D visa application process

My advice is to use your status as a retired for a ground for the residence permit, rather than the marriage. You have the choise.

According to my experience this is better, because of less documents you will need every year for the renewal.

@Vasilev I agree -- the retiree visa D is quite straightforward.

Please give a link to a reliable source of info, better to the law.

What’s your opinion on the business and start up visa. Queer…aren’t they?

I don’t know any Bulgarian, only short experience with a lawyer that lives in Bulgaria.

So:

business,

start-up,

early retirement (health issues)

disabled people?(not for me)

elderly nursed people.

living in a community(e.g. British)

with buying a house.

with renting a house

Vasilev knows what he is talking about. Very easy when you reture

@Mkmg1 I am an immigration lawyer. I've registered many Trade representative offices of foreign companies and it works, it is very easy and effective. I can share you additional information.

Start up Visa is a new thing from October 2022. I am writing a publication for it in the moment.

@charlian99

Wey aye, Geordie lad...

Here's some official documentation:

https://www.mfa.bg/en/services-travel/consular-services/travel-bulgaria/visa-bulgaria

https://www.mfa.bg/upload/716/VISA_TYPE_D.pdf

As @Vasilev stated, it's easier as a pensioner, just get an official letter regarding your pension entitlement (these days you can probably do it online).

For all D visa applications, you need proof of address, proof of funds, proof of health insurance (and a criminal record check, I believe, ACRO for you). If you already own a property in Bulgaria, you can submit your Notary Act. For health insurance, you should get your S1 and submit that (and bring it to Bulgaria to show the health fund here). All pensioners can get an S1 form, and it entitles you to free healthcare in the EU.

@Mkmg1

There are a number of ways to qualify for a D visa.

Please give a link to a reliable source of info, better to the law.

The law is a bit of a long and tedious read, but you can find it online, if you really enjoy that kind of thing. :-)

This official info is a bit more useful, practically speaking.

https://www.mfa.bg/en/services-travel/consular-services/travel-bulgaria/visa-bulgaria

https://www.mfa.bg/upload/716/VISA_TYPE_D.pdf

You need proof of how you qualify for a specific D visa category (e.g. student, pensioner). And you need some general proofs for all applicants (proof of address, proof of funds, proof of health insurance). And a criminal record check too, I think. If you qualify, then it's typically pretty straightforward (if you follow the requirements and application process).

As to your list, I'll comment below. But you haven't included all categories for D visa. Off the top of my head... maybe... student... married to Bulgarian... got a job offer from Bulgarian company... freelancer... rich person (and want to invest, buy a lot of property, etc.)... family reunification with BG resident... non-profit /NGO type activities... inter-company transfer / temporary assignment, etc.

business

The are 2 main options. Bulgarian company is possible, but there's an employment requirement (10 Bulgarian employees, I think) which means it's typically only applicable to multinationals. The famous TRO (Trade Representative Office) which is the Bulgarian rep of your foreign corporation. This is a popular option, and why @Vasilev has done many of them. Only wrinkle is that your overseas entity must have 2 years of existence / corporate documents and a bit of trading/financial history. (I don't know how little one can get away with, that needs a consult with @Vasilev.)

start-up

It's new. It's good that they've introduced it. It's definitely a step in the right direction. But the requirement for 50k euros already secured in startup funding is a pain in the proverbial. I wouldn't use it for that reason, and it will stop many applications. (But, again, a consult with @Vasilev might be helpful. In particular, it's an evaluation scorecard for your application, so perhaps 0 points for your funding aspect might still be OK if you get lots of points for your kick-ass resume and pitch-deck.)

early retirement (health issues)

disabled people?(not for me)

elderly nursed people.

