try before we make the move

Hi

Iv been keeping my eye on Schengen news for Bulgaria an after your post it may be a good idea for you to do the same.. both countries are liable to be accepted into Schengen  by the end of this year.. Serbia may also be an option but not sure how long you can spend there

Not sure if it’s a good idea for your three children. Have you sorted prolonged/long term residency in Bulgaria?

@Suzi Masterson

I haven't done much of this kinda thing as I like my home comforts too much. :-)

But, of course, in principle, it's totally legit to use your visa-free allowance (90 days max typically, but sometimes longer) before moving on, as a PT (Perpetual Tourist).

The fly in the ointment will be (as mentioned by @mckayphil) that both Bulgaria and Romania are EU, and will likely both be Schengen in the (near) future. Which gives you a 90-in-180 in Schengen Zone, rather than 90-in-180 in each one (as now). Maybe end of this year?

Almost as close are our non-EU neighbours Serbia and Turkey, which will extend you a separate 90 days in each one. This would be the easiest option if you've maxed out your Schengen allowance. Separately, both of these countries are very easy to get residence (Serbia by opening a company or buying a property, and Turkey by a renewable one-year extended tourism visa).

@mckayphil i dont know how id missed that. after i posted this i found it (typical!)

im going to look at other options.

my long term goal is to move to our little house in rural bulgaria.

@gwynj thank you. i will have a look at serbia. i could live between until. the plan was to bring the couple of ponies and cart them between the 2 properties (both love to travel so thats easy from their point of view).

the vans you get now a days have most of your comforts (basics anyway). ive lived the past 10 years renovating houses and farms to make a living ontop of my remote job teaching.

ill have a look into siberia. im not keen on turkey when we visited years ago. lots to research again. thank you

Suzi, do you meet the criteria a get a D visa? It's only for a year in the first instance, so not a long term commitment, and might be the best way to try Bulgarian life out before you make a decision on a permanent home.

Moving every 90 days with three kids and two ponies is my idea of torture! I can't wait to be able to live permanently in our Bulgarian house. OTOH, it sounds as if you'll cope fine with a more nomadic lifestyle.

Especially if your Bulgarian home is in the western part of the country, a house in Serbia and one in Bulgaria could be your best option. As Gwyn said, Serbia is easier to get residency.

@mckayphil i dont know how id missed that. after i posted this i found it (typical!)
im going to look at other options.
my long term goal is to move to our little house in rural bulgaria.
-@Suzi Masterson

Austria and the Netherlands are still against Bulgaria and Romania joining the Schengen zone, without them agreeing you will be safe for now.

@SimCityAT that’s to risky even for me tbh. If it was just the kids and me I’d be fine moving us around (they love the nomad life).

but I’ll be towing a couple of ponies and out pet hens and cockrel pebbles). As lot to ask of them all the time

@Suzi Masterson personally I'd be more concerned about the animals in Serbia. They've been known to confiscate dogs from people with EU pet passports, because they're not a member of the EU. I've no idea how they'd react to ponies and a cockeral. Best to check first.

@grumpyoldbird it’s not going to work the way I’d hoped I don’t think.

im not in a hurry to travel. I’d rather research more and look into what’s right for us.

siberia was a reaction response rather than I’ve thought about it.

it’s somewhere I’d like to see. Not live for any period of time

@Suzi Masterson I understand completely. It's a life changing decision, literally and you need to make sure it's right for you. Good luck 🙂