€150 allowance from the south ?

auxiant


Joined: 16/07/2009
Posts: 47

Message Posted:
04/11/2009 22:56

Hello



I understand there is an allowance of €150 per person for goods purchased for personal use in the south that you can bring to the north.



However I also seem to understand that electronics goods, funiture and food is in any case excluded from this allowance... so what is left? clothes?



Where can one find the written official rules for this?

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
04/11/2009 23:15

150 Euros is about the price of a round of drinks on the South side!



Richard

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
04/11/2009 23:23

thats about right brins over there today so expensive. Now they know what its like to have the euro. Property prices may go up but so does everything else.

come_on_aylin


Joined: 14/06/2008
Posts: 908

Message Posted:
05/11/2009 07:34

The allowance is 135 Euros and you can't combine allowances to buy a single item over 135 Euros. Apparently, no receipts can have a total of more than 135 Euros even if it contains many items! I think you will find it difficult to find anything in print that says exactly what you are/are not allowed to bring over, the only official notice I've seen just states the allowance in Euros. Regarding food shopping, meat and dairy and live plant products are forbidden, that's always been the case but it only seems to be vigorously enforced when there is a health scare. Plus you are limited to 1 litre of wine/spirits per person not sure about beer but why buy alcohol in the South? It's all a bit sketchy about electrical goods, etc just depends on the mood of customs officer, unfortunately.

smithy


Joined: 17/07/2008
Posts: 5301

Message Posted:
05/11/2009 07:37

Really not worth going, but by god I miss the shops, would love to go over with a friend just to look round

auxiant


Joined: 16/07/2009
Posts: 47

Message Posted:
05/11/2009 09:22

I support buying from the north at 100%, however if something you want is missing and you cannot find it here, it feels like being in prison if you cannot bring it over. I just started appreciating really what free trade/common market means and how much it is worth when you don't have it.



What about furniture or home accessories? What are the rules or interpretation of the rules?



..and in particular, say that you still want to bring something in and pay whatever customs you need to, how does it work? You just pay at the customs office at the border directly?

Warbabies


Joined: 18/04/2009
Posts: 165

Message Posted:
05/11/2009 10:28

We had this problem yesterday. At last, we had found the carpet we wanted,-right colour, right size, and excellent price, but no,- first we need to apply for an Import Licence at the Customs Office in Lefkosa, and when we've obtained that, we can bring the carpet and pay 33% import tax at Metehan crossing.

So, the carpet remains in the shop!

adagirl


Joined: 01/06/2009
Posts: 371

Message Posted:
05/11/2009 10:56

I read a few weeks ago that the TRNC was going to start importing meat from other countries (much to the local farmers disgust) and that the cost of meat would go down accordingly............... Has anyone noticed this? I haven't!! and cheap meat is the one thing I do take a chance with when visiting the South. I paid nearly 9 lira for a tiny chicken the other day, I could have bought a joint of beef in the South for that much!!!

auxiant


Joined: 16/07/2009
Posts: 47

Message Posted:
05/11/2009 11:00

thanks, do you know if this Import Licence applies to anything? or just furniture and electronics?



On a side note: does anyone know if this 33% tax includes VAT?



I mean if you buy something from Turkey and pay VAT there, when importing into TRNC, do you still have to pay 33% tax or just the 33% minus VAT you already paid?



thanks for any advice, much appreciated.

Aslan


Joined: 23/06/2008
Posts: 757

Message Posted:
05/11/2009 11:01

If you need to go to buy those special items for the Christmas/New Year period I would advise you buy within the next couple of weeks before customs start to confiscate items for their own New Years Eve party! If they do confiscate items ask for a receipt

auxiant


Joined: 16/07/2009
Posts: 47

Message Posted:
05/11/2009 11:17

I keep missing however the point, can they confiscate even if they are below €135 ?



If they want to confiscate, can you just instead ask to turn back and return it to the shop?

auxiant


Joined: 16/07/2009
Posts: 47

Message Posted:
05/11/2009 11:39

that is if is is not alcohol or meat etc.

cyprusishome


Joined: 31/03/2007
Posts: 2381

Message Posted:
05/11/2009 13:07

Customs people any where in world can confiscate any goods.



The 135 euros is an allowance and not a right, same as whatever the UK limit is now.



So why buy in the south with all those potential problems??????



Over a year since we last went to Dark Side, just cannot see the point especially with the euro still at its high level.

auxiant


Joined: 16/07/2009
Posts: 47

Message Posted:
05/11/2009 13:52

Unfortunately some goods are just not available here, and they are available from the other side.



It is not a matter of price, it is a matter of availability.



Would be nice to see the written rules of what this €135 really consist of.

cyprusishome


Joined: 31/03/2007
Posts: 2381

Message Posted:
05/11/2009 21:09

Msg 14



It consists of whatever the customs officers want it to.



The international understanding as I remember it is goods for personal use up to the total value given. Check what UK customs web site says, it is something like that. ie you cannot officially buy your weekly shopping!!!!!!!



As for food, it is illegal to bring into TRNC any meat or dairy produce from the EU. Similarly it is illegal to take the same items from TRNC to an EU country. ie it works both ways.



As for availabilty, I do not know how long you have lived here but after 4 years we have not found anything we could not survive without by utilising local products. Over last year or so the range of products in the supermarkets seems to increase daily with a lot at sensible prices.



Not anti shopping in the south just personally cannot see any necessity.

everon


Joined: 18/04/2009
Posts: 956

Message Posted:
05/11/2009 22:57

for me I just love the big stores, Debenhams. Marks & Spencer, Next, Top Shop etc, we have no stores here, so for myself and my friend when we need our retail therapy, off to the South we go. Nice day out with lunch every so often.

karakum5c



Joined: 18/03/2008
Posts: 1021

Message Posted:
05/11/2009 23:10

My wife would live on a desert island with me as long as it had an M@S so she says !



I think i may just leave her at home, its a hard choice or maybe not !

bootneck



Joined: 23/06/2008
Posts: 242

Message Posted:
06/11/2009 14:42

Last time we went to the south, the limit at the boarder, written on the large board was 250 euros??? or has this changed AGAIN???

everon


Joined: 18/04/2009
Posts: 956

Message Posted:
06/11/2009 14:45

karakum5c you dont have to leave her at home, just take her to M&S in the south every month, you will be the best thing since sliced bread x

come_on_aylin


Joined: 14/06/2008
Posts: 908

Message Posted:
06/11/2009 16:24

Bootneck



The sign refers to taking goods from the North to the South where the allowance is 250 Euros but it is only 135 Euros bringing goods from South to North.

cyprusishome


Joined: 31/03/2007
Posts: 2381

Message Posted:
06/11/2009 21:31

It is cheaper to send 'er in doors to England once a year than to go to south. Plus she gets better quality goods than the shoddy stuff served up over there.