Permanent Residence in Bulgaria

Last Updated on October 1, 2024 by Bulgarian Citizenship Team

Permanent Residence by Investment in Bulgarian Fund

In exchange for a safe and liquid investment of 512,000 EUR, non-EU citizens from any nationality can obtain Bulgaria Golden Visa, granting permanent residency by investment, with only one visit to the country.

Permanent residence can be upgraded to citizenship if the investment is maintained for five years, and the applicant passes a language exam or obtains an exemption.

Permanent residence by investment

  • Investment Amount: 512,000 EUR in Bulgarian AIFs or ETFs
  • Time to Permanent Residency: 8 months
  • Time to Bulgarian Citizenship: 72 months
  • All-In Handling Fee: Please ask for a quote
  • Handling Fee for Dependents: Please ask for a quote

Note: Permanent residence in Bulgaria is indefinite unless revoked if the investment is not maintained for five years. The residency card is valid for five years and can be renewed upon expiration. Unlike in Portugal, investors and their families are not required to visit Bulgaria to maintain their permanent residency status. After maintaining the investment for five years, applicants are eligible to apply for Bulgarian citizenship, providing a straightforward path to EU citizenship without the need for frequent travel to Bulgaria.

Bulgaria Golden Visa Legal Framework

Under Art. 25, para 1, point 6, letter Г of the Foreigners Act, foreign nationals are eligible to obtain permanent residence permits if they meet specific investment criteria:

  • (g) They must hold shares or stocks worth at least 1,000,000 BGN in alternative investment funds based in the Republic of Bulgaria. These funds must be managed by entities located in Bulgaria, operating under the Law on Collective Investment Schemes and Other Collective Investment Enterprises. Additionally, the following conditions must be fulfilled:
    • aa) Each fund must have assets valued at no less than 3,000,000 BGN.
    • bb) The alternative investment funds and their managers must be licensed or registered by the Financial Supervision Commission.
    • vv) The investment strategy of the funds must focus primarily on Bulgarian assets, investing exclusively in shares, stocks, and bonds of Bulgarian companies, including special purpose investment joint-stock companies.

Timeline for Obtaining Permanent Residence by Investment

Months 0-2: Due Diligence and Investment

    • Pass due diligence with the Bulgarian Investment Agency.
    • Once approved, proceed with the investment in Bulgarian AIFs or ETFs.
    • Obtain a confirmation certificate of investment issued by the Fund Management company.
    • Prepare the Bulgaria Golden Visa application documents.

Month 3-4: Visa Application

    • Apply for a D visa at the nearest Bulgarian embassy or consulate.
    • The Bulgarian Investor visa is typically granted within 30 working days.

Month 5: Permanent Residence Application

    • Visit Bulgaria to apply for permanent residence by investment at the local Migration Office.
    • Permanent residence applications are usually processed within 45 working days.

Month 8: Residence Approval and Card Issuance

    • Once the residence application is approved, the investor will be photographed.
    • The permanent residence card is issued within 3 working days.
    • Start the family reunification process. Family members will obtain permanent residence within 3 months.

Permanent Residence by Prolonged Stay

Obtaining temporary residence in Bulgaria and renewing it annually for a period of five years, while residing physically in the country for 30 months during this period, makes you eligible to apply for permanent residence in Bulgaria. An exception to the 30-month residency requirement is available if you make a property investment of 312,000 EUR or you are married to a Bulgarian citizen. With this investment, you are only required to renew the residency annually for five years before converting it to permanent residency. The Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act allows foreign nationals to apply for Visa D and Bulgarian temporary residence under more than 20 grounds.

This is the most popular category for obtaining permanent residence in Bulgaria. The Bulgarian residency is implied by the prolonged stay of the applicant under a category of the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act which does not automatically provide ground for permanent stay otherwise.

If the foreign national resides in Bulgaria for another five years after permanent residency is granted and passes a language exam or obtains an exemption, the applicant can apply for Bulgarian Citizenship by Naturalization.

Permanent Residence by Origin

If you can prove your Bulgarian origin, you can apply for permanent residency during your citizenship application processing. You are no longer required to hold a valid D visa to apply for permanent residency by origin, shortening the process by at least 2 months.

It’s worth noting that maintaining your permanent residency status for 5 years, you may be eligible to apply for Bulgarian citizenship by naturalization. This option is quite interesting because, even if your citizenship application based on your ancestry is not successful, you can still apply for citizenship through naturalization in the future. However, it’s important to remember that naturalization applicants must pass a Bulgarian language test, which is not required for applications based on descend.

Benefits of obtaining Permanent Residence in Bulgaria

  • Holders of Bulgarian permanent residency can work in Bulgaria without work permit;
  • Non-EU nationals and their families (spouse and minor children) can obtain Permanent Residence in Bulgaria. It should be noted that permanent residence gives the same rights as Bulgarian citizens, except voting;
  • Holding Bulgarian permanent residence for five years entitles you to apply for Bulgarian citizenship;
  • Opportunity to become resident of the European Union. Free access to Schengen.
  • Holding a permanent residence the foreign national is entitled to enter and leave the country as many times as they wish without visas.
  • Quality education and medical systems throughout the EU.
  • Bulgaria tax residence. Becoming a permanent resident, you can easily qualify as Bulgaria tax resident.

For more information about obtaining Bulgarian permanent residency, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Permanent residence in Bulgaria, Bulgarian permanent residence, Bulgarian permanent residence by investment

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