Grounds for residence — business, employment, special programs — with the conditions to qualify.
EU/EEA/Swiss citizens — freedom of movement (long-stay certificate)
activeSpecial programFor: EU citizens
- Duration
- 5 years, renewable
- Path to PR
- Yes
- Family
- Included
Requirements (4)
- EU/EEA and Swiss nationals may live and work in Bulgaria with no visa or work permit
- For stays over 3 months, register with the Migration Directorate and obtain a long-stay certificate (удостоверение за продължително пребиваване)
- Freedom of establishment: freelance or run a business on the same terms as Bulgarian nationals
- Permanent residence available after 5 years of continuous legal residence
Tax implications: Bulgarian tax residency after 183 days or centre of vital interests; full access to the 10% flat-tax freelancer regime.related scheme →related scheme →
For EU/EEA/Swiss freelancers this is the simplest path: free movement plus freedom of establishment, only a registration formality. Duration shown as the 5-year run to permanent residence.
Digital nomad / remote-work residence (виза за цифрови номади)
activeDigital nomad visaFor: All except EU citizens
Income requirement: 2,295 EUR/month (At least 50× the previous calendar year's monthly minimum wage — Bulgaria's minimum wage is ~€550.66/month (2025), so ~€27,500/year (~€2,295/month); pegged to the minimum wage and revised annually. Some sources cite up to ~€31,000/year — confirm for the application year.)
- Duration
- 1 year, renewable
- Path to PR
- Yes
- Family
- Included
Requirements (4)
- Non-EU remote workers earning income from OUTSIDE Bulgaria: freelancers/independent contractors, remote employees of foreign companies, or online entrepreneurs / owners of a foreign company
- Prove income of at least 50× the previous year's monthly minimum wage; freelancers typically show ~12 months of documented remote activity
- No work for Bulgarian clients, no services to local companies and no local employment — income must be foreign-sourced
- Health insurance and accommodation in Bulgaria; long-stay type-D visa first, then the residence permit
Tax implications: Living in Bulgaria past 183 days generally creates Bulgarian tax residency on worldwide income (10% flat) — attractive, but the visa itself forbids Bulgarian-sourced work.
Bulgaria's dedicated digital-nomad route, created by the June 2025 Foreigners Act amendment and opened to applications for 2026 — a genuine remote-work residence, unlike most EU states. Issued for up to 1 year, then convertible to continued residence if the conditions still hold. The income floor is pegged to the minimum wage; reporting on the exact figure varies (~€27,500–31,000/year), so verify the current threshold. Combined with the 10% flat tax, it is one of the most attractive EU nomad setups.
Freelance / self-employed permit (D visa + residence)
activeFreelance permitFor: All except EU citizens
- Duration
- 1 year, renewable
- Path to PR
- Yes
- Family
- Not included
Requirements (4)
- Non-EU nationals wishing to practise a liberal profession or work as self-employed IN Bulgaria (serving the local market)
- Permit from the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy to practise the freelance/liberal activity
- Business plan describing the activity plus proof of at least 2 years' professional experience in the field
- Long-stay type-D visa, then a continuous-residence permit (up to 1 year, renewable)
Tax implications: Self-employment income taxed under the свободна професия regime (25% deemed expenses + 10% flat + capped social).related scheme →
This is the route for actually working self-employed inside Bulgaria (local clients) — distinct from the digital-nomad visa (foreign clients only). It requires a labour-ministry permit and demonstrated experience. For a laptop freelancer with foreign clients the digital-nomad visa is usually the better fit.
Trade representative office of a foreign company (TRO residence)
activeBusiness visaFor: All except EU citizens
- Duration
- 1 year, renewable
- Path to PR
- Yes
- Family
- Included
Requirements (4)
- Register a trade representative office (търговско представителство) of a foreign company at the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI)
- Parent company legally registered and genuinely operating for at least 2 years, with real economic activity (~BGN 100,000+ annual turnover in the preceding two years)
- Each office may appoint up to two non-EU trade representatives, who obtain a type-D visa then a residence permit
- The representative office may NOT conduct commercial activity itself (representation/liaison only)
Tax implications: The TRO is non-trading, so it generates no Bulgarian business tax; the individual's own income is taxed per its source and residency.
A long-established non-EU residence route heavily used before the nomad visa: register a rep office of your (or any) foreign company and get a renewable 1-year residence. Requires a real 2-year-old foreign company. The office cannot trade, so it is a residence vehicle, not a way to invoice locally.
Temporary protection for displaced Ukrainians
activeSpecial programFor: Ukrainian citizens
- Duration
- 1 year, renewable
- Path to PR
- No
- Family
- Included
Requirements (4)
- Displaced persons from Ukraine covered by the EU Temporary Protection Directive
- Register for temporary protection (регистрация за временна закрила) and receive the status document
- Right to work, including self-employment, without a separate work permit
- Access to accommodation support and public services during protection
Tax implications: Immediate residence plus the right to work/self-employ on the same terms as residents — full access to the 10% flat freelancer regime; no income test or fee.related scheme →
For Ukrainian remote workers and freelancers this is the most accessible status: immediate residence and the right to work/self-employ, no income test, no fee. The EU-wide temporary protection currently runs to 4 March 2027.