New members of the Bulgaria forum, introduce yourself here — 2017

Hi Julien

I am Lisa at the moment living in Hong Kong. We have been asked by my husband 's employer if we would consider moving to Sofia so we are taking info everywhere we can as we have never been before!

Can you share with me a few things about living in Sofia ? Life style? Is there loads of French families? or British families? How is the French Lycée ?

How long have you been in Sofia yourself?

Loads of question  I am so sorry .... I would be very grateful if you could take a few minute to respond to me ! many many thank sin advance,

Bets wishes,
Lisa

Hello Lisa,

Welcome to Expat.com

Please note that Julien is the founder of Expat.com. This thread was created for the presentation of new members of the Bulgaria forum.

I advise you to have a look at the Living in Bulgaria guide, it may come in handy. The Sofia forum may also be helpful and provide you with some answers. If needed feel free to create a new thread and ask your questions.

Good luck 

Christopher
Expat.com

Ok Thank You !

Hello Lisa,

Probably I will be able to better answer some of your questions, though there is a lot of information about these topics and you can search this blog yourself.

To start with - yes, there are lots of french families, and also french singles. Especially since the call centers decided to open branches in Bulgaria.

British families - too.

The french school in Sofia is o.k. They do not follow the Bulgarian educational system however, so kids there probably will not receive Bulgarian Diploma.

Sofia is a good place to live. Once you get used to it of course. But it always depends on what you mean by this.

If you have additional specific questions I will try to answer, and untill then - please search the blog topics - lots of useful info.

Regs,

Kristiann

Thanks so much Kristiann for your reply!
My husband company has withdraw he offer for Sofia, so we will not be coming to Bulgaria...
Best wishes,
Lisa

Hi

I am Sofie, Belgian, with 2 kids and a French husband. We are currently living in Torreon Mexico and visiting Rousse Bulgaria in order to discover and decide if we want to move there or not. (Expatriate contract through my husband 's job).
I have a business in Torreon and I sell French and not so French pastry. I will be looking around how I can keep my business going in Rousse, if there is a chance that I can open a café. Apart from that just general information about life would be welcome. (School, activities, holidays and traditions...)

I hope to find out a bit more ☺

Cdt

Sofie

Hello Sofie,

And welcome to the forum. I realy like the idea with the pastry and the cafe ... if you open it in Rousse, then I will visit it to try your pastry when I'm coming to the city.

Or if you are travelling to Sofia, then I can direct you to a similar place - a cafe that sells macaroni.

Kristiann

Hi Everyone!

My name is John. I am from Orlando, Florida in the United States. I am recently retired and had been planning to relocate somewhere in Eastern Europe for some
time now. After much research and speaking with good friends who had visited Sofia in Bulgaria, along with cities in Romania and Hungary, I decided with their help on Bulgaria. Once that was decided I found that Blagoevgrad seemed a perfect fit; close to Sofia for medical, shopping, etc, but far enough away to feel less hectic and more accessible, yet large enough to have most anything one needed. I am very adaptable, love mountains, and look forward to having real seasons again. I have looked at pictures, videos, google street views and live cams of several cities and feel good about everything I've seen thus far. My biggest fear is the huge amount of legal paperwork and bureaucracy to wade through to attain long term residency visas. I also look forward to exploring whatever information I can find here on the site and sharing plans and information about Bulgaria in general. Thanks.
Cheers, John

Dear all,

my name is Gianluca and I am a new member.
I'm living in Plovdiv since September 2016, and I am here for working reasons.
In this period I am thinking to transfer my family here in Bulgaria, but before taking the final decision I would like to meet Italians that are living in Plovdiv, in order to share experiences and suggestions for a nice living here.
Please someone could tell me if there are some places in Plovdiv where the Italian community organizes social events?
Many thanks in advance!
Gianluca

Hi there,

Probably  you can check with some Italian restaurant in Plovdiv ?  This is a common practice with the expats.

