General Information

Residence permits in Bulgaria

A. Long-term residence permits – up to one year, and
B. Permanent residence permits – for an indefinite period of time

The most common grounds for issuance of long-term residence permits are:

• The Foreign citizen  is a member of the management or supervisory bodies of a Bulgarian company

• The Foreign citizen  is a trade representative of a company registered with the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

• The Foreign citizen  has been issued a work permit by the Bulgarian Employment Agency, and

• The Foreign citizen  conducts business activities in Bulgaria, provided that the Foreign citizen  has employed at least 10 Bulgarian nationals, etc.

In order to apply for a residence permit the Foreign citizen  should initially obtain a long-stay visa.

The common documents required for issuance of a long-term residence permit are as follows:

1. the valid international passport of the applicant;

2. evidence that the applicant has been provided with a place to live during his/her stay in Bulgaria (e.g. rental contracts);

3. the standard application form;

4. evidence of payment of the relevant state fees, and

5. evidence that the applicant has sufficient financial means to meet the costs of his/her stay in Bulgaria.

The application for obtaining a long-term residence permit must be filed before the Migration Directorate not later than 7 days prior to the expiration of the term of the long-stay visa. Applications are considered and reviewed within 7 working days of their submission and the decision of the Migration Directorate is then presented in writing to the applicant.

The long-term residence permit can be renewed if the grounds for its issuance still exist at the time of the renewal. It should be noted that an extension of the long term residence permit can be refused if it is established that the Foreign citizen  has not stayed on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria for at least 6 months and one day during the preceding calendar year.

Once the Foreign citizen  has been granted a long-term residence permit, he/she may live, reside and travel in the Republic of Bulgaria while the permit is valid. The Foreign citizen  may freely choose and change his/her place of residence, or leave the country and enter it again.

Foreign citizen s who have obtained a long term residence permit have all the rights and obligations granted to or imposed on the Bulgarian citizens. For example, they can be employed by Bulgarian employers, receive social security compensations, health care insurance, etc. Long-term residence status for a foreign citizen is usually evidenced by the issuance of a Bulgarian ID card for the foreign national.

Residence certificates in Bulgaria

A. Long-term residence certificates – up to five years, and
B. Permanent residence certificates – for an indefinite period of time

The most common grounds for issuance of long-term residence certificates are:

• The European citizen is employed or self employed in the Republic of Bulgaria

• The European citizen has medical insurance and enough financial resources to cover the expenses for his/her residence and that of the family members without having recourse to the Bulgarian social security system, and

• The European citizen has enrolled in a school/college/university in Bulgaria for study, including professional training, and has medical insurance and enough financial resources to cover his/her expenses, etc.

In order to apply for a residence certificate the European citizen should submit an application to the Migration Directorate within three months after his/her first entry in the Republic of Bulgaria.

The common documents which should be enclosed to the application are as follows:

1. a valid identity card or a passport of the applicant;

2. documents evidencing the existence of the ground on which the European citizen applies for his/her residence certificate (e.g. labour contracts,
   valid medical insurance, documents proving the current education, etc.);

3. documents evidencing the payment of the relevant state fee, and

4. evidence that the applicant has sufficient financial means to meet the costs of his/her stay in Bulgaria/if required/.

Applications are considered and reviewed and the certificate should be issued on the day of submitting the application. The certificate contains the full name of the person and the registration date.

In case some of the necessary documents are missing or not valid, the European citizen shall be granted a seven-day term to correct them. If the person fails to correct the omissions within this term the competent authority shall deny the issuance of a long term residence certificate.

The right of entry and the right of residence in the Republic of Bulgaria of a European citizen may be restricted in exceptional cases and on grounds related to national security, public order or public health. Permanent residence certificates are issued to European citizens who have resided continuously in the Republic of Bulgaria for a period of five years and who meet other special requirements set forth in the law.