A Bulgarian temporary residence permit, also known as, temporary residency of Bulgaria is valid for 6 or 12 months and can be renewed for a period of up to 5 years.

Documents to be submitted on applying for a short-stay visa / temporary residency to Bulgaria:

1. A passport valid for at least three months from the date of entry for temporary residency of Bulgaria.
2. Copied pages of the foreign travel document which include personal information for temporary residence permit in Bulgaria.

and the previous visas laid and/or a photocopy of the permits for stay possessed.

4. A recent passport size colorful photo.
5. Documents substantiating the visa request details as well as copies thereof for temporary residence for Bulgaria.
6. Proof of sufficient and steady required financial resources in order to support yourself after grant of temporary residency to Bulgaria
7. Confirmation of a booking at a hotel in Bulgaria or the address of a private residence in Bulgaria, where you will be staying,

The multi-entry visa for Bulgaria short-stay visa to Bulgaria requires the above, plus:

• A copy of the personal information pages of your passport,
• Evidence of possession of enough money to cover accommodation and subsistence costs (equivalent to €100 Euros per day) and, if you don’t have onward travel or return airfares arranged:
• Proof of having €300 Euros to cover the cost of leaving Bulgaria.

What benefits do you receive on Bulgarian temporary residence permit?

• Obtaining a Bulgarian ID card for foreigners that gives a chance of multiple visits and stay in Bulgaria.
• Holders of a Bulgarian residence permit are allowed to stay legally in countries such as Romania, Croatia, and Cyprus for 90 days in any 180 days’ period visa-free.
• You may refresh your Bulgarian residency card for up to 5 years.
• Holding a temporary residence permit for five years, you are allowed to apply for a Bulgarian permanent residence permit.
• Foreign citizens who hold permanent residence of Bulgaria and live in Bulgaria for 183 days in a year in any 60 months’ period, by naturalization can apply for citizenship of Bulgaria.
• Among Schengen Area countries, you enjoy a relaxed visa application process, if you have temporary residency of Bulgaria.
• You can apply for family reunification in Bulgaria.

A long-stay visa, also known as, permanent residency of Bulgaria is issued to a foreigner who wishes to reside for a long time or even permanently in the Republic of Bulgaria. The application for a permanent residency for Bulgaria has to be issued only in the diplomatic and consular missions at the permanent place of residence of the applicant or other missions accredited in the state of the applicant’s permanent residence.

Foreign citizens who wish to apply for a permanent residence permit of Bulgaria must hold a Bulgarian temporary residency permit for at least five years. The first Bulgarian permanent residence permit is issued for only five years, and the next renewal will give you an indefinite permanent residency in Bulgaria.

When applying for a long-stay visa / permanent residency of Bulgaria, the applicant has to present the following list of documents:

• Visa application form
• A regular foreign travel document(passport)
• Copied pages of the foreign travel document which include the personal information and the visas laid and/or copies of the permits for stay possessed
• Recently taken passport-size colorful photos

Does any foreign person have the chance of being granted a long-stay Bulgaria visa?

No, you must meet at least one ground based on which type D visa is granted. You can obtain a type D visa:

• Business activity – if you are an investor or a company representative/owner.
• Family reunification – in case your spouse/partner, parent of a family member is a Bulgarian citizen or a foreigner residing in Bulgaria.
• Work and pensions – if you have a secure and steady job, if you are willing to professionally perform a free-lance activity or in case you have received a right of pension under the Bulgarian law.
• Education – in case of being admitted to a licensed educational establishment for full-time education.
• Social activities – if you are willing to perform non-profit activities by establishing a Non-Profit organization.
• Special protection for victims of human trafficking or refugees.

Benefits for Permanent Residency in Bulgaria

• Free movement within the Schengen area countries.
• Having high-quality health care in Bulgaria and the EU.
• Conditional tax exclusion on world income.
• Enjoy other benefits provided for citizens
• Unlimited right to study, live and work in Europe.
• The right of owning land after permanent residency of Bulgaria in, any EU country.

Bulgarian Citizenship for foreign nationals who have Bulgarian origin or highly-qualified and affluent foreign nationals to get citizenship of Bulgaria and move to Bulgaria.