Hi John,

Blagoevgrad is a good choice, though not my favourite. As for the paperwork, you can still find the easy way of doing everything - probably setting up a company here, or being sent by a company will facilitate everything from the very beginning.
In all cases - hire s.o. who's beeing doing this to make it fast and painless.
)

For all the other questions that you might have - ask here, we'll try to answer.

Kristiann

Hi Everyone,

My name is Aaron and I'm an Irish lad who has moved to Varna Bulgaria with my wife. I run a 3D printing small batch  manufacturering process here in bulgaria as well as manufacturer small desktop 3D printers for new users.

I am fairly active and interested in Rugby, Tennis, Wake Boarding and generally any outdoor activities but haven't been to active lately so trying to get back into shape.

Haven't seen any other Irish but to be honest I would be extremely happy to find or meet all and any expats here in Varna who are active, fun and likes to grab a pint or two.

If anyone knows of any Expat sporting clubs or any social events then please let me know.

Cheers,
Aaron

Hello Everybody,

My name is Joanne and I come from Ireland (Hi Arron from Ireland). I am currently in Bulgaria to check out a few places to live, I am here with my husband (who is Dutch) and we are both in our 40's. I am in Bansko at present and next stop will be Veliko Tarnovo, we want to rent in a few different places across Bulgaria and get a feel for each place before making any rash decisions. The only areas which are of no interest to us are the North West of Bulgaria and Sunny Beach.

We are looking for somewhere in the countryside but not too far from a town or city for recreational purposes.

I would love to hear from other expats about where they have settled, how they are getting on, any regrets? Any tips?

Thanks everyone,
Joanne

Hi, thought I would just say - don't forget the Southern areas of Bulgaria. Personally, we wanted to stay away from the expat areas (no -offense to those in the VT area   )  I guess we wanted more of a challenge in incorporating ourselves in the Bulgarian way  - there is no Ikea here but we have Lidl and Kauffland etc.  We are about 35km away from the Greek border.  The help and support we get from the neighbours is amazing (especially as I have a 7 month baby).   I have never felt more at home.  Good luck with your dream.    Annie

Good

Hello,

Moving from Scotland to Sofia in September.  I've secured a job, will be going out to stay for 2 weeks in June (hotel) to tie up any loose ends, and to sort out formalities.

I'll be continuing working in the UK, hand in my resignation letter at the end of July, work my notice period (1 month) and fly out (one way, wooho!) at the end of August.

Although not required for the job, I don't speak Bulgarian, I can understand the alphabet (Russian friend I met in 2nd year of High School) and naively thought Bulgarian and Russian would be very similar!    I've a 'Teach Yourself' Bulgarian book and CD, as well as a (very expensive) book I found on ebay that I ended up throwing out, there was a typo, on the front cover?! [It read "A RACTICAL BULGARIAN GRAMMAR GUIDE"] So I'm not sure how reliable it would be lol.

Hi Shotlandiq,

Firstly, good for you! I'm assuming you have visited Bulgaria before? What line of work are you in?
Can I ask what part of Scotland? I'm interested as our 20 year old son moved from here to Scotland after meeting his girlfriend playing Xbox live! We are visiting him in June as he turns 21.

You appear to be young, and working alongside Bulgarians, you will pick up the lingo easily, it's the best way!
Късмет!

Hi Jules,

Yes I've been to Sofia before and loved it! I originally went with my sister as a holida.  We also rented a car and went to the Rila Monastery, but I'm not planning on becoming a monk lol.

I work in a hotel here in Scotland (reception and office work) and I'll be working in a similar role in a hotel in Sofia.

Oh how cool! What a reversal lol.  I live in West Lothian, it's about 20 minutes from central Edinburgh.  Where about does your son and his girlfriend live?

