Immigration is the largest single part of our practice. We have completed well over a hundred procedures for people from outside the EU who want to live, work, invest or join family in Bulgaria — on every ground provided by the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act and the EU rules behind it.
Most immigration problems start with the wrong ground. Two people with the same goal — say, moving to Sofia with their family — may need completely different routes depending on income, assets, employment and family ties. Our first job is to identify the route that fits your facts, is realistic to document and leads where you eventually want to be, whether that is a renewable permit, permanent residence or citizenship.
Routes we handle
| Goal | Typical legal ground | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Work for a Bulgarian employer | Single permit for residence and work; EU Blue Card for highly qualified roles | Single permit, Blue Card |
| Run your own business | Manager of a Bulgarian company; trade representative office of a foreign company | Representative office |
| Invest | Long-term or permanent residence on investment grounds | Investor residence |
| Live in property you own | Long-term residence as owner of real estate above the statutory value | Property owners |
| Work remotely for a foreign employer | Digital nomad residence | Remote workers |
| Join family | Family reunification; family member of a Bulgarian citizen | Reunification, Bulgarian family |
| Retire, study | Pensioner or student residence | All grounds |
How a residence procedure runs
Strategy
We confirm the best ground and list every document you will need, including translations and apostilles.
Visa D
For most long-term grounds you first obtain a Type D visa from a Bulgarian consulate abroad — usually two to seven weeks.
Filing
Once in Bulgaria, the application for a residence permit is lodged with the Migration Directorate, with our attorney at your side.
Decision
Long-term permits are usually decided in about 14 days; permanent residence in around two months; work-based procedures involving the Employment Agency in three to six months.
Card and renewal
You collect the residence card, and we diarise the renewal date so the next filing goes in on time.
Citizenship
We advise and represent clients seeking Bulgarian citizenship by naturalisation, including the facilitated route for people of Bulgarian origin, and those who are already Bulgarian by birth through a parent but have never had it formally established.
When the answer is no
Refusals are not the end. We challenge them before the higher authority or directly in the administrative courts, and we have overturned decisions both of the Migration Directorate and of a Bulgarian consulate. Where an appeal is not the best tool, we look for an alternative ground — sometimes under real time pressure, as in a case where we changed a family’s residence ground in four days.
Questions clients ask
What are the main ways a non-EU national can live in Bulgaria?
There are three broad families of permits. Long-term residence covers, among others, trade representatives, company managers, property owners, digital nomads, students, pensioners and family members. Permanent residence is available after five years of continuous lawful stay, or earlier on specific grounds such as qualifying investment or Bulgarian origin. Residence-and-work permits — the single permit and the EU Blue Card — are tied to an employment contract.
How long does the process take overall?
Plan for the visa stage (two to seven weeks) plus the decision on the permit: about two weeks for most long-term grounds, around two months for permanent residence, and three to six months for permits that include access to the labour market.
Can I get residence by setting up a company in Bulgaria?
Yes, as the registered manager of a Bulgarian company, provided the company meets the statutory conditions for that ground, such as the required number of local employees or level of investment. A trade representative office of a foreign company is another frequently used route.
What if my application is refused?
You can appeal to the higher authority within 14 days, or challenge the refusal in the administrative court. We assess the refusal, the chances on appeal and any alternative ground at the same time, so no time is lost.
