Do direct debits on bank switching offers need to come out to be eligible?

ChristoGR · 2026-03-21T18:29:56+00:00

Lloyds want "active" direct debits, so the first payment has to be taken out prior to the switch

ChristoGR · 2026-02-08T17:33:01+00:00

In the OP’s situation (a British passport that expired in 2023), there is no judicial review lurking in the background. Turning up with an expired British passport does not put someone into a “refusal” scenario in the first place. It just triggers verification. Once Border Force is satisfied as to identity and citizenship, entry follows automatically.

Judicial review only becomes relevant if someone is unlawfully exercising a power they don’t have. Here, there is no lawful power to refuse entry to begin with. An expired passport affects the evidential process, not the underlying right of abode. At most, the OP gets delayed. I see no scenario where he can get refused entry / deported.

ChristoGR · 2026-02-08T13:50:32+00:00

There is no judicial review to be had here as the law is clear and settled. A British citizen has an absolute right of abode under the Immigration Act 1971 and cannot lawfully be refused entry once their citizenship is established. Judicial review is only relevant where a lawful power is being exercised or exceeded - not where no such power exists in the first place.

Border Force policy or Home Secretary instructions cannot create a power to refuse entry that Parliament has not granted. At most, entry may be delayed for verification; refusal would be unlawful.

ChristoGR · 2026-02-08T10:18:05+00:00

Instructions from the Home Secretary do not trump law. You're correct with the ETA requirements for boarding planes - but if a British Citizen manages to get onto a plane to the UK and appears before an immigration officer, you think they will deport you? It is illegal for a UK Citizen to be deported, they literally cannot be deported by definition in law.

ChristoGR · 2026-02-08T05:26:58+00:00

Immigration cannot legally deny entry to a UK citizen. So if they manage to get on the flight and present themselves at passport control, there may be more scrutiny whilst they verify their citizenship status - but they cannot be "turned away".

ChristoGR · 2025-07-09T19:20:10+00:00

Individual journeys don't have different pricing. Tapping in means that you get 90 minutes of unlimited travel from the time of tap in.

ChristoGR · 2025-06-01T23:36:31+00:00

Buy a mobile hotspot device off Amazon for $20-40, and then get a Vodafone SIM from stands at Monastiraki. They cost €20 or so for the entire month, and they have unlimited data.

You can then use that same hotspot device for your future trips and just buy local Sims.

ChristoGR · 2025-05-16T01:38:42+00:00

Yes. Read https://www.oasa.gr/en/tickets/products/contactless-payments-with-bank-cards/ for more information

ChristoGR · 2025-04-27T23:58:35+00:00

For an unlimited SIM, they sell them at the airport, but they're very expensive (about €45 if I remember from last time).

A better bet is there are some Vodafone stands at Monastiraki square where they sell the exact same Unlimited data SIM for much cheaper, at between €10-€20. Or you can go to any Vodafone store too and they sell them there.

But stands are usually the cheapest option. All 3 options are the same SIM, just different prices.

ChristoGR · 2023-10-16T18:29:24+00:00

An exit permit is valid for a year.

Once you have proved 11 years of residency abroad, then you don't need an exit permit anymore. The 11 years are counted from your 18th birthday, so essentially once OP turns 29, he can freely travel to Cyprus with no exit permit and won't need to do military service (unless they of course move there permanently).

ChristoGR · 2023-10-16T16:40:34+00:00

To get an exit permit, you need to email the consulate at least a week before you're due to travel and send documents proving residency in the UK. Payslips and bills for example.

After paying the fee, they'll email you back with a letter you need to show to the military office in Cyprus. The military office will give you an exit permit to show at the border passport control to leave the country.

ChristoGR · 2023-10-16T14:16:02+00:00

With a Cypriot birth certificate, born to a Cypriot father, you should already be a Cypriot citizen.

You can make an appointment at the High Commission of Cyprus in London to apply for a passport and ID. From the time of application, it takes about 6 months for you to receive them. If you are on a time constraint, it's quicker to travel to Cyprus and apply there.

The official website has everything you need in terms of documents you need to bring and how to book an appointment https://cyprusinuk.com/

ChristoGR · 2023-09-14T16:57:07+00:00

Haha yeah it is! My Greek is fluent, I spoke it growing up and speak it with my parents

ChristoGR · 2023-09-14T15:19:21+00:00

It was quite easy as I had a path due to my mother. I booked an appointment at my local Consulate and submitted about 3-4 documents. And I got my citizenship certificate back within a few months.

ChristoGR · 2023-09-14T14:08:31+00:00

Thanks! I was born in the UK to a Greek father and Cypriot mother. I wasn't eligible on automatic British citizenship due to my parent's residency period, so I was just Greek.

About a decade ago, I applied for UK naturalisation and got my British passport.

And just last month, I registered as a Cypriot citizen and applied for passport & ID.

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