Bulgaria is part of the EU so people with citizenship of countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) can move, live and work freely in Bulgaria.
Bulgaria Tourist Visa
Bulgaria offers a 180 tourist visa. It also gives you the right to visit Romania, Croatia or Cyprus. Some countries can access visa-free travel to Bulgaria. To see if you need to Bulgaria tourist visa please use the Visa HQ tool on the right.
Bulgaria Family Visa
If your spouse is a citizen or permanent resident of Bulgaria, you are probably eligible for residency. Please note that your status of spouse needs to be legally recognised in this country.
See the citizenship section below for more information on residency or citizenship based on descent.
Bulgaria Work Visa
If you have a recognized university degree or professional experience as well as a work contract or binding job offer, you may be eligible for an “EU Blue Card”. The Blue Card is a four-year temporary work and residence permit. This also gives you free movement within the Schengen area and enables your family to join you. If you do not have a work contract or job offer, you can register on the EU Blue Card Network, where European employers can view your details and connect with you around job opportunities. This is also where you apply for the EU Blue Card.
- If you are not eligible under the EU Blue Card Programme, the Bulgarian Employment Agency issues work permits and the employer you are going to work for must do the application for you. The process usually takes less than a month and a number of documents are required, such as legalized degrees, documents that prove work experience and an employment contract.
Bulgaria is a part of the EU and as such, Bulgaria citizenship is a powerful offering. The Bulgaria passport was recently rated as the 18th most powerful globally. It offers visa-free access to 171 countries.
Bulgaria citizenship is heritable. You can pass it on to all of your children.
Bulgaria Citizenship through Family
If one or both of your parents were citizens when you were born, you are probably also a citizen.
If you were born in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, you are most likely a Bulgarian citizen.
If your spouse is a citizen, you can apply for citizenship after being resident in Bulgaria for a period of 3 years. Please note that your status of spouse needs to be legally recognised in this country.
Bulgaria Citizenship through Marriage
If you are married to a Bulgaria citizen you can apply for Bulgaria citizenship and a Bulgaria passport after 3 years of living in Bulgaria.
Bulgaria Citizenship through Naturalisation
If you have held a valid residency in Bulgaria for 5 years you can apply for Bulgaria citizenship and a Bulgaria passport.
Bulgaria offers both a Residency by Investment and a Fast-Track to Citizenship by Investment program. Both can be a pathway to Bulgaria citizenship and a Bulgaria passport, just the residency time before you can apply for Bulgaria citizenship differ.
Bulgaria Residency by Investment
If you invest 1 million BGN (approximately €500,000) in Bulgarian state bonds for 5 years you are eligible for Bulgaria residency through investment. After 5 years you can apply for Bulgaria citizenship and a Bulgaria passport.
At the end of the 5 year period, the Bulgarian government guarantees the full return of your capital.
The fast track to Bulgaria citizenship.
If you double the investment you can apply for Bulgaria citizenship after 2 years of residency.
Do you have experience in moving to Bulgaria? We’d love to hear from you about why you chose to move to Bulgaria and the pros and cons of living and working in Bulgaria. We’d be very interested in your experience with Bulgaria visas and residency permits, Bulgaria citizenship, Bulgaria nationality, and Bulgaria passports. Please contact us to share your Expat story here