Just like the Bulgarian long-term residency, the permanent residency card is renewed after a span of 5 years. The expiry of the card, however, does not imply that you have expired as a permanent resident in Bulgaria. There is no need to redo the application for permanent residency. All you will need to do is renew your plastic residency card, and that will not take you more than a couple of days using the express service of the local Migration Office.
Reasons to acquire permanent residency
Grounds of permanent residency in Bulgaria are quite numerous. Many of the grounds, which appear to be popular, will be found listed:
- Bulgarian descendants are Foreigners.
- Foreigners who have lived without interruption on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria legally for 5 years before the delivery of the application.
- Family members of a Bulgarian citizen, in case they have lived on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria without a break in the last 5 years
The conditions to acquire a permanent residence in Bulgaria
The legal and uninterrupted stay in Bulgaria would prove to be 30 months every 5 years. The applications of those people who have not lived for more than 30 months will not be accepted. You may, however, note that this condition does not apply to the Bulgarian Golden Visa since the applicants are given permanent status as indefinite permanent residents immediately they are granted the visa.
In case that you have lived for over 50 months during 5 years, you can consider getting Bulgarian long-term residency. The long-time residence enables you to visit the Schengen member states without a visa.
A need to have a permanent residence in Bulgaria
Indefinite permanent residency in Bulgaria requires the holder to pay a visit to the country at least annually to retain the residency status.
These visits have no definite minimum period, but at least one of the visits is required yearly in order to meet residency laws. The applicants for the Bulgarian Golden Visa and their families, however, are not required to travel to Bulgaria every year.
Which documents are necessary to have a Bulgarian residence permit in 2025
Applicants for Bulgarian residence cards will be forced to produce the following documents in the National Migration Directorate:
- A proper passport.
- Accommodation evidence in Bulgaria.
- Evidence of self-sufficiency.
- A policy of insurance.
- Information concerning the marital status of the applicant and members of his or her family.
The application is to be done in Bulgarian. In the case of applicants invoking the Investment Promotion Act, further requirements have to be adhered to, such as the amount that needs to be invested in Bulgaria.
European citizens submit the application for the long-term residence certificate to the Migration Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In such a case of an application, a seven-day allowance is given in case the applicant does not submit the required documents. When the applicant does not take the needed rectifications within this period, the application is turned down. A citizen of a country which is a member of the EU could get a Bulgarian permanent residence certificate in case he lived in the country without interruptions for 5 years.
EU/EEA-country citizens may acquire a certificate of residence in the following cases:
- They are independent workers in Bulgaria, or they work in a company registered in Bulgaria.
- They possess the financial background to afford any medical insurance and any other costs for themselves and their family members, as the case may be, without becoming a liability to the Bulgarian state.
- They are accepted to a college/university in Bulgaria or get professional training, and they have medical insurance and sufficient financial resources so that they do not burden the social security system.
Getting an employment-based residency in Bulgaria
The second means by which residency in Bulgaria can be obtained by a non-EU citizen is by being employed. Nevertheless, many processes can be applied based on:
- The second country to which the immigrant is migrating to Bulgaria.
- The nature of work.
In the case of the so-called non-EU citizens who wish to apply to receive residence permits in Bulgaria, there are two possibilities:
- The candidate will be arriving in Bulgaria straight out of his/her country of origin.
- The candidate is also moving to Bulgaria in the EU.
The process involved in the former scenario would oblige the foreign citizen to have first ensured that he or she has an active employment contract. In this way, there will be a process of recruitment and selection followed by immigration to Bulgaria.
Submission due date
At least 2 months before the expiry of the authorised stay in the country given to the foreigner.
Timeline
The processing of your long-term residence will be done within 2 months once the application has been submitted. In the cases of complexities in the laws and facts, and the need to submit more documents or information, the deadline may be shifted by two months.
You can also view these posts:
Finding a job in Bulgaria as an expat
Assessing social benefits and welfare as an immigrant in Bulgaria
Preparing for the immigration interview in Bulgaria