Obtaining a residence permit (identity card) in Bulgaria

Bulgaria is attractive not only with the idea of returning to it for a holiday, but also to move to permanent residence. Ukrainians here successfully study, work and start their own business.

What are the advantages of moving to the Republic of Bulgaria:

1. Residence permit (RP) or so-called identity card in Bulgaria provides virtually equal rights with its citizens, except for suffrage and the right to manage public affairs.
2. The Bulgarian diploma allows to work in the EU countries.
3. Reasonable real estate prices make it possible to buy it, including on the Black Sea coast.
4. Excellent ecology and picturesque nature, similarity of climate to Ukraine, as well as the similarity of the Bulgarian language to the Ukrainian language facilitate the adaptation of visitors to new living conditions.

Permanent residence permits are required for permanent residence in this Balkan country, which can be a step towards obtaining citizenship.

The ways to obtain a residence permit in Bulgaria include:

• employment in Bulgaria;
• opening a business with the subsequent employment of 10 or more Bulgarian citizens;
• marrying a Bulgarian citizen;
• family reunification;
• full-time study at the university;
• purchase of real estate, the value of which is from 300 thousand Euros;
• availability of financial resources that provide an individual with an annual amount from 25,000 Euros;
• long-term treatment in Bulgaria;
• obtaining refugee status or, since the beginning of the war – temporary protection – obtaining a special status, which is granted to all Ukrainians and members of their families who are forced to flee to other countries due to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

As a general rule (i.e. regardless of the war and special grounds for temporary protection) in order to move to Bulgaria you need to go through several stages of documents registration – to obtain a D visa and issue an identity card (actually, a residence permit).

To open a D visa, in addition to the original international passport, you must submit notarized and translated into Bulgarian documents to the Bulgarian Embassy, namely:

• a copy of the applicant’s international passport;
• a copy of the document that gives grounds for obtaining a visa (for example, a contract with a potential employer, proof of real estate purchase, passport of another spouse who has Bulgarian citizenship, invitation to study at a Bulgarian university, etc.);
• a copy of the lease agreement for the premises where the applicant plans to reside;
• a declaration by the premises owner (the lessor) that he is not against the fact that the applicant will live there;
• a document confirming the solvency of the applicant or another person who will financially support the applicant in Bulgaria (parents or other spouses).This may be a certificate about salary, PE’s declaration, etc.;
• a certificate from the applicant or another person who will financially support the applicant in Bulgaria from the bank on the availability of funds on the account.There is no set minimum, but in practice, this amount should be at least 7,800 levs (about 4,000 Euros);
• police clearance certificate of the applicant;
• insurance policy for the period of at least 6 months;
• photo of the applicant 3.5×4.5 cm;
• a document confirming the official payment.

When submitting documents, it is necessary to have the originals of all these documents for presentation on request.

To obtain a residence permit, the applicant must submit to the migration service a passport with a D visa, an application for a permit and documents, the list of which depends on the grounds for obtaining a residence permit (in general, it almost completely coincides with the list of documents required to obtain a D visa).

In addition, you must pay the registration fee of 150 levs and pay the cost of making an ID card, which depends on the terms of its production (45 levs – 1 month, 90 levs – 10 working days; 225 levs – 3 working days). The amounts of payments are specified as of 01.01.2022.

At the time of submitting the documents for the identity card, the applicant must provide fingerprints.