Residency
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There are two ways to it. The standard one is 5 years14 of legal residence on another permit. The investor route under Art. 25(1)(6) of the Foreigners Act grants permanent residence straight away, from BGN 1,000,000 (about €511,29215 at the fixed rate 1.95583). We prepare and file the application and the documents behind it.
EU memberSchengen
The clock for the standard route is 5 years14; the investor route skips it. Naturalisation then needs 5 years2 with a permanent or long-term permit.
Figures checked
Permanent residence is not a first permit. On the standard route you first hold a temporary one — most often the single permit, valid up to 3 years14 — and apply for permanent or long-term residence once you have 5 years14 of legal residence behind you.
The investor route works the other way round. The Bulgarian Investment Agency first pre-approves the investment (up to 40 days5, extendable by 10 working days; the pre-approval stays valid for six months and carries no fee), and the residence procedure that follows ends in permanent residence directly.
People who live on rental income, dividends or a pension often ask for a “retirement” route to permanent residence. Our reference data holds no separate passive-income programme for Bulgaria, so we do not describe one here; we check your situation against the Foreigners Act when you write to us.
The digital nomad permit is sometimes offered as a shortcut. It requires €31,010/year36 and is issued for 1 year3, renewable once — two years at most, which on its own does not reach the five-year mark. It also excludes work for Bulgarian companies.
Permanent residence by investment is open; citizenship by investment is not. The two were separate laws, and only one survived 2022.
The law still names the thresholds in leva. BGN 1,000,000 (about €511,29215) applies to concession rights, collective investment schemes or licensed alternative investment funds. BGN 2,000,000 (about €1,022,584 at the fixed rate) applies to shares or bonds listed on a regulated market.
Two things investors assume and get wrong: real estate does not qualify, and neither do government bonds. Buying a flat on the coast gives you property, not a residence status.
Who this is not for
| Standard route (5 years) | Investor route, Art. 25(1)(6) | |
|---|---|---|
| When you can apply | After 5 years14 of legal residence | After Investment Agency pre-approval |
| Money condition | No investment threshold | BGN 1,000,000 (about €511,29215) or BGN 2,000,000 in listed securities |
| First official step | A temporary permit, e.g. the single permit up to 3 years14 | Pre-approval within 40 days5 |
| Keeping the investment | Not applicable | May exit after five years without losing residence (SG 52/2025) |
| Next step to citizenship | 5 years2 with permanent or long-term residence | 5 years2 with permanent residence |
Conditions come from the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act; the investor route also from the Investment Agency procedure.
| Requirement | Threshold | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Legal residence (standard route) | 5 years14 | Counted on temporary permits such as the single permit or the EU Blue Card. |
| Qualifying investment (investor route) | €511,29215 | BGN 1,000,000 in concession rights, collective investment schemes or licensed AIFs; BGN 2,000,000 in listed shares or bonds. |
| Investment Agency pre-approval | 40 days5 | Valid for six months; no fee. |
| Government fee for the permit | Not published in our reference data | We confirm the current amount with the Migration Directorate before filing. |
Who this is not for
Starting from zero? The first permit is usually the single permit.
Check your eligibilityChecked on
Real estate and government bonds do not qualify under Art. 25(1)(6).
We check the asset type before the money moves.
The BGN 1,000,000 threshold applies only to concessions, collective investment schemes and licensed AIFs.
We match the amount to the asset class.
Investment Agency pre-approval is valid for six months.
We plan the residence filing inside that window.
It lasts 1 year3, renewable once.
We plan the switch to another permit early.
Standard route: temporary permit → 5 years14 → application. Investor route: pre-approval → residence procedure.
We check your permit history or your planned investment against the conditions of each route.
Investor route only: the Bulgarian Investment Agency reviews the investment.
Authority: 40 days 5
Pre-approval valid for six months.
We prepare the application and list what needs a certified translation.
You file with the Migration Directorate; we prepare the file and the forms.
The Migration Directorate decides on permanent residence. An official total processing time is not published in our reference data.
What you receive
After 5 years2 with permanent or long-term residence you may apply for naturalisation — see Bulgarian citizenship.
We have no standard package for permanent residence yet, so we price it after reading your file. Government fees for this permit are not in our reference data; we show that instead of guessing.
| Item | Single applicant | Couple | Couple with two children |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our work on the application | Quote on request | Quote on request | Quote on request |
| Government fees | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Investor route: investment | €511,29215 | €511,29215 | €511,29215 |
| Total | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Government fees are paid separately at cost and are listed below with their source.
Indicative prices; the final quote depends on your case. Translations and certified copies are paid at cost.
Get a quoteEuro adopted (1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN); VAT registration threshold set at EUR 51,130 on calendar-year basis; minimum capital of EOOD/OOD becomes EUR 1.
What it means for you: Thresholds are still written in leva; we convert them at the fixed rate 1.95583.
Foreigners Act amended (SG 52/2025): digital nomad permit (Art. 24s) introduced; investor-residence holders may exit the investment after 5 years.
What it means for you: Investors with permanent residence may exit the investment after five years and keep their status.
Bulgaria became a full Schengen member: internal land border checks lifted.
What it means for you: A Bulgarian permit now covers short trips across the whole Schengen area without border checks.
5 years of legal residence on the standard route. On the investor route there is no waiting period, only the Investment Agency pre-approval of up to 40 days and the residence procedure after it.
No. Real estate is not a qualifying investment under Art. 25(1)(6).
BGN 1,000,000, about €511,292 at the fixed rate 1.95583, for concession rights, collective investment schemes or licensed alternative investment funds. Listed shares or bonds need BGN 2,000,000 (about €1,022,584). The law still names the amounts in leva.
Both are the status you reach after 5 years of legal residence, and both count towards naturalisation. Which one fits your case depends on your permit history; we check it before filing.
Not by itself. It is issued for 1 year and renewable once, so it ends before the five-year mark.
Since 1 January 2025 Bulgaria is a full Schengen member, so a Bulgarian permit covers short trips in the Schengen area without internal land border checks. Permanent residence also starts the naturalisation clock.
Family members join through family reunification. The income and housing conditions are not verified in our reference data, so we check them for your case.
After 5 years with a permanent or long-term permit; three years if you have been married to a Bulgarian citizen for three years or more. Language and clean-record conditions apply.
Your case is not here?
Write to us with your current permit and the date it was first issued.
Ask about your caseTell us your citizenship, your current permit and, for the investor route, the planned asset. We reply with the route that fits and a quote for our part. Contact: [email protected].
Used for Years of residence before permanent residence, Investor route: minimum investment, Single permit validity, Family reunification
Used for Years with permanent residence before naturalisation
Used for Digital nomad permit validity, Digital nomad income threshold
Used for Years of residence before permanent residence, Single permit validity
Used for Investor route: minimum investment, Investment Agency pre-approval
Used for Digital nomad income threshold