Neil wrote:
I am not at pension stage yet , but others are.
I think I have heard others talk about getting an nationwide account to have it paid into
then using the card to withdraw it over here as its cheaper to do ...
dont quote me on it , but someone will know ..
Quite right Neil..... See you're not as senile as you look
A Nationwide flex account is what you want to get sorted before you come out permanently if you have any source of income generated in Sterling in the UK.
You cannot open an account from an EU member state but if you already have one you can transfer the address to any EU country you move to.
A Nationwide credit card is also useful but not so much as the debit card on the Flex account.
On debit card transactions throughout Europe you pay no commission/handling fee to withdraw your money from any VISA Bank ATM.
You also get the "inter bank" rate rather than a tourist rate. (interbank is always better.)
You can maintain the account by internet (although the site is No2's)
Nationwide customer service is also pretty poor but it's worth putting up with for the rates and lack of commission.
When you get here, if you wish to register for permanent residency you will need to open a Cypriot bank account and maintain it in credit for a period of time. (over draughts are illegal here and you get blacklisted if you go into the red)
regarding your original question you will find you will get better responce if you ask specific questions rather than what you have done.
People will then reply if they have that information rather than try to cover the whole gamut of subjects relating to a relocation.
I would suggest you also look on the Cyprus info pages of Anglo Info (Google it) you will find answers to most general topics there. Then ask specifics here.
Brian