Anything that qualifies you for an ongoing income for the rest of your life (i.e. pension or disability pension) should allow you to qualify. Bulgaria doesn't have an age requirement for retirees, only a pension requirement. So, my sister, for example, who retired from the British army at 45, would have qualified. I don't know the exact amount required (again, @Vasilev is the man) but the official Bulgarian minimum wage is only 360 euros per month. And most countries will give a better pension than that (my UK state pension which would be enough for me to live there in poverty will be about 900 euros). That's not to say that you can live here on 360 euros a month (I would say that it's extremely difficult, and I certainly couldn't manage it) but it's important to know what immigration is comparing you with.

living in a community(e.g. British)

Not relevant to any category. Well, except Ukrainian maybe as there are special refugee rules in place at the moment (but this is sorted directly when you get to Bulgaria, no need to return to Ukraine to get a D visa).

with buying a house

with renting a house

Not relevant to the grounds for qualifying for the D visa. But necessary in order to provide the required proof of (Bulgarian) address. Although I'd guess most immigration attorneys (including perhaps @Vasilev) can organize an appropriate rental contract to satisfy immigration, if you prefer to get your residence sorted out first, and then look for somewhere to live at your leisure (which is what we did when we arrived here).

Hi everyone, I'm living in England, and retired. I have a private pension, and savings, but not an official UK State Pension, that will be another 3 years. I was looking at the D-Visa, but it seems that only a State Pension will quality. I do intend to buy a place in Bulgaria. Could anyone confirm if that's true?

Also, will probably just stay in Bulgaria for maybe 4-5 months per year initially, till I get settled. It seems that that would be an issue when I want to renew after a year. Seems like it's necessary to spend over 6 months a year in Bulgarian to get a D-Visa renewal?

Thanks for any answers, I've trawled all over the internet and get conflicting answers!

@DarryllP

you can stay 90 days in a 180 day period without a visa, so if you plan to break up the 4-5 months per year over a couple of visits you’ll be fine. If you want to stay more than 90 days altogether then you will need a visa. There are other types than the D visa that might be more applicable but since most people are aiming for full time living that’s the one most talked about. If you want to apply for residency you will be expected to spend the majority of time here, it’s my understanding that immigration are clamping down on “residents” not actually living here.

@Mkmg1

The Law

http://www.bulgarian-citizenship.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/FOREIGNERS-IN-THE-REPUBLIC-OF-BULGARIA-ACT.pdf

@DarryllP

Welcome to the expat.com forum and good luck with your potential move to Bulgaria!

My understanding is that it's any kind of pension (private, state, disability) as long as you have some kind of official letter/statement confirming your entitlement. And that you'll receive it for the rest of your life.

But maybe you are correct that it must be a state pension. Do you have a link to share? Even if it must be a state pension, you don't have long to wait. And, meanwhile, as @HelenDinBG

says you can use your visa-free allowance to visit regularly.

The exact wording is here in the FOREIGNERS IN THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA ACT

http://www.bulgarian-citizenship.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/FOREIGNERS-IN-THE-REPUBLIC-OF-BULGARIA-ACT.pdf

In Chapter 3:

"10. (amend. –SG 23/13) are entitled to pension pursuant to the legislation of the Republic of Bulgaria, of their home country or another country and have sufficient means of support for their stay in the country;"

Immigration attorney website:

https://immigration2bulgaria.com/bulgarian-visas/

"7. Pensioner Type D visa can be granted to foreigners who receive a pension and have sufficient funds to cover their living costs in the country. (Ref. Art. 24 (1) 10 of the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act)."

Another immigration attorney website:

https://visaforbulgaria.com/bulgarian-d-visa

"Retirement - A visa is issued to retired foreign nationals who have enough funds to support themselves in the country."

You could contact either of these attorneys for guidance on your particular situation. Or @Vasilev who is a regular visitor here and is also an immigration specialist.

Separately, here's the official guidance for how to apply.

Please note that in addition to the proof of pension entitlement, you'll need proof of address in Bulgaria (long term rental contract or Notary Act), proof of health insurance (cheap BG policy or your UK EHIC/GHIC), proof of funds (you pension and/or savings), and a criminal record check (ACRO).

https://www.mfa.bg/en/services-travel/consular-services/travel-bulgaria/visa-bulgaria

https://www.mfa.bg/upload/716/VISA_TYPE_D.pdf

A private pension will suffice, my husband got his visa D this way.

