many years ago, Roman proposed the idea of moving to Cyprus and I rejected him outright!
For me there were much more fun countries in Europe such as Spain and Portugal, and Cyprus was of less interest to me. I felt it was a nice vacation destination and that’s it. But then Mayush was born in 2019 and our priorities changed. With Maya, I realized that I needed a place that was as calm and simple as possible for raising children and I was less interested in the destination being full of life, with multiple travel options.
If we didn’t have children or if our children were older, we might not have chosen Cyprus, because in the end Cyprus is a small island (about half the size of Israel) and there isn’t much to do here. It is still not advanced enough compared to other European countries in terms of culture, culinary, tourism, and more… But, with a baby girl and thinking of another child in the future, we decided that relocation to Cyprus was the best decision (by the way, I gave birth here in October 2022 and had an amazing experience).
It is also important to note that Cyprus has developed a lot in recent years and is constantly changing. New places are opening and you can see a big change throughout. Now I think that Cyprus is more attractive destination for relocation than when we came. It is important to note that because Cyprus has gained momentum in recent years due to the low taxation and the war between Russia and Ukraine (many Russians and Ukrainians came here), the prices have increased significantly and there are also large waiting lists for schools and kindergartens. But, on the other hand, it brought opportunities for very good real estate investments and for greater growth in restaurants, hotels, and new attractions.
So, is it worth living in Cyprus?
My answer would be yes, but it depends. It depends on if you have children and what their ages are, because you will have to find a suitable setting for them and now with the waiting lists it is not easy. It depends on if you are looking for a lot of attractions or something more relaxed. It depends on whether you are ready to move to another country at all or if the distance from your family will be too difficult for you.
If you are interested in real estate investments in Cyprus or are thinking about relocating to Cyprus and want professionals to help you in the process, send email to contact [@] trvbox [.] com and they will get back to you from Winest Group.
In any case, I decided to provide you a detailed post with the reasons I think it is worth relocating to Cyprus.
A destination with comfortable and warm weather
I hate the winter and for me one of the advantages of Israel is its weather, so if there is a destination with a similar climate, that is excellent for me; certainly when there are small children, it is a nightmare to be stuck at home with them due to very cold weathers.
Since there are many foreigners in Cyprus, the signage here is in English and most Cypriots know English. Compared to other countries where the signage and the language can make it difficult and make you feel very alienated, in Cyprus it is very convenient to use public transport, go to the doctors, and overall find your way around here.
Higher quality of life
Living in Cyprus can be thirty percent cheaper than in Israel, and even more than that, depending on where you live on the island and how much you try to save. For example, in cities like Paphos and Larnaca, living is much cheaper than Limassol and Nicosia, and those who live in villages generally have lower costs. Since there are almost no traffic jams here, you can also live about 30 km from the city and still easily get to work and kindergartens and schools. You can live here in a furnished apartment close to the sea or in a private house with a pool, eat in restaurants with high frequency, relax in hotels or B&Bs at attractive prices (especially when it’s not the season), and hire a maid on a daily basis at prices that are not possible in Israel.
A few traffic jams
When there’s a baby in the car, the last thing you want is to be stuck in traffic haha, and in general I’m not capable of standing being in traffic, it feels like a terrible waste of time to me. We happened to be in Cyprus on vacation before the coronavirus at the height of the season and we didn’t get stuck in a single traffic jam. The island is small and the distances here are not great from city to city, without traffic jams, this makes the ability to travel on the island really comfortable and easy.
Calm and suitable for raising children
The atmosphere in Cyprus is very calm, the locals are very kind and nice and the feeling here is always like a vacation. No shouting, no loads, and no pressure. There are about a million inhabitants in Cyprus and its size is half that of Israel, this means that there is no congestion here and if you want to get away from the city, you can reach a calm local village or nature without people in ten minutes.
A good and accessible medical system
I inquired with Israelis who live here before moving and got good opinions about giving birth in Cyprus as well as about the doctors. The doctors here are available at any moment and give their personal WhatsApp for every contact and request, and as parents of a baby girl, this is something that was very important to us. In addition, as soon as residency in Cyprus is settled, you are entitled to government health insurance that covers almost all treatments and visits to doctors. The high availability of the doctors makes it possible to make an appointment for the same day both for specialist doctors and for treatments such as physiotherapy.
In addition, the attitude here is very personal and if you are thinking about getting pregnant and giving birth in Cyprus, in my opinion, this is one of the best places to do so. The gynecologist is also the obstetrician at birth, which is a significant difference, in addition, you can choose who will be the pediatrician who will examine the baby afterwards. The place of birth is determined by the hospital where the gynecologist works. For example, I gave birth in an excellent and intimate clinic. I had two nurses doing exercises with the physio ball and I asked for a private room with two beds. I gave birth naturally and Roman slept with me that night in his own bed.
Cyprus is a safe destination
Cyprus is considered one of the safest destinations in the world in terms of crime rates. In the 2020 report prepared by the travel insurance company Insurly, factors such as crime rates, road safety, violence, terrorism, natural disasters, and general health quality were taken into account, alongside air quality, sanitation, and risks of exposure to epidemics, Cyprus came in at 5th best place in the world.
