BASIC REQUIREMENTS
of the normative documents,
relating to the residence
of foreign citizens in Bulgaria
A foreigner can enter the Republic of Bulgaria with or without a visa if he or she is a holder of a valid passport or another substituting document for traveling abroad. The entry in the country can also be done with an entry permit, residence permit or transit travel through our country (visa). The residence permit for foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria is issued by the offices of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Citizens of countries with which Bulgaria has agreements for visa-free regimes or relieved visa regimes can reside in our country for the terms stipulated in these agreements. This is determined depending on the fact whether your country is a member of the EU and respectively on the time you will be spending in Bulgaria. For the stay of a citizen of the EU in Bulgaria for a period no longer than 30 days, no visa is necessary. For a stay no longer than 90 days in the country, a visa Type C, issued by the Bulgarian embassy, is required. For a possible stay of a foreign citizen in the country of no more than a year, a visa Type D, issued by the Bulgarian embassy, is required. Foreigners who have registration under the statutory order for conducting economic activity can get a permit for a stay of one year. The expiry may be extended every year in case the grounds for permitting the residence are still valid.
Foreigners are registered by their address through the channels regulated for Bulgarian citizens. A foreigner who has been granted permanent residence in the country must register in the respective municipality and inform the municipality on the changes in his or her civil status in the terms stipulated for Bulgarian citizens.
Foreigners residing in Bulgaria for no more than three months should prove their identity with their passport or the substituting document, with which they have entered the country. Foreigners residing in the country for more than three months prove their identity with a document issued by the offices of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The identification papers are issued for a period of no more than 5 years. Foreigners must present their papers upon demand from the authorized organs. A foreigner whose papers have been lost or destroyed must immediately inform the respective passport office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. A foreigner who has entered the Republic of Bulgaria in the statutory order can move everywhere within the country with the exception of the border regions and the areas, for whose visit a permit issued by the respective office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is necessary. Foreigners residing in the Republic of Bulgaria must obey the laws and the established social order and should respect the morality and traditions of the Bulgarian people. Foreigners who are granted permanent residence in the Republic of Bulgaria can commence employment under a contract in the order, established for Bulgarian citizens. Foreigners who are temporarily residing in Bulgaria with a working visa can work only in the region, at the employer and for the term specified in the working visa.
Foreigners may realize economic activity or practice freelance work on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria after a registration or receiving a permit for this in the order stipulated by the respective law. Temporarily residing foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria, other than the quoted cases, may work under a labour contract only after they receive the permission of the authorities of the Ministry of Labour and Social care.
By Decision of the Council of Ministers as of 1997 the citizens of the countries from the European Union: Austria, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Luxemburg, Portugal, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, as well as Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, USA, Japan, Canada, Australia and Israel, who are holders of valid passports, have the right to reside on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria for a length of no more than 30 days without a visa. Upon their first entry in each calendar year, they may not register their address unless they wish so.
The citizens of the countries enlisted above don’t need a visa if they are incorporating a trading partnership or purchasing a property in Bulgaria within a 30-day stay in the country. For the short-term stay of up to 90 days they need a visa Type C, issued by the Bulgarian embassy. The long-term stay is divided into two – long-term stay of up to 12 months and temporary residence – indefinite period of time. Permit for a long-term stay can be obtained by a foreigner, who has a registered company or is engaged in activities under the Commercial law of Bulgaria and for the implementation of the activity, has hired 10 Bulgarian citizens in the company.
 When a retired foreign citizen is conducting commercial activity, the following documents should be presented:
 application form;
receipt for paid state fees to the amount of 5.00 leva;
copies of the passports, including the photograph of the said person, the personal data, visa, seal from the last travel of the person, proof of the stay in the country;
çverified copy of the Court Decision for enrty of the company in the Trade register;
verified copy of the registration fee;
verified copy for registration by NII;
documents including proof of invested own capital during the stay in the country;
For the issue of a Bulgarian ID card to a foreigner, the following documents are necessary:
a seal in the person’s passport, certifying that the said person is issued a long-term stay permit;
application form;
actual photograph;
receipt for paid municipal fee;
copies of the passports including the person’s photograph, personal data, a visa, and a seal from the last entry of the person in Bulgaria.
To become a Bulgarian citizen, the foreigner should file and receive for each year of a 5-year stay the following documents:
a long-term stay permit;
ID card;
visa Type “D”.
No visa is required for the registration of a company or the purchase of property within a 30-day stay for the citizens of the EU. |