@Mel1702

We have a bingo! :-) Good news, thank you for confirming.

Yes, definitely a private pension, as long as it meets the earnings requirement, will qualify. It's not age based, but dependent on proof of retirement pension income. I asked the Embassy in London this question and that was their answer.

That's great, thanks everyone for replying, I feel much more convinced now I did see the "non-private pension" comment in one of the sites referenced above https://immigration2bulgaria.com/reside … ensioners/

"Document, showing that they are entitled to a retirement income, issued by the country of origin and legalised with a notary public; Please note this refers to state pension. Pensions paid out by private organizations do not meet the criteria. "

It specifically highlighted the "Private Organisations", which I assumed to mean private pensions.In any case, I don't believe that's accurate now

Best thing to do is check with the Embassy in London, as that's where you'll need to apply. But I believe a private pension will be fine.

@Vasilev with a tro, is there any minimum requirements for the foreign company? do you need to keep the tro for 5 years to keep the resident permit?  Thank you.

@brandon76 Yes, of course. You need to renew your residence permit every year. Follow me for more detailed legal advice.

@charlian99 need work permit for d type visa.

@DarryllP yes retired here at 58 last year on a private pension, was accepted without question by the Embassy.

Married couple (both retired)

Is it possible/easier for one partner to obtain a D Visa and then a long Stay Visa and later the other to get a long stay visa through family reunification?

Or do both need to obtain a D Visa?

@alanjolly65

all non-eu passport holders need a D visa. You are both retired, it is very straightforward for pensioners to apply for D visa then long stay residency.

Let say, you go with your first suggestion. One of you first applies D visa (takes 2 months), get to Bulgaria then apply for residency (takes 1month roughly). After that, start applying for family reunification (2 months roughly), get the approval, back to the UK or where you are from, then apply for the other D visa (1 month roughly), at last back to Bulgaria for your residency application.

So, it will cost you a lot more time and money doing the family reunification route.

@tutisservis

Thank you for your reply. Time isn't a concern

The reason I asked was because I have a friend (UK) with a Bulgarian long stay visa. He moved to Bulgaria last December. His wife (also UK) joined him recently and only had to go with him to the local directorate in Bulgaria with a notarised marriage certificate. She did not have to get a D Visa in the UK?

This way saved her a lot of money in notarising documents, police checks, visa application fees etc.

@alanjolly65

to our knowledge and experience, they should both require D visa in order to get their residence cards. If your friends did it that way, then why are you asking?

@tutisservis

Thank you

I guess I was looking for additional confirmation. Just like you, I was surprised that it could be that easy.

Every time I read posts, there are contradictory replies. Eg, you need a Bulgarian bank account / you don't need one and your pension must be a state pension / a private pension is ok. You must have private healthcare insurance / A GHIC card is ok

@alanjolly65

morning… that’s absolutely right, for example there’s not much information about family reunification online, so we went through the tough way to reside in Bulgaria.

I would suggest that you collect as much information as possible from your friends (if they are close friends and trustworthy), you need all the details and their circumstances. Also, London embassy is a good source to obtain information, they respond to emails quite quickly, and to be honest quite helpfully (not something you would expect from government workers).

Alan, if you find out more about what your friends did, please post it here! I retire three years before my husband, so we're hoping I can get the D visa then apply for family reunification to get him here. It hadn't occurred to me that it would take as long as @tutisservice says, but he's very likely to be correct.

The main thing to check with your friend is if he got his residency pre or post Brexit. That makes such a huge difference. I suspect from what you're saying he may have come in under the old rules. Which is like comparing an amble in the park to running a marathon!

