Obtaining a residence permit in Bulgaria. Service offer

Bulgaria boasts a quite fast process of obtaining a residence permit (RP) and a short time required to execute documents compared to many other EU countries.

The following should be noted immediately:

• one of the main conditions for obtaining and further renewal of a residence permit in Bulgaria is retaining the status of the country’s resident (it requires staying in Bulgaria more than 183 days per year);
• a residence permit is issued for a period of 1 year; validity of the document may be extended to 5 years;
• a holder of a Bulgarian residence permit has the right to obtain a permanent residence permit after a 5-year stay in the country and to apply for Bulgarian citizenship upon expiration of another 5 years;
• to apply for a residence permit, one must enter Bulgaria on a special visa – visa D (such a type of visa is issued by the consulate of Bulgaria for 6 months to immigrate in the country).

Obtaining a residence permit in Bulgaria (from filing documents to getting a plastic card) takes 3 to 6 weeks. The total timeframe, including the preparation step (preparation to obtaining a visa D and obtaining the visa), may take 2 to 4 months.

Documents required to obtain a type D visa:

• Completed questionnaire;
• Photographs (3.5 cm by 4.5 cm) – 2 photos;
• Original passport and its copy (at the time of submission of documents, the remaining validity period of the passport must be at least 18 months);
• Real estate lease contract or a document proving ownership of a dwelling in Bulgaria;
• Account statement proving that there is a sum necessary to live in the country (at least 2 500 EUR per person per month);
• Medical insurance covering up to 30 000 EUR;
• No-criminal-record certificate;

On average, obtaining a visa takes 1 to 2 months.

Please note that the application for a type D visa requires preliminary preparation: one needs to obtain a tourist visa, visit Bulgaria, find and rent a dwelling and leave the country to execute the final set of documents.

Bulgaria offers a few options to obtain a residence permit, so first one needs to choose the suitable grounds for obtaining a residence permit:

1. Learning in Bulgaria

• Bulgaria provides foreign citizens with the opportunity to get paid higher education;
• Students who learn in person in licensed higher education institutions of Bulgaria have the right to obtain a residence permit.

2. Employment in Bulgaria

• An invitation to work in Bulgaria and an employment contract are grounds for obtaining a residence permit;
• The employer must obtain a special permit from the National Employment Agency of Bulgaria before the foreign employee moves to Bulgaria;
• The employer must draw up a detailed employment contract and prepare a special certificate (analogue to the job description containing a detailed description of activity and necessary qualifications of the employee);
• If a foreign citizen changes their place of employment after the first year of stay in Bulgaria, they will not have to obtain a new work permit: notifying the Migration Service of the changes and providing necessary documents from the new employer will be enough.

3. Obtaining a Blue Card

This type of permit is intended for qualified specialists with higher education (preferably in engineering / economics).

Advantages of the Blue Card compared to obtaining a permit to reside and work when getting employed in the usual way:

• The list of documents necessary to obtain this type of permit is shorter than the standard list from the Migration Service of Bulgaria;
• The employer does not have to justify the hiring of a foreign employee (it does not have to publish the vacancy in the open market and prove that this vacancy cannot be filled by an EU resident) or obtain a special permit or prepare certificates;
• The 30% quota does not apply to foreign employees who hold a Blue Card; it applies to the number of foreign employees of a Bulgarian company;
• For the purpose of obtaining a Blue Card, documents shall be submitted by the employer in Bulgaria; after a positive decision has been received, the relevant notification is sent to the consulate of Bulgaria in the country of residence of the applicant (the employee only needs to submit documents to obtain a visa D);
• A Blue Card is issued for 4 years but not beyond the validity period of the passport;
• The holder of a Blue Card is required to be an employee of an employer in Bulgaria only during the first 2 years; during the next two years they are allowed to work in any EU country.

The holder of a Blue Card is issued an ID card. The number of an ID card is also the tax number of the individual.

4. Business

• The owner of a company incorporated in Bulgaria has the right to obtain a residence permit;
• If an entrepreneur already has an active business in another country, they can use the option of opening a representative office of the foreign company in Bulgaria;
• Important requirements are conducting real business in Bulgaria and employing at least 10 workers who are citizens of the country.

5. Pension provision

A foreign citizen who has attained the pension age can obtain a residence permit. Requirements for applying for a residence permit on these grounds:

• Rented or owned dwelling in Bulgaria;
• An amount of at least 3 000 EUR in the personal account;
• Receiving regular pension in the country of current tax residency.

6. Treatment in one of medical institutions of Bulgaria

• A contract for long-term medical treatment in Bulgaria is required to apply for a residence permit on these grounds;
• The Migration Service will also request confirmation that long-term therapy is necessary.

7. Purchase of real estate in Bulgaria

• The minimum value of a dwelling required to obtain a residence permit in Bulgaria is 600 000 BGN (~ 306 800 EUR);
• A foreign citizen can own a dwelling (flat / apartment) in Bulgaria but has no right to own a plot of land;
• A house with a plot of land may be registered in the name of a local company (in this case, the foreign applicant must hold at least 51% of the company’s shares).

8. Marriage and family reunion

Spouse of a Bulgarian citizen has the right to obtain a residence permit. A residence permit application may also be submitted for the purpose of family reunion by family members of a foreign citizen who has previously obtained a residence permit on one of the above-listed grounds.

• Residence permit application;
• Original passport and its copy (the passport must contain a type D visa);
• Dwelling lease contract or documents proving ownership of a dwelling in Bulgaria;
• Certificate of registration at the place of residence (executed by a local notary);
• Account statement proving that there is a sum sufficient to live in the country;
• Bank account opened in Bulgaria;
• Receipt for payment of the state duty;
• No-criminal-record certificate (required in most cases);
• Blue Card or other documents necessary to prove the grounds for obtaining a residence permit (it may be documents on education, employment contract and required certificates issued by the employer, proof of pension provision, pension certificate, documents proving kinship, for example, marriage certificates, children’s birth/adoption certificates, etc.).

[1] The cost of services is effective as of July 2024 and does not include VAT.