Bulgarian permanent residency
Similar to the Bulgarian long-term residency, the permanent residency card is valid for 5 years. However, the expiration of the card does not mean your permanent status in Bulgaria expired. You are not required to apply for permanent residency again. You simply have to renew your plastic residency card and this will not take you longer than few days if you use the express service of the local Migration Office.
Grounds to obtain permanent residency
There is an extensive list of grounds to obtain permanent residency in Bulgaria. You will find listed only several of the grounds that seem to be popular:
- foreigners of Bulgarian origin
- foreigners that have resided legally and uninterruptedly on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria for 5 years prior to submission of the application
- members of the family of a Bulgarian citizen provided they have resided uninterruptedly on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria during the last 5 years
- Investments in Bulgarian AIFs or ETFs
Our dedicated and recommended by Legal500 team of immigration lawyers will assist through the process of obtaining Bulgarian permanent residency.
Requirements to obtain permanent residency in Bulgaria
The requirement of legal and uninterrupted stay in Bulgaria is interpretted as at least 30 motnhs in any 5 years period. If you resided for less than 30 months, your application will be turned down.
If you have resided for more than 50 months in any 5 years period you may consider obtaining Bulgarian long-term residency. The long-term residency allows you to travel to Schengen member states visa free.
Requirements to maintain permanent residency in Bulgaria
To maintain the indefinite permanent residency status in Bulgaria, individuals are required to visit the country at least once a year. While there is no specific minimum duration for the length of stay during these visits, it is essential to make at least one visit per year to comply with the residency regulations.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the strict enforcement of this requirement was temporarily relaxed. Recently, the Migration Office has been more closely monitoring compliance with the one-year visitation rule. As a result, it has become more important for permanent residents to fulfill this obligation to retain their residency status without any issues.
NB: Important Message
If you have not fulfilled the requirement of visiting Bulgaria at least once a year and have been absent from the country for an extended period, our team may still be able to assist you in renewing your Bulgarian permanent residency card.
Deadline for submission
Not less than 2 months prior to expiration of the permitted residence period granted to the foreigner in the country.
Timeline
Your long-term residency application will be considered within 2 months of submission of application. In circumstances of legal and factual complexity and necessity of presentation of additional documents or information the deadline can be extended by two months.
For more information about obtaining Bulgarian permanent residency, please get in touch with our team.