@Vasilev Hi there, my wife and I were ready to buy a house in Bulgaria but we were devastated to learn you can now only get a visa if your retired ! I have 5 years until I retire but I could show more than 5 years pension in a bank account ,,will this help or are we stuck ? Many thanks George

George, unfortunately money in the bank isn't enough to get a D visa (the start of the residency process). Bulgaria has strict criteria.  There are other ways to get the visa besides retirement, for example if you or a friend have a UK registered company with two years worth of paperwork, you could apply to be the company's representative in Bulgaria. That's a bit more complicated though and would most likely require one to employ the help of an immigration lawyer like Vasilev or someone with similar professional ability.

We intended to wait the four years until I reach retirement age to move to our Bulgarian house  but the way things are going may need to stump up some cash to an immigration lawyer for help to find a way to get residency and relocate sooner!

@georgewheelwright

Hi, as long as your private pension exceeds that of the national minimum wage (around 9800 leva per annum at the moment) if you're under 67 years then that would satisfy the financial rules. Where you may fall down is that to satisfy the long stay status on pensioner grounds you must reside in Bulgaria for at least 6 months and 1 day of each year for the first five years.

@georgewheelwright

Dear, George,

There are a lot of options for getting Visa D/ residence permit in Bulgaria- some of them a connecte with education, other with investments. One of the bestbis to use your foreign building and register it as a Trade representative office in Bulgaria and upbto 3 people can obtain long term residence permit with it.

Buying just a real estate for more than 600 000 BGN is also an option.

@grahamstark1 Thanks Graham, wow i didn't even know you could draw your private pension before 67 ,,ex musician non conformist lol. I've worked out I could live for 16 / 17 years at the minimum rate to satisfy the rules but my state pension starts in 5 years at the time I would move ( September 2024 ) I would still own one property in the UK with a healthy 6 figures in the bank after buying a house in Bulgaria,if this is not enough I,m trapped in the disunited kingdom !

@georgewheelwright

I'm using my company pension and going through to process now .. my state pension isnt till  2025

Phil

@Vasilev

Hi  Vasilev, I'm planning to buy a house in Bulgaria, with a friend. I'm retired and have UK pensions. My friend is theoretically retired, but doesn't have pensions. She lives on rental income from the UK. When she moves over from France, she'll rent out her French house as well, which will give her an income around 2k euros a month before tax. Would this be acceptable as income for a D Visa?

@philip Mckay Hi Philip ,sorry for delay in replying,,on my 4 days off now .If you are successful in obtaining the D visa would you have time to create an abc list of how to go about it ,the order and requirements etc,would be greatly appreciated, many thanks. George.

@georgewheelwright

No problem George as a member of this site we are all here to help each other with our past experiences and help in deciphering what can seem to be quite difficult .. as the saying goes sometimes you don't know what you don't know  lol it's so true!

Iv found out lots of things on here and most will bend over backwards to help out

P.s

Just got my last bit of paperwork. Police ACRO check.  so Monday it will be sent with my company pension letter for apostille  at the foreign and commonwealth office . So should get it back by Friday latest  then scanned to email to the Bulgarian translator  . She said it would be back with me within 4 days .. then it's book appointment with BG embassy London .. fingers crossed . Once iv got it I'll contact you

Phil

@philip Mckay Thanks so much Phil,,,we're kinda stuck in the chicken and the egg scenario .. Do we buy a house to improve our chances of getting a D visa but risk getting knocked back with dead weight and a hole in our pockets or do we try to get visa first then rent to find the right house for us ? .Good luck on your application and hope we can replicate your process .George & Debbie .

@georgewheelwright

Hi George, I don't know if I've missed something earlier in this post, but you must have either a rental agreement, or proof of home ownership to get a D Visa. You won't get the visa without one, or the other of those.

George, my understanding is that you'll need some proof of address in Bulgaria to get a D visa no matter what grounds you're applying on, so either property ownership papers or a rental agreement. Either buying a very cheap property or renting an inexpensive apartment, or buying a property you'd want to live in knowing the worst case scenario is having to wait out the five years till you get your old age pension and can get the retirement visa.

Unfortunately money in the bank isn't enough on its own.