Bulgaria visas and residence permits in 2024

All foreigners (non-EU nationals) looking to work in Bulgaria are required to secure a work visa from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Employment Agency. Healy Consultants Group will assist our Clients by preparing a quality visa application and submitting it to the Bulgarian authorities. Our fee for this service is €4,950.

For more details, please refer to the information below.

Long-stay visa

• Non-European Union entrepreneurs who wish to work and do business in Bulgaria are required to obtain a continuous residence permit;
• Mandatory documents required by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs include: i) a valid passport; ii) a recent passport-size photo; iii) proof of sufficient funds; iv) proof of insurance policy obtained within the EU and v) an acceptance letter;
• There are two types of long term multiple visit permits, namely: i) one-year multiple visit permits and ii) five-year multiple visit permits;
• The one-year multiple visit business visa is called visa “Type D”. This visa can be issued for one year or six months, depending on the intended stay in Bulgaria. Type D visa is suitable for small enterprises, branch offices and representative offices who aim to hire no more than 10 employees.

Employee visas

• Our Clients find it easy to hire foreigners in Bulgaria, due to the simplified procedure and low requirements imposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• Our team will optimize this process and manage the administrative burden on our Clients’ behalf when they want to hire a foreigner in Bulgaria. We will do this by preparing and submitting the work permit application on our Client’s behalf to the National Employment Agency;
• Documents to be submitted with the employer’s assistance include i) three photos of the proposed employee; ii) a copy of the proposed employment contract; iii) a copy of the employee’s passport; iv) the company document set; v) proof of the employee’s education and qualifications and vi) confirmation of the number of foreign employees currently working for our Client.

Blue card visa

• This specialized type of business visa is reserved for professionals with high skill levels in fields promoted by the Bulgarian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy;
• Minimal requirements to secure this type of visa include: i) University degree; ii) high starting salary and iii) permission from the Bulgarian National Employment Agency;
• Foreigners who already have hold a similar EU Blue Card in another member state, need not to apply again for a Bulgarian visa. Instead, they may simply obtain written permission from the Bulgarian National Employment Agency.

Bulgaria residence permits

Based on the investment in Bulgaria, foreigners are eligible to apply for the permanent residence certificates if they fulfil one of the below criteria:

• They have invested or increased their investment over one million leva in Bulgaria by acquiring
  • Shares in Bulgarian companies traded on the Bulgarian regulated market;
  • Securities issued by the government;
  • Assets of a Bulgarian company with more than 50% government ownership;
  • Bulgarian intellectual property;
• They have invested over one million leva (€511128) in a Bulgarian licensed credit institution;
• They have invested over six million leva in a Bulgarian company not listed on the stock exchange

Government liaison services

• All Bulgarian companies and foreign entrepreneurs require the services of a Government Liaison Officer for their visa and/or residential requirements. Our team will efficiently and effectively i) secure visas and resident permits for foreigners; ii) secure resident certificates for European citizens; iii) secure resident cards for foreigners who are family of European citizens; iv) submit labour quota applications; v) obtain driving licenses and vi) appoint a company Manager;
• In addition, our team can assist our Clients with i) import and export documentation; ii) typing and translation services; iii) Foreign Affairs attestation services; iv) health cards for employees; v) vehicles registration; vi) company sign board; vii) telephone and fax application and viii) electricity and water application.