Benefits of Acquiring Bulgarian Citizenship

• Right to live, work and study in Europe without restrictions
• Visa-free travel or visa-on-arrival travel to many countries and territories
• Getting the right of acquiring land in Bulgaria and in a number of other EU countries which may otherwise restrict access to foreign nationals
• Access the educational (and not only) institutions of Bulgaria and the member states of the EU

Citizenship of Bulgaria by Origin

The process of receiving a Citizenship of Bulgaria by origin can be described as a two-staged procedure. First, the applicants have to apply for a certificate of Bulgarian origin with the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad. If successful, the State Agency provides a certificate of Bulgarian origin which is required for stage 2 – citizenship application with the Ministry of Justice. If unsuccessful, our Bulgarian citizenship lawyers will help you to appeal the refusal of issuing a certificate of origin with the Sofia Administrative Court.

Citizenship of Bulgaria by Naturalization

The Bulgarian Citizenship Act permits any person who has inhabited in Bulgaria for a period of time defined by law and satisfies the requirements in Chapter III of the same Act to get Bulgarian citizenship by Naturalization. If we have to compare obtaining citizenship by Origin and the Naturalization route, the latter follows more rigorous process. Any person who would like to acquire citizenship by naturalization is required to demonstrate his/ her fluency in Bulgarian language subject to obtaining a certificate of language proficiency from the Ministry of Education and also prove that he/ she has an income and occupation which will enable him/her to support himself/herself in the Republic of Bulgaria.

Citizenship of Bulgaria by Marriage

The Bulgarian Citizenship Act states that any person who has been, for the minimum three years, and up to the present time is legally married to a Bulgarian citizen and not shorter than three years as of the date of filling the application for naturalization, was granted a permission for permanent residency may obtain Citizenship of Bulgaria by Marriage.

RESIDENCY by investment AND CITIZENSHIP by INVESTMENT

One of the most typical reasons one may invest abroad in Bulgaria is the occupancy that can be achieved. Investment abroad is the simplest way to attain residency, and there is even the option to obtain citizenship quickly by doubling your investment. The Investor Program for Residence and Citizenship gives the opportunity to a fast-track citizenship of Bulgaria option, which is one of the fastest programs to obtain a residence of Bulgaria.

Steps to obtain Bulgarian citizenship by investment under the ordinary process:

1. Opening of a personal bank account, an amount of 512,000 € to be invested in government bonds and preparation of the set of documents for Investor D visa application.
2. Applying for a Bulgaria Investor visa in the Bulgarian embassy or general consulate in the country of residence.
3. Applying for permanent residency permit of Bulgaria.
4. Holding the permanent residence for five years continuously, we can initiate the citizenship by investment for Bulgaria application with the assistance of the Ministry of Justice.

WHY CHOOSE BULGARIA?

Bulgaria is one of the resent EU member countries, which has a rich and various culture, gentle climate, and great location in Southeast Europe. You can rich Bulgaria faster with the help of the Investor Program for Residence and Citizenship with the following advantages:

• Residency permit issued within six to nine months.
• Fast-track option opportunity for citizenship within two years.
• Particular exemption from physical residence enforced with legislation.
• Investments approved by Government and accessible financing options from banks.
• No language requirements.
• Dual citizenship is allowed, so it is not mandatory to refuse the previous citizenship.
• Free-trade environment within the EU and lowest tax rates.

QUALIFICATIONS for

To be qualified for residency or citizenship, applicants must achieve one of the investment options mentioned in addition to meeting the following criteria:

• Be a non-EU citizen.
• Possess a valid passport.
• Provide documents showing the source and origin of invested funds.
• Hold clear criminal record.
• Attest the power of attorneys and the investment agreement.
• Make the minimum required trips to Bulgaria.

INVESTMENT OPTIONS

Full Investment

Applicants who decided to make Full Investment should deposit BGN 1 million equal to 511,292 Euros in a Governmental Bond Portfolio for an investment period of five years with no request for further payment. The mentioned amount is refunded to the investor after five years. Also, the investment is entirely guaranteed by government bonds.

Financed Investment

This option is for the applicants that want to leverage their money by choosing to finance the demanded investment amount by the help of a European bank.

FAST-TRACK TO CITIZENSHIP

The fast-track option gives foreign investors a chance to obtain a residency faster by doubling the investment. The necessities for this option are followings:

• Having at least one year of permanent residency status.
• Doubling the investment by purchasing €512,000 in governmental bonds or in the capital of a local company that provides a Priority Investment Project.
• Hold an extra investment for at least two years.

CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENTS

According to the Bulgarian Citizenship Act, foreign investors who have a permanent resident permit for five years and more are allowed to apply for Bulgarian residency. Applicants who choose the regular program need to satisfy the followings:

• Be 18 years old and older.
• Must have maintained permanent resident status and also a valid residential address for the last five years.
• Must have never been sentenced or accused by a Bulgarian court for a capital offense