Belediye in Northern Cyprus: services, payments and online payment

Belediye — a municipality responsible for local services within a specific city or district of Northern Cyprus. The municipality handles water supply, municipal bills and property tax payments, issues certain permits and accepts applications. Some operations are available online, but there is no single system for all municipalities: websites, the list of payments and login details vary.

• What is a belediye
• What matters does the municipality handle
• What payments are accepted
• Payments and inquiries at the municipal building
• How to pay municipal bills online
• Online service of the municipality of Girne
• Online service of the municipality of Iskele
• Online service of the municipality of Famagusta
• How municipal websites differ
• Why there is no single payment amount
• Frequently asked questions

What is a belediye

The word belediye translates from Turkish as «municipality». It is a local authority serving a specific territory: a city, town and the settlements within the municipal boundaries.

You should contact the municipality to which the property or place of business belongs. For example, apartment payments in Iskele are made through the municipality of Iskele, while bills for a property in Girne are handled through the municipality of Girne.

A municipal bill should not be confused with an electricity bill. Electricity is paid through KIB-TEK, while water, property tax and local service fees may relate to the relevant municipality.

What matters does the municipality handle

The powers and internal structure of municipalities may differ, but belediye most often deals with the following matters:

• connection to and metering of the municipal water supply;
• opening, closing, extending and transferring a water subscription;
• assessment of property tax;
• assessment of a municipal service fee;
• collection of household waste and sanitary maintenance of the area;
• issuing certain permits for commercial activities;
• accepting applications, complaints and inquiries from residents;
• supervision of local markets, public spaces and municipal infrastructure;
• consideration of certain construction, advertising and business matters.

Not every service is available online. The initial opening of a subscription, change of owner, document verification, obtaining a permit or correction of an incorrect charge may require a personal visit.

What payments municipalities accept

The list of payments depends on the specific municipality and the status of the property. Through belediye, you may pay:

• water;
• property tax — emlak vergisi;
• municipal service fee — belediye hizmet vergisi;
• waste collection and sanitary maintenance fees;
• municipal subscription arrears;
• local fines;
• permits and fees related to a commercial property;
• fees for advertising, signs, markets and other municipal services.

A single bill may include water, a service fee, arrears and an accrued late-payment penalty at the same time. Therefore, the payment name and amount breakdown should be checked in the subscriber account or at the municipal cash desk.

Payments and inquiries at the municipal building

At the municipality, you can personally obtain information about outstanding debts, open a new subscription, change the subscriber's name, submit an application, clarify a calculation and pay an issued bill. To do this, you should contact the cash desk — vezne — or the relevant department.

The following may be required for an inquiry:

• passport or identity card;
• subscriber or customer number;
• previous bill;
• sale and purchase or rental agreement;
• property documents;
• power of attorney if a representative is applying;
• additional documents depending on the type of operation.

Payment methods at cash desks may differ. You should keep the cash receipt after payment.

How to pay municipal bills online

The municipality's online cash desk may be called E-Vezne, Online Ödeme or Borç Sorgulama. In many cases, separate registration with an email address and password is not required: outstanding amounts can be accessed using the subscriber number, customer number or property registration number.

In Northern Cyprus, bills can be paid in several ways: through the official websites of service providers and municipalities, mobile applications of local banks, the Local Pay service, PayPoint terminals, as well as directly at the cash desks of organisations and bank branches. Some banks, such as Creditwest Bank, allow utility bills to be paid through their own mobile application. It should be taken into account that there is no single service for all types of payments — the payment method depends on the service provider, and some bills are available only through the official website or application of the specific organisation.

How to do it

1. Open the municipality's official website.
2. Select the E-Belediye, E-Vezne, Online Ödeme or Borç Sorgulama section.
3. Enter the subscriber number, customer number or another identifier requested by the system.
4. Check the subscriber's name, the property address and the purpose of the charge.
5. Select the outstanding amount available for payment.
6. Go to the bank payment page and enter your card details.
7. Save the electronic receipt or transaction confirmation.

The system may request additional data: identity card number, tax number, registration number or security code. The identifier used depends on the municipality and the type of payment.

For the initial opening of a municipal subscription, online payment alone is not sufficient. First, the property must be registered in the belediye database, after which the owner or user is assigned a subscriber number.

Online service of the municipality of Girne

The municipality of Girne operates a separate electronic cash desk. It can be used to check available municipal charges and proceed to payment by bank card.

The subscriber or registration number indicated on the municipal receipt is used to search for the bill. Depending on the record in the database, outstanding amounts for water, property tax and other municipal charges may be displayed.

Online cash desk of the municipality of Girne

Online service of the municipality of Iskele

On the website of the municipality of Iskele, the E-Municipality section includes debt checks and application forms. Forms are available here for a new water subscription, changing the customer's name, closing, extending and restoring registration.

Property tax can be paid through the electronic cash desk, at the municipal cash desk or via available banking channels. An electronic payment requires the property or subscriber to be recorded in the municipal database.

Official website of the municipality of Iskele

Online service of the municipality of Famagusta

On the website of the municipality of Famagusta, the electronic cash desk is located in the online operations section. The subscriber number is used to check the water and municipal bill.

After the number is entered, the system displays the registered outstanding amount, which can be paid by bank card. This section accepts only payments that have already been entered into the municipal database.

To change the subscriber's name, open a new account, correct data or clarify charges, you should contact the municipality directly.

Official website of the municipality of Famagusta

How municipal websites differ

The interface of one website cannot be used as a universal guide for another municipality. In some places, a subscriber number is sufficient, while elsewhere a customer number, registration information or identity card details may also be required.

Municipalities of Northern Cyprus — addresses, websites and telephone numbers - an article with information about each municipality.

Why there is no single payment amount

There is no single fixed amount for municipal payments throughout Northern Cyprus. Tariffs and charges depend on the municipality, the type of property, the property's area, its use category, the amount of water consumed, current local decisions and the presence of outstanding debt.

The total amount may be affected by:

• residential or commercial use of the property;
• the area of the building and land plot;
• water meter readings;
• the category of the municipal subscriber;
• cleaning and waste collection fees;
• overdue payments and late-payment penalties;
• tariff changes approved by the municipal council;
• benefits or special conditions for certain categories.

Therefore, it is impossible to name one property tax, water or municipal service amount for all properties in advance. The exact calculation becomes available after the property and subscriber are registered with the relevant belediye.

Frequently asked questions

Is it necessary to create a personal account for online payment?

Not always. On many municipal websites, it is sufficient to enter the subscriber or customer number. If the system offers registration, the details of the municipal account owner should be used.

Where can I find the subscriber number?

It is shown on an old municipal receipt, water bill or subscription service agreement.

Can a new water account be registered entirely online?

You can find an application form on the website, but the municipality may request original documents and a personal visit. After the account is opened, a subscriber number is assigned and used for subsequent payments.

Why does the system not show the outstanding amount?

The reason may be an incorrectly entered number, the absence of a charge, a change of owner, mismatched data or a delay in updating the database. In this case, you should contact the municipality.

Can a municipal bill be paid with a foreign card?

This depends on the bank and the settings of the specific portal. If a foreign card is declined, you can use a local bank card or pay the bill at the municipal cash desk.

Can all municipal services be paid for online?

No. Only charges entered into the electronic system are available online. Permits, initial registration, data changes and disputed calculations may be processed directly at the municipal building.