Burgundy EU British Passport

We are not EU citizens any more

No, you’re not an EU citizen

@Grimsby girl

Hi,

Unfortunately its wishful thinking it no longer grants any EU benefits.

Also be aware that Bulgaria strictly enforces the 10 years validity from date of issue rule, just in case you have any extra months added from your previous passport.

Yes on the ten year rule. Ours both didn't expire till April this year, but because it was extra time added after the ten years, I needed to get a new one last year to meet the Bulgarian rules and be allowed in.

@grimsbygirl, you're not the first Brit to ask the question! You had the sense to ask! There've been a few people here convinced they were still EU passport holders and Brexit didn't apply to them, blissfully unaware that the minute the UK left the EU, that front cover on our old passports meant nothing. Not so blissful if they made plans based on that assumption. So good on you for asking!

Thanks Jane 😊 I was sure I'd heard somewhere that it was the case but I was a bit skeptical to be honest. It's a real shame!

I will have to look into the extra time and time he Bulgarian rules in more depth.

Just so you know, I have decided to go through Bulgaria Direct just for peace of mind really - a lot of people have good things to say about them. I'm just reading through the preliminary contract now. I've put the Bulgarian side into a translator app. I'm not too sure whether I need a lawyer to look over it as it all seems sound but I'll go through it properly over the weekend with a fine tooth comb and, if there's anything I'm unsure about, may consult a 3rd party.

Oh I see what you mean Graham. It works from the issue date. Thanks for that 👍

Ooh, exciting! Which house did you buy? I bought with Bg Direct and keep an eye on their ebay listings. Not that I intend to buy more houses (I ended up buying two already!), just that I'm a nosy cow and love looking at houses!

My main house needs a little more work than I anticipated (it was under 10k, so the cheaper end of the market), but the admin support from Danislava in the office was excellent and Damiano who owns the company and came to the notary transfer of ownership of the first place I bought seems a nice guy. The buying process with them is straightforward and there were no nasty surprises. It's all laid out clearly in the contract.

@janemulberry I've bought the one in Dragana, Lovech. I'm so excited and so pleased! I've booked to fly out in a couple of weeks time for a few days to check everything.

I've been speaking with Iva and she's been very helpful. I'd been interested in another but she suggested I go for this one as she believed it would be more suitable for me. I'm also pleased that it's not far from Sofia airport.

So, you have 2 properties with them? Have you completed one on pay monthly? If so, was it all handed over to you as expected?

That looks like a nice house, so pretty from the front!

Being closer to Sofia is a plus for sure, so many more flights available. My village is 90 minutes drive from Varna and though there are year round flights, they're more limited in winter,

I hope it all works out beautifully for you.

Edited to add - I just saw the question about property transfer. Yes, I did pay-monthly and completed payments on the first house last September. Unless you set up a power of attorney for them to do it all for you, you need to allow a few days for getting everything set up - the company formation etc, which I went to Veliko Tarnovo for. A lovely city and no hardship to spend a few days there! Then the notary transfer happened a few days later in a different town, nearest the house.

I bought the second house right before the transfer of ownership of the first one, with the idea I'd stay in it while I was in Bg to do up the older house, a real cheapie which isn't liveable. But despite a couple of surprises, the second house is actually far more suitable for what we need and my neighbours are lovely. I trust Bg Direct enough that I've so far spent about 10k extra on the house even though I don't officially own it yet and am still paying it off on pay monthly!

That is really positive and reassuring to hear! I just want to get out there now! Thank you for saying that about the front of the house, it's nice to hear a second opinion. Did they post the keys out to you when they returned the signed contract or did you go to their offices to collect?

I hope that there aren't too many surprises in the house. I'm a keen decorator but not sure how many refurb jobs I could do alone. I'd guess none. Hopefully the neighbours will be kind enough to recommend reliable tradesmen! I think a new bathroom will be needed for sure and a fence that spans the entire property.

