Residence Permits in Bulgaria for Entrepreneurs

Many of our clients start with only a Bulgarian company. After some time, a lot of them decide they also want to live here: the low cost of living, the 10% personal tax, Sofia, the mountains and the sea. How easy the move is depends mostly on one thing, your citizenship. For EU citizens it’s a simple registration. For people from outside the EU there are several routes, each with its own conditions, documents and timing. We help you find the route that fits your case and take you through it step by step.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens

If you are a citizen of an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you don’t need a visa or a residence permit to live in Bulgaria. If you stay longer than three months, you register your stay with the migration office and get a residence certificate. After five years of legal residence you can apply for permanent residence.
It’s a short process, but it still needs the right documents, for example proof of address, health insurance and, depending on your situation, proof of income or employment. We prepare everything and organize for someone to come with you to the migration office, so it’s done in one visit.

Non-EU citizens: the main routes

For citizens of countries outside the EU, the process usually has two steps. First you apply for a long-stay visa (type D) at a Bulgarian embassy or consulate. Then you come to Bulgaria and apply for the residence permit at the migration office. Which route you use depends on what you do and how your income is earned.
Through your Bulgarian company. Owners and managers of a Bulgarian company can apply for residence on this basis, but there are conditions about the company, its activity and often about investment and employees. This is the route most entrepreneurs ask about, and it needs the most careful preparation.
As a self-employed person. Freelancers and independent professionals can, under some conditions, get permission to work as self-employed in Bulgaria. This requires a clear business plan and proof of qualification.
As a digital nomad. Since the end of 2025 Bulgaria has a residence permit for remote workers. It is for people who work remotely for an employer or their own company registered outside the EU, or as freelancers for clients outside Bulgaria, and who earn at least 50 Bulgarian minimum salaries per year, which is about €31,000 in 2026. The permit is for one year and can be extended once. One important point: it is not for people who work for Bulgarian clients or through a Bulgarian company.
As an investor. Larger investments in Bulgaria can also be the basis for residence. These routes have high thresholds and detailed rules.
Through family. Spouses and children can usually join the main applicant through family reunification.
We don’t recommend a route before we understand your case. Sometimes the obvious route is not the best one, and sometimes the company structure needs to be planned with residence in mind from the start.

What is included

A first consultation to understand your citizenship, family, business and plans
A clear recommendation of the route that fits you best, and what it requires
A complete document list for your case
Help with translations, legalisations and apostilles
Preparing the visa application and guiding you through the embassy process
Preparing the residence permit application in Bulgaria
Coming with you to the migration office
Reminders and support for the yearly renewal
If you also need a Bulgarian company, bank account or accounting, we coordinate everything together, so the company and the residence application support each other.

How long it takes

For EU citizens, the registration can often be done within a few days once you have an address. For non-EU citizens, the visa usually takes one to two months, and the residence permit application in Bulgaria a few more weeks. Most permits are issued for one year and need to be renewed, so the preparation does not stop with the first permit.

What we can’t promise

The decision on a visa or residence permit is always made by the authorities, and nobody can guarantee it. The rules also change from time to time, as with the new digital nomad permit. What we make sure is that your application is complete, correct and fits the route you apply for, so it has the best chance and doesn’t fail because of a missing document. For legal questions in complex cases, we work together with immigration lawyers we trust.

Taxes when you move

Living in Bulgaria can also change where you pay personal tax. Bulgaria has a flat 10% income tax, but becoming tax resident here and leaving your old country’s tax system are two separate things, and the rules are different in each country. Before you move, we recommend checking this with a tax advisor in your current country. We are happy to help you think through the Bulgarian side.

Who is this for

This service is for entrepreneurs, freelancers, remote workers and investors who want to live in Bulgaria, alone or with their family. It works best when we plan the move together with the company setup, but we also help people who already have a Bulgarian company or who only need the residence part.

Let’s talk

Tell us your citizenship, if you plan to move alone or with family, and how you earn your income. We will come back with the route that fits you and what it takes.