Visas and work permits

• Overseas residents must present valid documents, a passport and entry visa, on entering Bulgaria.

• Residents of the EU entering Bulgaria for a stay of less than 30 days do not need a visa. There are bi-lateral arrangements with other countries.

Visas:
If you wish to stay in Bulgaria, you must obtain a visa.
The main types of visa are:

• An airport visa - enables a change of flight at the airport without entry to Bulgaria.

• A transit visa - this obligates the holder of the visa to leave Bulgaria within 24 hours of the time of entry.

• A short term visa - permits entry on one or more occasions for a maximum period of 90 days. The visa is valid for 3 months from the date of issue.

• A long term visa - valid for a number of entries into Bulgaria for up to 90 days. The visa is valid for a maximum period of 12 months.

Permanent Resident's Permit:

• The spouse and children of Bulgarian citizens or of foreigners with a permanent resident's visa, are eligible for this permit.

• A permanent resident's visa is issued to persons who have lived permanently in Bulgaria for more than 10 years, or more than six years in the case of anyone having business interests in Bulgaria.

Work Permits:

• Foreigners with a permanent resident's permit and refugees who receive sanctuary in Bulgaria are entitled, like other Bulgarian citizens, to work in Bulgaria.

• Temporary work permits are issued to foreigners and bear the name of the foreign worker, the name of the employee and the period for which the permit is valid.

• A work permit is not granted if the work can be undertaken by a Bulgarian citizen.

• An employer cannot hire foreign workers in excess of 10% of his total work force.

• Foreigners who work in Bulgaria as self employed individuals or as partners in a business must take out the relevant insurance cover. The insurance premium is between 29% - 32% of income.

Permanent residence:

To obtain a permanent residence one must spend 5 years in Bulgaria under the long-term stay conditions.

 A long term stay permit is valid for 1 year and is issued each year. During each year of stay you are issued a Bulgarian Identity Card (the same ID document that each Bulgarian citizen holds.) After 5 years under long-term permit one can apply for permanent residence.
To get the first year long-term permit one needs to present the following:
- A valid D-type Visa, - A proof of national insurance or social security in the country of residence (such document can be issued from your local national insurance office).
- Minimum 3000 Bulgarian Levs (approx. 1550 ˆ EUROS or 1020 £ GBP) deposit in a personal bank account in Bulgaria.
Please note that in order your application to be successful you must have Type D Visa, for which you can apply in any Bulgarian embassy. More information about D Type visa for British citizens can be obtained at www.bulgarianembassy.org.uk
Please also note that all applicants for long-term permit are subject to thoroughly checks by Interpol and Europol and other organisations having data for persons with criminal activities. All applicants must have clean crime records and must not be subject of criminal proceedings, otherwise applications will be rejected.
Since each application is strictly individual the process time can vary from 10 days to 3 months.

For pensioners the interpretation seems to be that if you can demonstrate proof of reliable income at a rate that comfortably exceeds Bulgarian standards (the minimum wage in Bulgaria is, at the moment, 120 leva per month) it should be possible to obtain permanent residence status and of course the impending entry to the EU should overcome any problems in this area.