I would like to say (without appearing arrogant!) that I'm relatively good at languages. I studied French and Spanish at school, and it's just pure luck that I made friends with a Russian, to be able to pick up the alphabet! (We used to text and message each other, in English, only using Cyrillic so no one else could understand! lol

The only thing I'm having a problem with at the moment is ьъв. But I'm sure it will come, with practice. :-)

Thanks for replying!

Hi again,

It sounds as though you have it all sorted, that's brilliant, and what an adventure!! Given your aptitude for languages and working in the hospitality industry, you will soon be master of ьъ е в!

Our son and his girlfriend are living with her parents at the moment and are based in Tranent which I believe is East Lothian!  😊

HI Julien,

My name is Oliviero Martini and I work between Plovdiv and Italy. Together with other freelancers, we are setting up a pro network and service hub for arts and multimedia. If you guys are around Plovdiv, lmk and we can have a coffee or much more likely a beer.

Hi Oliver,

And welcome to the forum. I am living in Sofia, but also have to travel to Plovdiv regularly.

Kristiann

Ty Kristiann,

Dont be a stranger and when ur around contact me, ailiak

My name is Ray and I am A Texan who retired to Varna in March. I have been getting to know some other expat at Sundogs and hope to meet more locals and explore new places.

Could happen soon, I have to arrange sth. with a new client (by the way Italian) who lives in Plovdiv. Not exacly ailiak, but will find some time for a drink.

Hi, I am Deepak from India. Getting a job in Ruse, I will be there to sign the documents between 21st May to 24th May.
Company is paying for the rent. What should be the ideal salary package?
I will shift with my wife and a 6 year old son.
Any one from Ruse here in this forum, whom i can meet during these dates and talk more about it??
Regards - Deepak

Hi!
I am Yvonne from Jamaica,I am seriously thinking of retiring to Bulgaria.
I love the views and the wide open spaces.
I am wondering how  Bulgarians respond to persons of a deeper colour!
Looking forward to comments on this matter.
Thank you.
Vonnie,

Hi Vonnie,

And welcome to the forum. Bulgarians are not racists, so no problem with deeper colour.
By the way, better see it with your own eyes.

Hi Kris,

Thanks very much for the thumbs up.
I really  appreciate it.

This sort of thing has never bothered me before, since I am a person who likes to meet and greet everyone.

However I like living way out in the countryside, and would like to feel that my neighbours are comfortable around me.

I am  a retired  Environmental Health Consultant/ business owner,planning to buy a fixer upper with a large piece of land to farm my vineyard and produce my garden vegetables.

If you know an estate agent who will hold my hands through the paperwork proceedings ,kindly send me the link.

Keep up the good work.

Best Regards

Vonnie.

Hi Vonnie,

I moved to Varna in March and Bulgarian Properties was great, and have offices in several cities. Their staff speaks English and will translate the contracts for you. That said there are a lot more real estate companies who may have that special property. Search on the word "Imoti".  I recommend having a translator available if the agents do not speak good English. Some did not return my calls or emails and I think the language barrier had a lot to do with it..


I have heard lots of tales from expats at Sundogs about buying village property and then finding out they did not like the village life. Break-ins at vacant properties seem to happen to everyone eventually, and it can sometimes take years to sell a property, if you change your mind.

This is second hand information, but I recommend being cautious and renting for a while in a city and exploring the countryside to find a spot you like.

I am a career health physicist with some general EHS experience, so if you are ever in Varna please look me up.

Ray

Hi Vonnie,

You can find excellent proerties in Bulgaria - this country perfectly suits for growing vegetables and vineeyard.
However, each region of the country has its own specifics in terms of climate antd you have to consider this before buying property. For examle, the mountain regions are with a generally colder climate and not so good for growing vegetables. Producing grapes on the other hand, requires lots of sunny days to help building up of sufficient shugar levels. Also different types of grapes are grown in different regions of the country, this is also sth. to consider.
Real estate agents normally work in certain regions, though there are some operationg countrywide. I can direct you to a good estate agents mostly in the eastern parts of the country and close to the seaside. Not shure if I can trust s.o. for the Northern part.
So my adwise is first to try selecting a region form the country, then visit the place and probably live there for at least one week and also visit some other regions too, and after that to decide where to buy and what.

