Long Term Visas

[Georgiaturkiye]

I have just spoken to the Egyptian Consular here in Istanbul to clarify any misunderstandings or confusion re long term stay visas for Egypt. I was advised by the Visa Consular Section that the situation remains stet. Visitors are issued with a 3 month visa on arrival; to extend the visa they visit the Passport Office Building, Opposite the Sonesta Hotel, (assuming this is the correct building?) and apply for thier visa extension as normal. As far as the Consular in Turkiye is concerned there are no problems, no changes, everything remains the same for British visitors and British ex-pats living in Luxor and/or the surrounding towns and villages.

[HEPZIBAH]

I think you will find theory and practice are often different things!

There have been many posts over the years about the issuing of extended visa's for long term 'visitors'. The more recent ones would indicate that for some it has become more difficult to get the extra length of stay they had hoped for - 1 year - and perhaps have to return to the Passport Office more regularly ie every 6 or 3 months. Some, have not been that fortunate!

[A-Four]

Not sure here, how you intend to live. So that the people in the know fully understand what your future is, do we take it that you intend to buy a house, and this be your permanent home, and invest most of your money in Egypt, and/or better still will you invest money in an Egyptian bank.

[Georgiaturkiye]

In cha allah yes, I hope to buy....In cha allah yes I hope to make my life there. In cha allah, maybe I will work, who knows!! I am free and can do what I want when I want.

I am not rushing into buying for the immediate future, I need to check out my options etc.,get to know folk, (more than I do now), and find my own way, exactly as I did here. I am used to living in an Islamic society and enjoy it very much, the thought of not is not an otpion for me. I've heard and read articles and talked to lots of folk in the area during the years I've been visiting and spending a lot of time there, and some have given me good views, some not so good, so positively horrid, but then that's the same everywhere!! living in Istanbul is no picnic..........if I can make it here I can make it anywhere yanii. I think it's all down to the individual and their outlook on life and life's outlook on the individual. My ideal is to find somewhere, either ready built, or have built, a home that I can finally say yesssssss. I want a home with a garden, I want pets, dogs, chickens, I want to grow my own vegetables, kinda live off the land. It was an ideal that my husband and I had, but unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be for him and I so it's now it's up to me. No he wasn't Turkish, he was Engish and passed away 7.5 years since. Living alone in Istanbul for almost 6 years; I was tough before I came here, I'm more than that now!! Istanbul is not possible to live this style of lifestyle with a garden, dogs etc., dogs are not liked or permitted in homes....there is no ground space here.....only in the AIR!! I want and space, and I think, (feel), know that the village can give that to me. I love the village. I have a few good chums there and I hope, in cha allah to make more. I will have want I want...I fullfilled the dream to come and live here; I've accomplished that with room to spare!! so now I'm up for this new, and I am sure even more challenging adventure. I love life and I intend to life mine to the full and some. The ups and downs will be there of course, but my view is that the ups can and usually out weigh the downs........it's all matter of being positive and allowing one's self to reach their destiny, some of us have more than one....I am one of those one's.

I've asked the questions here on this forum before 'buying vs renting' and received lots of different views, mostly biased towards one thing or another, and some a little personal....which is natural, when somebody asks a question we answer in the best way we know how.

There's much more to ME than what I've written here but it's a starter for you guys. So any advice you can give me, good, bad, indifferent, positive, negative, anything, I will select and take the wheat from the chaf and make my own mind up based on my own good sense, strength and logic. I take my BIG GIRL PILL everyday so bring on whatever you want and need to say to me. I had all this and more before I came to live here, I proved those negative and obvious envious doubting thomase's wrong.......... I will do it again in cha allah:lol:

[A-Four]

Very good details that show clearly you know your onions from your shallots.

However just for now I would just like to point out that Islam in Egypt is quite different to that of which you find in Istanbul, (even the old city). You would have to go into North-Eastern central Turkey, (being almost like Konya) to find simular to that of Upper Egypt Islam.

I do like your attitude that you display here, that shows a good standing of ex-pat life, and am sure there will be lots of info given. Make sure that the info from individuals here are those who actually live here, from those who visit frequently, who shall we say live along 'the golden mile'.

I no longer live there, so therefore now feel unqualified to give such info, but please remember there are still many problems, that effect peoples day to day living.

P.S.- If you speak Anatolian Turkish (Istanbul Turkish) you should find that Arabic will be quite easy to learn. If you do speak Arabic, then great, but tell NO ONE in Luxor, and you will learn more than most.

[TonyC]

As far as the Consular in Turkiye is concerned there are no problems, no changes, everything remains the same for British visitors and British ex-pats living in Luxor and/or the surrounding towns and villages.

