A Bulgarian residence permit

According to the laws of Bulgaria, there are several statuses of stay of foreigners in the country:

• short-term (standard 90 days in half a year - tourist visas, visas of property owners);
• long-term (residence permit, allowing stay for one year);
• long-term (long-term residence permit, allowing remain for five years and the right to renew);
• permanent (permanent residence permitting an indefinite period of stay).

To get a residence permit in Bulgaria, you must enter the country on a visa category D (extended stay). Applicants for this visa immediately present documents to confirm the existence of grounds for a residence permit. Access to this category is issued in person, at the embassy or consulate-general of Bulgaria in your country of residence (remember: you cannot get a D visa in Bulgaria itself).

Documents are submitted in the order of the general queue and are subject to consideration within thirty days. You need (original + copy):

• visa application form signed in person;
• international passport;
• color photo 3.5x4.5 from the photo salon (also for children in the passport);
• confirmation of housing provision (notarial deed for property or lease agreement);
• certificate of financial solvency (at least 1800 leva per month of stay per person);
• medical insurance (required from 30,000 euros);
• certificate of moral conduct.

Being a member of the EU, please note that Bulgaria does not belong to the Schengen zone (accordingly, it can only issue a national visa). Still, a Schengen visa issued in another country allows entry to Bulgaria.

The rights of a residence permit in Bulgaria:

• stay in the country, leave and enter without a visa during the period of validity of the residence permit;
• open your own company and run a business;
• receive paid medical services;
• receive paid education in Bulgarian educational institutions of all levels (school-university);
• issue invitations to enter the country to a private person;
• in five years to receive the status of DVZH;
• To issue visas for entry into the countries of the Schengen zone at the embassies in Bulgaria under a sped up procedure.

The ground for permission to get a residence permit in Bulgaria is the purchase of a real estate for at least 300,000 euros (more precisely, 600,000 Bulgarian leva), and this does not have to be one object. It is permissible to buy several real estate objects for different purposes - an apartment or a house for yourself, an office space, an object for rent.

An innovation in Bulgarian legislation is the opportunity to get Bulgarian citizenship through a solid investment in government securities or a state bank in a little more than a year. The procedure will take two stages - by investing one million leva, you will receive permanent residence, and a year later, by investing the same amount, you will become a full-fledged citizen of a country of the European Commonwealth. Investing money can be withdrawn in a few years with interest. The purpose of the innovation is to attract foreign investment. The reason is the decrease in the popularity of the Bulgarian property market considering the global crisis. Against the backdrop of quarterly investments in 2008–541,000,000 euros, in 2013–7,600,000 euros. Now the average price of 1m2 of space has dropped to 450 euros.

It must be remembered and understood that purchasing real estate for fewer than 300,000 euros does not get a residence permit but acts as a necessary condition (owner or tenant of housing in Bulgaria) to get it.

An application for a residence permit in Bulgaria is submitted in person and on the country's territory. Usually, the period for consideration and issuance of a decision ranges from two weeks to a month—state duty on administrative expenses from 100 to 400 euros. The residence permit is valid for one year and can be extended at the end of the term. The fundamental conditions for a residence permit and permanent residence are the right medical insurance, the availability of the amount of money in the account, and housing provision.

I also want to say to our compatriots, when buying real estate, use the services of reliable companies and trusted lawyers. Bulgarian legislation governing real estate transactions has several loopholes for unscrupulous developers and lawyers. There are cases of the sale of objects pledged to the bank without notifying the buyer of this encumbrance (commissioned and under construction).