I didn't go to see mine until the actual trip to transfer ownership. I intended to go sooner but Covid and the travel restrictions hit right after I signed the contract. So getting the keys for both houses and and seeing the houses for the first time happened just a few days before the notary transfer for the first house. As I needed to go to  their main office in Veliko Tarnovo for the company set-up (essential for a non-EU citizen to buy a property with land) I could have collected the keys, but there was a mix-up and one set was couriered to me, the other was given to me by someone local they arranged to take me to the house.

As VT is a fair way from Lovech, you could ask to have the keys couriered to you in the UK along with the signed contract, I think.

Good neighbours make a big difference! Try to get to meet them as soon as you can. That house looks as if it may not have close neighbours as it's on the outskirts of the village, so if there are no neighbours to ask about reliable tradespeople, you could try asking at the mayor's office. The roof guys my neighbour recommended were way too expensive for me,  museum quality work, but one of the admin staff at the mayor's office suggested some different guys who did a great job for a lower price. Not museum quality, but the roof no longer leaks and the chimneys won't fall down!

My main house was only £9,000 so I would expect yours should need far less work doing. I'm a keen DIYer but some things need a professional for sure!  So far I've had the roof replaced and the three chimneys rebuilt, the back part of the house rewired (it was a DIY bodge job by previous owners) and the bathroom is currently being done because what was there was extremely basic and not really usable. But redecorating, kitchen cupboards, any stuff I can do myself, I will do.

Older village residents probably won't speak English and may not use smartphones for Google Translate, but the kids all learn it at school and many younger people speak at least some English. When we got stuck trying to understand each other using Google Translate at the mayor's office, one of the staff called her nine-year-old son in to help. His English was excellent!

I hope your place is a good house, in a lovely village, with helpful and welcoming neighbours!

Wow, so you took quite a risk initially with Bulgaria Direct then? It sounds like you've put a lot into it and it's working out well for you over there 🙂

I think BD should be happy to courier the keys over to the UK. Thanks for the advice regarding the Mayor's office. It doesn't seem as remote as other villages that I had previously looked at but it says it's overlooking the village, so certainly a little out of the way. It will be nice not to hear my neighbours sneeze in all honesty!

I'm hoping that a bathroom won't be too expensive but I won't really know what to expect until I get over there. I'll keep you posted with how it goes and PM you if you don't mind?

Totally okay to PM me!

I knew someone who'd bought from BgDirect, and they've been around a while, so it didn't feel that risky. Plus the first house was "only" £4,000. Okay, still a big chunk of money but not so much in real estate terms.

Just for an idea of cost, my bathroom was a black hole with a dirt floor and no window. It did have a flush toilet (that leaked) and some basic water pipes. The cost to get a window put in, a cement floor laid and tiled, walls replastered and painted, a ceiling, a tiled shower and a hand basin installed, a new hot water system, and the toilet replaced, came to 4200 leva, including all materials and labour. I haven't seen it yet, so I might be disappointed. But he did my neighbours' bathroom and seemed to know what he was doing, so it should be of good standard.

Wow that's amazing! It's great to hear what sort of price I'd be looking at. I'm not sure if you've mentioned it but have you managed to get a long-stay visa or residency? Or are you travelling back after 90 days?

I'm only staying a week or two at a time because of things I can't leave too long in the UK. I'm getting close to retiring age so once I get my pension I'll apply for the D visa. I had a few missed opportunities to get in under the old rules but unfortunately Covid lockdowns and then a sick hubby stopped me going for it. 😭

Ah, I'm sorry to hear about things with your husband Jane. Hopefully your dream of living there will be realised soon.

I'm 36 so a long way off yet but, I have a business here and I'm hoping that I may be able to apply for long term residency as the children get older.

I'll message you in a couple of weeks when I see the house! I have so many things to sort out. Pet passports, where to buy beds etc over there. I know there's Ikea but it's all flat packed so I'm not sure how I'll get on with that. Sort of hoping there's an Argos equivalent Car hire seems cheap. I also need to work out the ratio of time spent out there and time here.

I've travelled quiet a bit but this seems different...to actually have my own base in a beautiful country

It's a big change!

Praktiker is a good store for building materials that has some furniture, and emag is a useful online store for all sorts of household stuff. And Lovech is a big town and should have a lot of shops.

I have residency card and my passport runs out in 2030 am I ok for now.

