Moving to Bulgaria

@mmctaggart

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

The problem is that the investor type options (for those with money) is 300k euros plus, a bit more than your stash. Below this amount, you'd probably need to qualify either as a retiree (if you take your pension) or as a TRO (Trade Representative Office).

It seems that in 6 years you'd be able to qualify as a pensioner. The TRO (if you incorporate a UK company) might get you residence in 2 years.

In the meantime, nothing stops you from acquiring a property, and spending up to 90 in 180 days here, visa free (i.e. just under 6 months a year, in 2 or more visits).

More generally, the minimum wage here is about 500 euros per month. If you have 200k in savings, a home in Bulgaria, and pension income you'd be able to live very comfortably. But there's no class of D visa for those of "independent means" as there is in some other countries... it's either investor, or pensioner, or TRO.

Thank you for your quick reply, so if I took my pension early then D visa would not be a problem.

@mmctaggart

Indeed. Private and state pensions are OK, and there's no minimum age specified.

Hi gwyni

Thank you for your reply, I take my pension early D visa not a problem, can my wife and son join me on this visa, she will not be retired, basically give up work and place my son in school. Pension would be enough for both of us. Or would she have to show her own income???

My understanding is that once you have residency, you apply for D visas for them under family reunification. I don't think there's any extra income requirement. That's how we intend to do it once I'm getting my pension.

Hopefully someone with more knowledge can confirm or clarify!