An excellent, positive reply above on living here, Georgiaturkiye, but on actually getting started, the information from Istanbul doesn’t tally with what is happening in Luxor. Something has changed ... the Passport Office says that instructions friom Cairo in April limit expat visa renewals to six months instead of the year most were getting. That may change again – but even the one-year renewal system never guaranteed you would get one. It was taken for granted.

If Istanbul says visitor visas are for three months, that doesn’t tally with what the Egyptian Consulate in Britain says. The regulations on their website (and on the last visitor visa I obtained) state:
•Single Entry Visas are valid for 6 months and allow a maximum stay of 60 days in Egypt ONLY.
•Multiple Entry Visas are valid for 6 months and allow a collective stay of 90 days in Egypt ONLY.
•A multiple entry visa is valid for one individual passport, and allows the applicant to travel more than once to Egypt, within the 6 months validity

If visas issued at the airport are different, I’ve never seen that information published!

[Who2]

Egypt and the Egyptian people are wonderful, I chose to buy but not a new villa, I wanted to build something that was a statement of myself. I had been coming to Egypt for years slowly learning and understanding the people I would be living close to. I used to stay on the East Bank then preferred the West Bank, allying myself to the No1 ballon company, I soon learnt all the different West Bank villages and plumped for one without expats and the tourist industry, surrounded by farmers and fields that ever changing canvas, but come 'hell or high water or a revolution farmers keep farming every day, they have little choice.
The Egyptian 'mind-set is difficult to comprehend but two arms two legs and a head does not make them that much different, if you can make them laugh you are half-way home.
Sure you will encounter problems on a daily basis, but problems are there to-be solved and make one stronger, those from the community of ex-pats and tourists are my choice, some are good many are bad but that is the same in all societies,
I chose my friends carefully, and certainly don't suffer fools gladly. and certainly don't suffer fools gladly!
Here, I live a relatively solitary studious life, as having had all the partying a life needs and far more than most.
It took me four years to buy my place, no-rush slowly slowly 'catchee monkey.
I'm not finished yet I still have a few tricks up my sleeve, a theatre, a graveyard ect ect.
So chose wisely, you will make mistakes, brush them off and live your dream...'be lucky....George.

[HEPZIBAH]

Just have to say - George, it is so good and refreshing to read a post from you in the way that you have written above. Thank you.

Would the real Dr. Who please stand up!

[Georgiaturkiye]

Bless you guys for taking the time to talk to me.........I love all of your comments KEEP EM COMING I SAY YANIII!!! I know and understand completely the difference between Islamic secular as it is here in Istanbul and the Egyptian style of Islam....they are like chalk and cheese and I know them both very well. You know that Egyptians don't think Turks are Muslim...... Bless them....xx

Who2. Your narrative about your property buying etc., sounds just wonderful!! it's almost identical to what I am thinking! I too have a great fondness for the Egyptian people....I am hoping to bring tourism back to the village(s) and Luxor in general; so that will be a great challenge for me and I can't wait!! I do not want a new property, the property I own here is not new, but not old, and it's in a very conservative area. I am the ONLY European women living here....and I chose this area for that VERY SAME REASON!! if I wanted to live with ex-pats I would be living on the European side with all the rest of the rabble We are all now in the middle of one of my favourite times in the Muslim world, Ramadan......we have the drummer boy coming around at 2.30 am to wake up all the neighbours, including me, for sahar before they begin their amazing and truly devotional oruc (fast). And I think I have faith!! yanniiiii nothing compared to the folk who can do this in this HEAT!! my hats off to them all. And yes, I agree with you re laughter, It's the biggest and best communicator. I am blessed with a huge sense of humour, as you can probably guess, and, like you Who2 I do not suffer fools gladly nor do I suffer MYSELF when I think I've been a fool. I live a single life here. I have a few friends, but now where near the amount I have in the village, especially during the winter months!! I hope to be able to make new friends from here. I am a simple person, with simple needs, wants and desires. Respect is high on my list of must haves. I look forward to making your acquaintance one of these fine Luxor sunny days. I am an amateur interior designer, amongst my other talents!! and very excited to putting this into practice soon, but, as you say, slowly slowly catch a monkey....I've waited a long time to get what I want, I can and will wait longer........thank you for your positivity and friendship

[Georgiaturkiye]

HEPZIBAH LOVE THE PINK ELEPHANT!! you are welcome....I like being called George my girlfriend and bank merchandiser here calls me that,but Georg (without the e). my mum used to also when she was in good mood with me!!!! Georg is a great girly name I think especially a 'gal' like me!!! xxx

[HEPZIBAH]

HEPZIBAH LOVE THE PINK ELEPHANT!! you are welcome....I like being called George my girlfriend and bank merchandiser here calls me that,but Georg (without the e). my mum used to also when she was in good mood with me!!!! Georg is a great girly name I think especially a 'gal' like me!!! xxx

Ooops ...I was really referring to Who2 who signed off by his name 'George'!