By the way, it will be good if you post a separate topic on your property search, cos this one is just for introducing yourself.

Kris

Thanks  Kris.
Point taken.
Best regards
Vonnie

Hi everyone. I'm new here. I live in Varna, and I love the city and the people.

Hi Julien and everyone,

Deirdre and I are from Tasmania (Australia) and following our recent retirements (Dee was an aged-care worker, and I was a college psychology teacher) we purchased a small house in Srednya (a little village near Shumen) in August last year. The villagers are ever so friendly and helpful, and although we don't yet speak Bulgarian competently  -  and we haven't found any of them who speak English  -  we still manage to communicate one way or another.  We certainly like the easier-paced lifestyle here, and are having a great time exploring and learning about the geography and history of this fascinating country.  We love travelling (mostly by car) and we are looking forward to visiting many of the neighbouring counties as well.

Although we are definitely not 'social butterflies', we do enjoy meeting and talking with other travellers and locals over a wine (or brandy) or two, and are hoping that we might make some new acquaintances through this site.

Cheers,

Steve & Deirdre

Well are now looking at Bulgaria after a change of plans from relocating to France. Currently in the research stages but as we are in the closing stages now of the sale of our UK property time is getting a little short. So we need to find a rental so we can spend time looking for the place to buy.

We are looking at the coastal region in the South East, Yambol and Burgas, and area but not right on the coast for the climate. Hopefully we will be in Bulgaria for a sort of extended holiday  next month.

morning Julian and everyone reading

my name is Del, in west Yorkshire England...looking to buy myself a little home over in rural Bulgaria to enjoy for summer holidays with an eventual retirement over there in about 5 years.

i am at the point now of making plans to try and come over in September for my FIRST EVER visit. i know i know..never been somewhere and planning to move there??!!...what can i say? I long for a quieter, slower, warmer, more traditional existence, with 'proper' seasons, the ability to afford a place with a garden big enough to grow a few fruit and veggies and keep more chickens! so, Septemberish, i hope to see some of the areas, meet some ex-pats who made the move and learn from them / you and get to know each other, take in some houses to view, maybe meet some builders along the way?

im looking to tap into and learn from you all - from the very basic stuff, to advice on areas, legalities, language, pointing me towards potential houses.

currently im drawn towards VT, Pavlikeni and the south near the Greek border. i have a small budget in place, and hope to find a house with decent garden, not a wreck, not multiple owners that will make the buying complicated. if its renovated that would be fabulous, but im not averse to organising some works myself...but it does have to be habitable whilst we come and use for holidays and arrange further work to it as time goes on.

looking forward to getting to know you all and listen to your guidance!

That's cool.

Would be cool to talk to some foreigners currently living in Bulgaria, or Varna.

Hi All,

New to the forum.  I'm an American expat who's been living / working abroad for four years now teaching English.  I'm looking to make some roots somewhere and have heard great things about Bulgaria.  I'd like to have a base / holiday home outside of the country I'm working in (but a short flight to it) that will eventually turn into a retirement home as years go on.  I'm interested in southern Bulgaria because of it's scenery, mountains, milder climate, sunny days and longer growing season and because I hope to be able to grow citrus:).  I'd like to eventually be self sustainable to a certain extent with fruit and veg, so a bit of land is necessary.  Additionally, I need to be close to public transport / train.  Anyway, those are some things on my very long wish list.  I'm interested in the arts and cultural activities, maybe people can share where some artists communities are?  I'm an adventurous person who's ready to delve into a new culture and language and to start another chapter in my life.

Cheers!

Hi, my name is Ginny and I live my two teenagers in the United States. We will be coming to Bulgaria on a Fulbright in the spring. I'm looking forward to learning more.