How to Get a Residence Permit in Bulgaria

If you are planning on moving abroad to Europe to live in Bulgaria and possibly even take up employment in the country you will more than likely need to get your self a residence permit. In Bulgaria, all foreigners are required to have a residence permit if they are staying in the country past a certain period of time. The length of time depends upon nationality of the foreigner and could be more than 30 days or could be more than 90 days. The reason for being in the country is of no consequence as only the length of time in the country matters. If you are issued a residence permit it will also be valid for your dependants if you wish to bring them with you to the country.

There are actually different types of residence permits that are issued in Bulgaria. They are issued depending upon your status in the country. For instance, some of the available residence permits are pensioner residence permits, employee residence permit, freelancer residence permits and investor residence permits. Investor residence permits are the least utilized residence permits, probably because the minimum investment amount is $500,000 which likely does not appeal to a lot of people.

If you are a pensioner, or a retiree, that wishes to take up residence in Bulgaria then you will need to prove that you are receiving some sort of retirement income, that you have a bank account in Bulgaria and that you have a residence in Bulgaria.

Being an employee and getting an employee residence permit requires that you have a valid Bulgarian work permit. Usually this is taken care of by your employer in Bulgaria.

In order to get a residence permit in Bulgaria you first have to have a Type D visa. Once you arrive in Bulgaria with your Type D visa you can apply for your residence permit. It only takes about a week to get a decision on your residence permit application. The requirements for getting a residence permit are the same as for the Type D visa, so usually if you can get the Type D visa you can get a residence permit.

Residence permits in Bulgaria are valid for a period of 12 months but can be renewed. To be renewed you will need to have spend at least six month and one day within the country in the 12 month period. Once you have achieved five years of residence in Bulgaria you can apply for permanent residence in the country.