But...Georgiaturkiye /George/Georg ...if the post and my pink elephant made you smile - that's fine by me. Ohh and most people (well the polite ones anyway ) call me Hepzi around here.

Should also add - I did find your post interesting and can see you really are trying to do as much research as possible before taking such a big step, which has got to be good. Your questions and comments will no doubt help other readers too - now or in the future.

[timetraveller]

I wish you all the luck in the world if you want to move here Georgia. But Luxor IS very different from Turkey (well, the part of Turkey that I live in anyway) and, in my opinion, by far the more repressive of the two societies. Especially if you are female, as attitudes regarding personal freedoms for women seem to be much more draconian. But I've enjoyed living in Luxor part time for twelve years now, so I wouldn't seek to dissuade anyone from moving there.

Personally though, I would be very hesitant about buying property right now. Aside from all the pitfalls associated with property deals in Luxor (so many ex-pats have lost fortunes 'buying' property or land they turn out not to own), it's an uncertain time in the Egyptian Real Estate market generally, and there are a lot of people who are desperate to sell but can't find a buyer or are forced to sell at a loss. Rents are still affordable so it's probably prudent to hold off buying until the dust clears and you can get a better idea of the state of the market.

Also I was a but concerned about what you were saying about wanting to keep dogs. I am surprised to hear that dogs are not popular in Istanbul, because where I live (Dalaman region) the locals seem to like them, and many Turkish homes seem to have a dog as a pet/guard-dog. Stray dogs seem to be quite well cared for as well as the local council neuter them, and look after their basic health care, and local restaurants feed them their left overs after they close at night. In some other places, such as Ichmeler, I've noticed that many local people ride Vespa-type bikes and often have a little dog riding along with them on the footplate! In fact one of things I like about my Turkish neighbours is the way they seem to be fairly tolerant of animals-particularly as my villa is usually surrounded by cats and dogs!

Unfortunately this does not tend to be the case with Egyptians, particularly where dogs are concerned. I have a few friends who keep dogs in Luxor and wouldn't be without them. But keeping them rarely seems to be without problems, as they are constantly worrying about their Egyptian neighbours complaining about them, and if the opportunity arises, mistreating them. I also know of people who have had their dogs poisoned, or had them 'disappear' never to be seen again. I have a home in Hurghada as well though, and have to say that dogs seem to be more tolerated there, maybe because a lot of the German residents keep them, and it is more commonplace there generally. I don't want to sound like I'm getting too hung up on this point Georgia, but if you are an animal lover, you might want to be aware that being a pet owner (particularly dogs) in Luxor can bring it's share of heartache.

[Georgiaturkiye]

thanks Hepzi!! I personally don't find it a big step. I made the transition from the UK to Istanbul in 2007, not knowing anyone here! and I did that, and with room to spare as I've said, so this is no difference, I already accepted and chose to live in an Islamic country, Egypt, Turkiye, Timbuktoo, what's the difference yanii!! it's all good and fun stuff and stops us getting bored!! not that I suffer with that mind set! x

[Who2]

One last piece of advice is do-not invest any monies in Ramla, they have been sticking 'two-fingers up at the government for far too long now and sure as 'eggs is eggs their time will come and Ramla will be no more as will Jorfe City. From dust to dust.......

[Georgiaturkiye]

Thank you Who2 for your advice. Taken on board.

My money and me are not easily parted.......strong Jewish blood I'm made of and nobody can get anything from me that I don't want to give. Turkiye is not that different from Egypt......they just think they are!! because they have a different not so up 'front in your face I'm a robber and I know it and you know it' way of doing things

If I need any help I'll know where to come. Big strong bunch of pals here that's for sure

[Georgiaturkiye]

SORRY TURKIYE!!! that's was too harsh from me, I love you I've had a blast here!! it's just now time for the next blast off!

Everywhere is the same.....nowhere is completely safe.....everywhere somebody wants something for nothing....even in the so called 'civilised' world. Greed is an epidemic and one that is on the increase. So, wherever we are in the world, new world or up and coming new world, we have to be vigilant. If we are not then the shark's are waiting...and who can blame them, everyone's gotta live.

[Who2]

Old Arabic saying; "Al jar gabl ad-dar".
Chose the neighbor before the house, we can live without friends, but not without neighbors..

[Georgiaturkiye]

and I've had/got some great neighbours here.........who welcomed me and accepted me with open arms. In cha allah I will have again.