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@phildraper Hellenic operations have changed a lot in the last three years ... Having said that UK numbers were always barred ..

I do remember having to get phone authorisation for an issue with the app so having to go to a branch is thats definaitely a change. In the end I closed all my accounts with Hellenic probably 18 months ago having trialled for long time with Revolut .. and not had any issues since doing so

But my manager at TOTK branch was Marios and found him extremely helpful...

It is interesting as I really do not want a bank account as I use Revolut for everything but immigration require a Cypriot bank account and proof of the deposit. There is also a 5euro charge for each months bank statement in the branch. If you take a copy printed off the internet they will sign it free of charge! Go figure. Apparently I also have to send my UK salary to the Cypriot bank each month to prove my continued income! No interest is accrued on the funds in the account either so it is costing me 3-5% normally earned in the UK. I am going to ask if I can remove the funds back to the UK once the immigration has completed.

Yep we had a number of accounts with them and cards too but found the charges were just going up all the time so bit the bullet and ditched them

I think and hope I am wrong that the deposited funds are kinda frozen for upto 3 years.. IE untouchable .. good luck.... but definitely worth asking

@phildraper oh and by the way.....when and if you stay long enough when it comes to applying for PR its a full 5 years of bank statements.. it's 4 years now since we got for our PR and I had to print off 2 pager per month statements plus a copy for 60 months.. once I had done that took it to the local branch and the manager then was not very happy but she reluctantly did it countersigned each sheet and bank stamped them too....

Now the UK is out of the EU its even worse. Majority of countries do not accept a UK mobile number anymore. If you have made the move and you are a permanent resident then I recomend you get a local number.

If you need to call the UK, why not use WhatsApp or see if a provider has a bolt on to give you free mins to the UK. [This wont help  as I am in Austria, but I pay €5 extra a month to give me 200 mins to call the UK]

@SimCityAT I think most of us tend to use a messenger app of some sort to call or message family .. there are plenty of them whatsapp viber signal telegram to name the main ones.... But that won't necessarily help aged parents without smart phones etc.. so a calls package should be considered

@SimCityAT I think most of us tend to use a messenger app of some sort to call or message family .. there are plenty of them whatsapp viber signal telegram to name the main ones.... But that won't necessarily help aged parents without smart phones etc.. so a calls package should be considered
-@Toon

Exactly, although my dad does have a smartphone and has WhatsApp and he is 82, he forgets to have charged or switched on. So I use my bolt on to call his landline, also to call landlines where WhatsApp isn't possible.

Good idea

I have 2 sims in my mobile now. The PrimeTel basic package as I do not need any internet or calls as I use the UK 7.50 a month sim that gives me unlimited calls including the EU and back to the UK all included in the roam like at home. Then I just use wifi wherever I go lol