Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

Can anyone recommend someone to unlock my phone and did I read sonewhere that phones can now be registered in Girne? Anyone registered an S7 and can advise how much it will cost? Many thanks.

Why is it locked ?

You could try this... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARcIYtHkj6w

Thank you Turtle. It is locked to a UK Network and I want to use it with my Turkcell Sim.
I have tried your link but am reluctant to spend $49.50 in case it doesn't work. Have you used this company before to unlock a phone?

There is someone I understand in Girne (who doesn't have a name) that can do it. I sold a phone to someone who was prepared to pay out when I wasn't, and he charged about the same but in Euro I believe. Would appear it doesn't come cheap and I don't know if he still does it.

There is information on unlocking handsets on OfCom's website which may be useful - read the part entitled How do I get my handset unlocked?

You are supposed to go to the office in lefkosa, with your passport. You get the phone registered, then go to customs at the harbor in Girne to pay duty on your phone, then you can go to your service provider for sim card to work. This is assuming you bought your phone in the UK.

Thank you. Looks like a trip to Lefkosia but I was rather hoping that you could now register the phone in Girne.
I have at least successfully unlocked the phone and it will now accept a Turkcell sim. I enquired in town and was quoted 200 tl but decided to buy a code via ebay and that worked perfectly for £9.98.

Heaven wrote:You are supposed to go to the office in lefkosa, with your passport. You get the phone registered, then go to customs at the harbor in Girne to pay duty on your phone, then you can go to your service provider for sim card to work. This is assuming you bought your phone in the UK.

I've registered two phones so far this year in Lefkosa. Customs duty is paid in the same single storey building as registration payment. Registration and customs' rooms are less than 20m apart. Payments made by card not cash. All done in under 30 mins. Keep the paperwork.

Last May/June we registered and paid the tax on a Galaxy s7 edge - i cannot remember exactly but i am pretty sure it was 240TL for the tax.

You're lucky you don't have a top of the range iPhone. I know someone who has and he was asked to pay in the region of 1000tl tax.

Sophie - the Samsung Galaxy 7 was the top of the range smart phone - it was only 2 months old and was the very latest model then. So 240 TL was pretty good for a phone that cost £650 ( it was a b'day present - a very nice b'day present !!!)

Just goes to show how much the bods who pick these figures out of the air, rate the most expensive iPhone above a Samsung G7, If I'm honest I'm not keen on either - I suspect it depends on what make you've always been used to.

ifonly, I thought gifts (birthday presents) were exempt from TRNC tax.

Do you have to register a pay as you go phone that was bought in TRNC?

Deniz1 wrote:Do you have to register a pay as you go phone that was bought in TRNC?

No not the phone, if it was bought in the TRNC from someone who has already covered the necessary import duties. A pay as you go sim does, as I understand it, require you to provide an 'ID' - name and kimlik card number or passport number. These can be provided by sms message to the network operator and there is no charge to do this.

Thank you Erol friends have two phones and as they are in their eighties they want a simple solution.

sophie wrote:You're lucky you don't have a top of the range iPhone. I know someone who has and he was asked to pay in the region of 1000tl tax.

*gulp*

I’m starting to wonder if it will be worth me just buying a cheap mobile from a shop in TRNC rather than getting my iPhone 7 registered. If I did that, would I still need to go to Lefkosa and register it?

From the research I have done it would appear that the price of new Apple i phones are no dearer in the TRNC than elsewhere, with the added bonus of not having to pay the tax.

Interesting Mr Chinnery, but not too surprising. I hadn't checked out the price of an iPhone here, as it would be wasted on me, but did check out the price of iPads and Macbook a while back. A little more expensive here than UK, at the time, but not enough to warrant a trip back to the UK.

My Windows phone will need replacing at some point, but it's hanging on in there at the moment. Can't get Skype on it any longer, if WhatsApp goes too, then will be the time to get a new phone. Am just intending buying a budget phone here, and from what I can gather, if you buy here, there is no need to pay the tax and go faffing about to Lefkosa and Girne to register.

alphamike wrote:Am just intending buying a budget phone here, and from what I can gather, if you buy here, there is no need to pay the tax and go faffing about to Lefkosa and Girne to register.

Good to hear. I think I will just do that then and continue to use my UK vodaphone SIM card in my iPhone.

Next question... where is the best place to get a cheap as chips mobile phone in North Cyprus?

I think that Laconic stock a couple of 'Feature Phones' (not smartphones), and prices were hovering around 100TL or so, although may be more now, due to the exchange rate.

Also most of the 'phone shops will have a selection of new and second hand 'phones - you could look down Canbulat Sokak where there are loads of 'phone shops - it's a bit further on from the Round Tower, heading downhill away from Girne Belediyesi.

Keithcaley wrote:I think that Laconic stock a couple of 'Feature Phones' (not smartphones), and prices were hovering around 100TL or so, although may be more now, due to the exchange rate.

Also most of the 'phone shops will have a selection of new and second hand 'phones - you could look down Canbulat Sokak where there are loads of 'phone shops - it's a bit further on from the Round Tower, heading downhill away from Girne Belediyesi.

Thanks Keith. I will pop down that way when I get to North Cyprus later this month.

Thanks from me too Keith. Now, I know that I've been in Laconic, but I'm having trouble remembering where it is. Can you give my memory a prod please?

One in Alsancak near to Aydın Eczanesi (Lapta / Alsancak border) and one not far from the Extend office on the Girne Ring Road (Semih Sancar Caddesi)

Thank you very much, memory refreshed. Was the one near to Extend that I've been in.