Residency
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No: Bulgaria abolished citizenship by investment in March 2022, and applications that were still pending were terminated. Residence by investment remains — from BGN 1,000,000 (€511,29223 at the fixed rate 1.95583) — and a passport now comes only through ordinary naturalisation or Bulgarian origin.
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Parliament repealed Art. 12a and 14a of the Bulgarian Citizenship Act — the investor fast track — by the amendment published in State Gazette No. 26/2022, adopted on 24 March 2022. Nobody can apply for Bulgarian citizenship by investment today, and we do not accept such cases.
What you can apply for instead
EU memberSchengen
Each figure comes from the Bulgarian Citizenship Act, the Foreigners Act or the Investment Agency procedure, with its check date.
Figures checked
The scheme gave citizenship to foreigners who had held permanent residence obtained through a qualifying investment, and a faster version for those who doubled it. Parliament struck both articles out in March 2022; the repeal is in force and no transitional window was left open.
Searches for “buy Bulgarian citizenship” or a “Bulgarian citizenship by investment fast track” still lead to offers based on the pre-2022 law, including 2016-era descriptions. Treat any quote for a Bulgarian passport against an investment as outdated or misleading.
Permanent residence, directly. Art. 25(1)(6) of the Foreigners Act grants a permanent residence permit for an investment of BGN 1,000,000 (€511,29223) in concession rights, collective investment schemes or licensed alternative investment funds. Listed shares or bonds need BGN 2,000,000 (about €1,022,584 at the same rate). The law still states both amounts in levs.
Real estate and government bonds do not qualify. The Bulgarian Investment Agency issues a pre-approval within 40 days3; the residence permit procedure with the Migration Directorate follows it.
Rarely. An EU citizen moving to Bulgaria registers the stay under EU free-movement rules and does not need an investor permit to live there. The investor route matters to non-EU nationals; for an EU citizen the question is only naturalisation, and the years of registered residence are what count.
Who this page is not for
| Investor citizenship (repealed) | Residence by investment (open) | |
|---|---|---|
| What you receive | Citizenship after investor residence | Permanent residence permit |
| Lowest threshold | No longer applies | BGN 1,000,000 (€511,29223) |
| Real estate counts? | No longer applies | No |
| Path to a passport | Closed | Naturalisation after 5 years1 of residence |
Bulgarian Citizenship Act, Art. 12 and Art. 15; Foreigners Act, Art. 25(1)(6).
| Requirement | Threshold | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Investor residence | €511,29223 | Qualifying funds, concessions or listed securities; not property, not government bonds. |
| Years with permanent or long-term residence | 5 years1 | Three years if married to a Bulgarian citizen for at least three years. |
| Bulgarian language | Required | Waived for applicants of Bulgarian origin. |
| Criminal record | No convictions | Checked for the naturalisation application. |
| Income or occupation | Required | The Act names it; the amount is not published as a figure. |
| Bulgarian origin | Yes1 | Certificate of Bulgarian origin from the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad. |
Who this is not for
Details of the second step: naturalisation in Bulgaria.
Check your eligibilityChecked on
Real estate does not qualify under Art. 25(1)(6).
Choose a qualifying fund, concession or listed securities before you apply.
The Investment Agency approval is valid for 6 months.
File the residence application inside that window.
Art. 12a and 14a were repealed in 2022.
Apply for residence now and for naturalisation later.
Art. 12 of the Citizenship Act.
Check your record before investing; Bulgarian origin removes the language test.
Three stages, three different authorities.
We prepare and file the pre-approval request. The approval stays valid for 6 months.
Authority: 40 days 3
The Migration Directorate decides on the permanent residence permit.
After the required residence, the Citizenship Directorate of the Ministry of Justice reviews the file; citizenship is granted by decree of the Vice President.
Authority: 5 years 1
Since the 2025 amendment (SG 52/2025), after 5 years the investor may exit the investment without losing residence.
The investment is made once by the main applicant. Government fees for the permits are not published in the reference we check against.
| Cost item | Single applicant | Couple | Couple with two children |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investment (lowest tier) | €511,29223 | €511,29223 | €511,29223 |
| Government fees | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Our part | Get a quote | Get a quote | Get a quote |
| Total | Not calculable | Not calculable | Not calculable |
Government fees are paid separately at cost and are listed below with their source.
Investment Agency pre-approval carries no fee. Family members join under family reunification.
Get a quoteForeigners Act amended (SG 52/2025): digital nomad permit (Art. 24s) introduced; investor-residence holders may exit the investment after 5 years.
What does this mean for you?: Investor residence holders may exit the investment after 5 years; the route to citizenship still runs through naturalisation.
No. The programme was repealed in March 2022 (State Gazette No. 26/2022).
Not any more. The fast track was the part of Art. 14a that Parliament repealed. Today the shortest road for an investor is permanent residence by investment and then naturalisation after the residence period set in Art. 12.
Indirectly. The investment gives you permanent residence; citizenship follows ordinary naturalisation with the language test and a clean record.
No. Property does not count even toward residence by investment.
Yes. Under Art. 15 a person of Bulgarian origin can naturalise without the residence period or the language test, with a certificate from the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad.
Not sure which route fits you?
Tell us your citizenship, budget and ties to Bulgaria; we reply with the route that applies and a quote.
Get a quoteWe do not handle investor citizenship — it no longer exists. We handle residence by investment and residence permits.
Used for How the scheme was closed, Residence before naturalisation, Naturalisation by Bulgarian origin without residence period
Used for Residence by investment, lowest threshold, Residence before permanent residence (ordinary route)
Used for Residence by investment, lowest threshold, Investment Agency pre-approval
Used for Residence before permanent residence (ordinary route)
Used for How the scheme was closed