British private schools and kindergartens
When we thought about moving to Cyprus, one of the things we thought could have a really good effect on our children’s future was the possibility of studying in English settings and actually having English as their mother tongue. We moved to Cyprus in 2021 and now Maya speaks English fluently and baby Sophie is in an English kindergarten and understands both Hebrew and English.
Private schools in Limassol: Foleys, Heritage, Silverline, Pascal, Golden Oak, American Academy, Grammer School, Island Island.
Private schools in Larnaca: Pascal, Med High, American
Private schools in Paphos: ISOP, NOVA, TLC, Aspire, a new school – Lumio
Possibility of living close to the sea and with a pool
I’ve always loved living by the sea, but with children, it’s a huge advantage. You can rent an apartment in a complex with a pool (which is what we do) or rent a private house with a pool. In addition, there are many hotels here and you can come to them and use the facilities such as the pools for a one-time daily price or make a yearly or seasonal subscription (for example, we have a yearly subscription at a four-star hotel close to home and we use the pools, the gym, and the indoor pool and sauna there in the winter).
Attractive taxation in relocation to Cyprus
In addition to all the advantages of living in Cyprus, if you live here for a few years, you can disconnect your residency, which means that you pay tax only in Cyprus and not in Israel, which is a significant economic difference! Taxation in Cyprus is significantly lower than most countries, especially for the self-employed.
It is important to note that the residency process as well as the issue of disconnection of residency should be done under the guidance of a company that specializes in this to avoid problems with residency or with income tax (double payment both to Cyprus and to the country you came from). In addition, because Roman and I are self-employed, the transition is a bit more complicated and requires the accompaniment of a Cypriot accountant, a residency separation lawyer, and an immigration lawyer in Cyprus.
Real estate investment opportunities
Cyprus has developed a lot in recent years, especially the city of Limassol, which has become a destination for many companies due to the low taxation, as well as a casino resort that will open soon and a new cruise port. Despite the rapid development of the city, the prices here still make it possible to purchase apartments at relatively low prices (you can find properties for 200-300 thousand euros) and get a high yield for the price (around 5.5-8 percent). You can make real estate investments even without living here, but it is much easier to make the investment and find a bargain if you live close by 🙂
We purchased two apartments here at low market prices in the center of Limassol and did a complete renovation for both of them with local architects and contractors. One apartment was for investment (rented from the first day we finished the renovation) and we have been living in the second apartment since the end of 2023. Now we started a new real estate project of building a building.
For several months Roman searched for a suitable area (in a central area and at a low cost for the market). When he found something he liked, he sent me materials to create a presentation with which we approached the investor.
The investor liked the idea and for several months we worked on closing the deal and at the same time we started working with architects on the design of the building. And yesterday the area finally passed the taboo and the project is being implemented 🙂
The plan is to build a small boutique building of three floors with six apartments in total.
So now the architects are in the final stages of creating the drawing of the building. With these plans we will go to get building permits, a process that, if all goes well, will take about a year. This is a big difference in this respect from Israel, where it takes five to seven years to get construction permits (from bitter experience), making Cyprus a more attractive investment for investors.
Real estate in Cyprus gained momentum during the Corona period, when the world realized that it was possible to work remotely and entire families felt that they needed to change their lifestyle. Cyprus, which is in a strategic location between three continents with similar weather to Israel, provides the answer to that need, for many reasons.
Real estate prices in Cyprus have jumped in recent years by tens of percent and in my view there is still room for improvement because the demand continues to rise every year and not only from Israel, but also from European countries such as Poland, Germany, and France. As you have probably already heard, there is a very large population of Russians and Ukrainians in Cyprus following the war between the countries. The country’s solid economy, high-tech companies that move to Cyprus because of the low taxation, tourism companies like Royal Caribbean that come on a weekly basis in the summer, self-employed people who are tired of paying high taxes and finance companies make Cyprus an attractive destination for foreign investments.
Property prices in Cyprus are significantly cheaper; you can still find an apartment for under NIS 1 million and a house within walking distance of the sea for NIS 2 million. Bottom line, you should come to Cyprus and check if it is suitable for you, too.
I recently got to meet Itai Erez, owner of Winest Group, a company specializing in real estate investments in Cyprus and personal support for investment and/or purchasing a property for private use. I was really impressed with Itai, because he is both very professional in the field, while also very genuine and honest.
He assists in relocations to Cyprus in collaboration with a team of local people in the major cities (Limassol, Larnaca, and Paphos), to find the best investment for the clients.
The escorting process is carried out in full transparency with all services under one roof. Starting with a face-to-face meeting for personal introductions (free of charge), then locating the properties, a personal tour of Cyprus, alongside help with the legal aspects of the purchase process, renovations, and even finding a tenant if necessary.
If you are interested in real estate investments in Cyprus or are thinking about relocating to Cyprus and want professionals to help you in the process, send email to contact [@] trvbox [.] com and they will get back to you from Winest Group.
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More posts I wrote on that
Great day trips in Cyprus
In which hotels we stayed at while in Cyprus
Cyprus: Itinerary in Cyprus – Recommendations for accommodation, restaurants and attractions
What to do in Cyprus in winter
Cyprus with kids
Fun things to do in Paphos
Vacation in Limassol – where to stay and what to do
An awesome Segway tour in Paphos