    @Grimsby girl
Hi,
Unfortunately its wishful thinking it no longer grants any EU benefits.
Also be aware that Bulgaria strictly enforces the 10 years validity from date of issue rule, just in case you have any extra months added from your previous passport.
   

    -@grahamstark1

Just to be clear it's an EU ruling and EVERY EU country follows it. You will not be even allowed to board a flight or ferry from the UK.

The UK press was full of stories about people being denied entry to mainland Europe.

@kaththomas700

You only need to have 6 months on your passport after you leave the EU  not before you go..  but not sure for you because you have the residence permit .. sounds like a email to bg embassy London as they will give you the real answer ..

Phil

    @kaththomas700
You only need to have 6 months on your passport after you leave the EU  not before you go..  but not sure for you because you have the residence permit .. sounds like a email to bg embassy London as they will give you the real answer ..
Phil
   

    -@philip Mckay

If you hold a residency permit you don't need 6 months on your passport to go to the UK or back to the country of EU residence country.

Can I just check regarding the 90 days in 180 rule.

Jan-June next year is 182

July-Dec is 184

So, for these purposes, call both periods 180.

Could I spread my first 90 days from Jan -Jun then re-enter in July to begin my next 90/180 days OR do they require a 3 month break from re-entering?

Thanks in advance x

    Can I just check regarding the 90 days in 180 rule.
Jan-June next year is 182

July-Dec is 184

So, for these purposes, call both periods 180.

Could I spread my first 90 days from Jan -Jun then re-enter in July to begin my next 90/180 days OR do they require a 3 month break from re-entering?

Thanks in advance x
   

    -@Grimsby girl

Follow this https://ec.europa.eu/assets/home/visa-calculator/calculator.htm?lang=en

And you can't go wrong!

@SimCityAT

Thank you for this! Very useful! Because I come and go a lot, the border police look at my passport very closely now. I know for sure I'm not overstaying as I've never been there longer than two weeks in any month, but I can see them going through each page and adding it up!

@grimsbygirl

I am pretty sure it works on 90 days in the preceding 180, rather than the clock starting on a set date. AFAIK, the 180 days starts from when you enter the EU country. But if I understand correctly, you couldn't go for 7 days, come back for 90, stay 83, and then try to stay another 90 because a new 180 should have started. In that case the new 180 would most likely start at the start of the 83 days, so the most you could stay is another week. I could have that wrong, but I don't think there's any way to stay longer than 90 days in one go because they'd count the preceding 180 days.

I want to say rude things about Brexit and anyone who voted for it, but I know we're supposed to stay apolitical here, so I won't!

I would be joining you with a few choice words about Brexit Jane 😬

I'll have to look at the calculator properly on my desktop as it keeps going kicking me off but thank you for sending the link over @simcityAT.

I think, to be on the safe side, I'll do it in 3 month blocks such as December - Feb then June-August. Hopefully from 2025 I should be able to apply for a D visa but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

[Post under review]

    I would be joining you with a few choice words about Brexit Jane 😬
I'll have to look at the calculator properly on my desktop as it keeps going kicking me off but thank you for sending the link over @simcityAT.

I think, to be on the safe side, I'll do it in 3 month blocks such as December - Feb then June-August. Hopefully from 2025 I should be able to apply for a D visa but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
   

    -@Grimsby girl

I have to praise you for asking all the right questions and doing your homework. I only wished more were like you.

Although you have 90 days, do give yourself room so take off 2 days each way.

@Grimsby girl

A s long as you have not had more that 90 days when you leave Bulgaria on any trip you have you will be ok

travel days count as days in in the EU,   i travel to Philipinnes each year and travel days are not counted  so different countries different rules

Hello everyone,

It came to our attention that some messages/information might not be accurate. Could anyone please provide an official link/source to information ?

We would strongly advise the OP to confirm with authorities and not rely only on the forum.

Regards

Bhavna

@Bhavna

Frequent Asked Question on the Schengen visa ... https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/defaul … aqs_en.pdf

@Bhavna

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advic … quirements

@grahamstark1

Thank you so much ! It is very much appreciated.

Thanks everyone for contributing and helping me x