Temporary Residence in Bulgaria

Last Updated on September 17, 2023 by Bulgarian Citizenship Team

All foreign nationals who would like to obtain temporary residence in Bulgaria need to apply for a long-term Visa D at the nearest Bulgarian consulate or embassy. The Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act is very flexible allowing a Visa D to be granted on more than 20 grounds.

The most popular grounds for obtaining a Visa D and temporary residence in Bulgaria:

  1. Opening of a Trade Representative Office of a foreign company in Bulgaria;
  2. Incorporation of a Bulgarian limited company employing at least 10 local citizens;
  3. Investment in real-estate of 312,000 EUR.

Opening of a trade representative office in Bulgaria

You can obtain a D visa and Bulgarian residency by establishing a Trade Representative Office (TRO) for a foreign company that has been in existence for more than 2 years. This option is considered as the most convenient and affordable ground to immigrate to Bulgaria. There is no requirement for employment of local citizens or amount which should be invested.

To set up a trade representative office of a foreign company in Bulgaria you have to provide the following documents:

  1. Certificate of Good Standing/ Business Extract (confirming the company’s active status)
  2. Financial results for the previous 2 years. It’s important to note that there are no specific criteria for these results, as long as there is a profit. The profit can be as modest as 200 EUR.

For more details about opening a trade representative office in Bulgaria, please feel free to contact us. 

Incorporation of a Bulgarian limited company and employment of ten local citizens

Despite the fact that the employment of local citizens prior to the actual application for a Visa D might be considered unnecessary expense, this ground of temporary residence in Bulgaria is viewed as consequence of the successful representation and promotion of a foreign business in Bulgaria through a trade representative office.

A substantial part of the applicants for temporary residence under the company incorporation ground are foreign business persons who initially arrived in Bulgaria as representatives of their foreign companies, and as a matter of time they expanded their business in Bulgaria to the need of employing local citizens.

Temporary residence by investment in Real Estate

The law requires the applicant to invest in real-estate in Bulgaria the amount of 312, 000 € in order to obtain temporary residence. The temporary residence is issued within 3 to months only. After the investment is completed, the applicant has to apply for a D visa with the nearest Bulgarian embassy or general consulate. Once the D visa application is approved, the applicant has to file a residency application with the local Migration Office.

Real estate investments in Bulgaria can be considered very attractive for several reasons. First of all, the realistic annual returns from rents are ranging between 5-7 %. As the member state of the European Union with lowest prices of properties, the substantial foreign investments, and the upcoming accession to the Schengen zone, the property prices in Bulgaria are gradually increasing. Additionally, your family members can obtain temporary residence as well, enjoy free state education and health care in Bulgaria.

Benefits of Temporary residence in Bulgaria

For more details about how to obtain Visa D and temporary residence in Bulgaria, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

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