Advice - fact or opinion?

I cannot help be amused, and irritated at the same time, by the advice offered to new (in the main) expats in Cyprus. There are various forums, and Facebook pages, which are dedicated to expats and where people ask for advice. We fell into the same trap before moving here, when I researched our move and our options.

It takes time to reach the conclusion that some people basically speak out of their backsides when it comes to answering queries. They dress up their opinions as facts and send people off in the wrong direction. Sometimes it is merely inconvenient. For example people are "advised" about what to take to their Immigration interview. If the opinion is out of date or just wrong, then all that happens is that an additional visit to Immigration is called for.

However sometimes it is more important than that. Ann and I were incredulous to read on a local Facebook page the "advice" given to a woman who wanted to know whether a particular test was available at Polis Hospital. As it happens, Ann has to take the same test and it involves a trip to Paphos General. She kindly mentioned this to help the lady in question. We then sat back in absolute amazement when other people weighed in on medical matters, and some of the advice was not only absurd but potentially dangerous.

I have lost count of the number of times that seemingly intelligent people believe the rubbish that is spouted on these forums and Facebook pages. One recent arrival to Argaka comes out with the most outrageous suggestions, and opinions, and should be committed in my opinion. I offered to help a couple (recently arrived) with any advice they needed. In the end he decided he would find out for himself - from the horse's mouth - what he needed to do and would come back to me if he became becalmed. We agreed that the recent posts to his question on Facebook were, to quote his email, "utter bollocks".

And so, to those following in our footsteps, the information is out there as long as you can keep clear of the shark-infested waters of some of the expat forums. Sit back, take a deep breath, and you will soon realise who is talking out of their backsides (and it is not only the muffled voices when they are sitting down that gives the game away) and who knows what they are talking about. But even then, information becomes out of date. We would have sworn that marriage certificates did not need to be stamped when Immigration is visited. But the law in Cyprus changed in the middle of October, and so our information would have been incorrect.

It appears that it will become more and more difficult for Britons to reside in Cyprus unless they become "official" and I would urge those people we know who are currently "under the radar" to legitimise their status before Boris Johnson manages to screw up Brexit more than the current UK government appears to be doing. That means paying Social Security, registering for tax, getting your "yellow slip" - and that will mean you need health insurance - and stop defrauding this country by continuing to use your EHIC to access healthcare. And yes, I know that the business you are running will not be as profitable as it is at the moment, and that your prices will need to rise (and you will then lose the competitive edge you have over legitimate businesses). That is, or will soon be, your real cost of living in Cyprus.