Bulgarian residence permit: what do you need to apply?

Bulgaria is one of the most attractive countries for both vacation and permanent residence. The mild climate, excellent business opportunity, good living conditions - all this draws expats from worldwide. This article will tell you how to obtain a Bulgarian residence permit and what documents to prepare.

Table of contents

• Bulgarian residence permit requirements
• Bulgarian residence permit application process
• Documents required for Bulgarian D visa application
• Documents required for Bulgarian residence permit application
• Bulgarian residence permit photo requirements
• Get a Bulgarian residence permit photo online!

Bulgarian residence permit requirements

Thanks to the residence permit, a foreigner can stay in Bulgaria for a maximum of one year and enter without a visa. The residence permit gives the following advantages:

• To enter the territory of the state without a visa;
• To study in schools and institutions of higher education;
• To get a permanent residence permit after 5 years;
• To get Bulgarian citizenship in the future.

First of all, remember: To obtain a residence permit in Bulgaria, an applicant must have a reason. The basis for a residence permit can be one of the following:

• Having Bulgarian roots;
• Marriage to a citizen of Bulgaria;
• Employment by invitation in a Bulgarian company or a foreign company located in Bulgaria;
• Acquisition of real estate in Bulgaria worth at least 300 thousand euro;
• Business organization in Bulgaria or investment in the Bulgarian economy;
• Also, residence permits are issued to foreign pensioners.

Important: To apply for a residence permit in Bulgaria, a person must have a rented accommodation or his/her own local property. S/he must also confirm the financial solvency to live in the country. On the account should be at least 12 minimum Bulgarian wages (ie, 5040 Lev, which is equal to about $ 3000).

Bulgarian residence permit application process

To get a Bulgarian residence permit, first of all, you need to determine the basis for it and collect the relevant documents. Next, you need to:

• Open a Bulgarian D visa and use it to enter the country;
• Within 3 days after entry, go to the police station and check-in;
• Submit the application along with a package of documents to the Migration Service.
• Get permission from the Migration Service for a stay in Bulgaria for a period from 6 months to 1 year.

You can be refused a visa if you deliberately give false information, break the law on the territory of the European Union, and if you have an unfavorable credit history.

The applicant must have a document confirming the rental or ownership of real estate in Bulgaria.

Documents required for Bulgarian D visa application

• A filled in application form;
• A standard Bulgaria visa photo (2 pieces);
• A passport valid for at least 18 months;
• Proof of accommodation for the period of stay. It can be a rental agreement or notarial deed;
• Proof of Solvency: a Bulgarian bank extract with information about an account with the required amount on it;
• Medical insurance with a minimum coverage of 30 thousand Euros;
• Certificate of criminal record.

Depending on the reasons for obtaining a Bulgarian residence permit, you may be required to provide additional documents: proof of retirement benefits, the amount of pension payments over the past three months, proof of Bulgarian origin and others.

Documents required for Bulgarian residence permit application

After obtaining a visa at the Bulgarian embassy upon arrival in the country, you should submit the following documents to the Migration Service:

• Filled in application form;
• Original and photocopy of a passport;
• Passport-sized photo;
• Other documents, taking into account the basis for obtaining a residence permit.

Bulgarian residence permit photo requirements

In order to obtain a residence permit in Bulgaria, along with a set of documents you have to submit a photo that complies with Schengen standards. The residence permit picture specifications are as follows:

• The required Bulgaria residence permit photo size is 35 x 45 mm.
• It is necessary to submit a color photo.
• The photo must show the person without headgear. Exception - people who wear religious headdresses all the time.
• The face must take up 70 to 80% of the image.
• There should be no defects, pixels, glare or shadows.
• The background must be plain light, preferably the white one.

Here's an example of the photo:

Get a Bulgarian residence permit photo online!

Visafoto software since 2013 edits photos for documents, including residence permits, passport photos, and visas.

• Simply upload your photo taken under sufficient light.
• Upload your photo to Visafoto.
• Download the resized image.

The program will crop the file to the desired size, adjust the white balance and perform the other required actions. Photos from Visafoto are accepted 99.7% of the time!

First, take an original photo like this:

Then resize it to get a photo for online submission and 4 photos suitable for printing:

We wish you good luck in getting a residence permit in Bulgaria!