New members of the Bulgaria forum, introduce yourselves here - 2020

In the Sunny Beach St Vlas Area yo should look up Ben Collins Collins Estates.

I have sent you an email at your place of work please can you reply as I really need help

Hello all,
My wife and I are retired in North Carolina USA and considering a move to Bulgaria...probably Sofia area. We will not work in Bulgaria.
For any of you in retirement from USA, can you please tell us if Bulgaria will tax our USA Social Security income? Also equally important, we need to connect with health insurance companies inside Bulgaria ( we have already received quotes form the expensive international insurers like Bupa, Cigna, Axa, Allianz. We hope to connect with those of you who have actually used the healthcare system in Sofia. This feedback would be GREATLY appreciated and determine our next step.

Not as bad as you think!

1.  Yes you will pay American taxes based on your income earned from SS, or other means.   You will also pay 10% Bulgarian tax however USA will credit it to your tax bill.    It is unwise as an Expat to try to play any games as one of the focus points is foreign income.   I receive SS income, Pension income and income from my Hotel in Bg.  There is no escape from the US taxes.   

2.  The cost of living is 30% of what it is in USA so on my SS I live very well.  My other income is a bonus. 

3.  As for Health Insurance I received a mandatory Residence policy for 415 lev  for the entire year which will cover E30,000 in expenses.   As an example my wife had a Hernia operation.  The entire cost was $65.  ----100Lev.  That is the hospital, the operation, the doctor, the anesthesia etc. 

4.  If you have visited you will know how beautiful this country is.   Many speak English and many are very friendly. 

5.  I will be happy to assist you in any way I can.

And a word of advice.   You must be very careful in any dealings for purchases of real estate and consult not only Expats for advice but obtain an Attorney and do everything through a Notary. 

This site gives a lot of advice on how to avoid any scams targeted to Expats.  Read, Study and create a network of many friends please.

Many seek the idealistic dream of a rural location.  In villages many do not speak english.  I have purchased a rural home at a substantial discount knowing that I might be the only buyer.   so be very cautious.  I love the rural property and home.   I looked for over three years for the right property. 

I have a Summer Villa in St. Vlas and a separate home in Boryana-Sofia.  and a  Log Cabin outside of Borovitz.  I own all of these for what I sold my primary residence in USA for.  Taxes here for property are very low.

Many thanks for your replies and advice...
We were truly impressed with the ski resort areas just south of Sofia...we have not been there...just saw youtubes in 4K video.....for this reason and health care facilities, we would likely settle in Sofia area. Black Sea coast is nice but we are just not "beach" people.
Can you put us in touch with tax specialist in Bulgaria who is familiar with USA and Bulgarian tax law?
Also, how might I contact the health insurance agency you mentioned?

Hello,

My wife and I are from Kansas City, Missouri and we also are considering relocating to BG. I would appreciate you sharing any information of private health insurance providers in BG outside of the national health plan. BG tax on income is 10%. And, as you have learned, the US will tax your SS income and 401(jk) withdrawals, too. The tax bracket depends on your income level, just like in the US. For a good estimate of the cost of living, go to Numbeo and enter the relevant cities. Numbeo is accurate within 18 months.

Hello DrDuanne,

I have just completed lots of research on the taxation of American expats in various countries.
My wife and I are retired and do not work. SS is our only income. As such, USA IRS does not tax that income. I have been frequently referred by a tax specialist to an international treaty known as Totalization. If we dont work, we dont get taxed.
Signers of this treaty have agreed not to double tax the expat. Social Security is considered by USA IRS as government pension which is paid in the country where it was earned...as opposed to private pensions which are paid in the country of residence. but some countries have recently decided to ignore that Treaty and taxed the Social Security benefits of USA expats who have re located to their country....shocking prime example is Portugal (effective April 1, 2020) they dropped the popular NHR tax program so now all previously protected USA SS income is now taxed at 10%. what a RIP..
What have you found out about this topic?
Michael Waggoner

Good understanding.   Happy to assist.  I have  been an Expat since 2013 and received my second PhD from UHKB-University of Hard Knocks-Bulgaria.   My first was from University of Pa.  I actually learned more from UHKB.  I now enjoy teaching a few courses at American University to keep current.

Bulgaria is a Rose bush in forever bloom with many thorns that will prickle you but will not kill you. 

Make as many contacts on this site as you can and gain as much wisdom as you can and NEVER enter a contract without both an Attorney and a Notary.  Investigate before you invest!  The Immigration officer at my final permanent resident visa said "Do not believe, anything, Do not trust anyone.  It is different here. "   He was right and I heeded those words and made a good success.

Having said that I love Bg. and have made a huge financial success after a few early thorns.

Michael,
Thanks for the reply and clarification as to the US taxation of expats. I have not had a conversation with a tax specialist, yet. I have been trying to garner information from US expats in BG Your information is encouraging as we will only have my SS and state employee retirement pension to live on. Given that SS is not taxed by the US, we will be in better shape and the relocation to BG looks more promising. Apartments for rent in Sofia are more expensive than other cities, but still very affordable.

I have research healthcare and private insurance and have found that the private insurance is very affordable and it offers good coverage. Because I have a number of common prescription medications, I have sought information on that, too, and learned that the cost is very low and you can get the Rx filled online.  I can give you that information if you like.

For sure, you need to visit BG at least once, if not four times, and at different times of the year, before you make the decision and transition.

Finally, I have an acquaintance who moved from the US to Sofia about eight months ago. She is a wealth of information. She worked through a BG attorney to get all of the paperwork done and reported that the cost was reasonable and worth it. When we were considering Spain as a locale, another acquaintance and long time expat reported that same thing in dealing with that bureaucracy. If you would like to chat with my BG acquaintance, let m know and I will contact her

Duane

Hello Duane....very kind of you, sir, to offer to share info about transitioning to BG.
Lets continue the conversation thru private email rather than take up all this space on the Expat website. You can email me at david.michael.waggoner@gmail.com ...by the way, my wife and I lived in KCMO in 1986..sure hope you plan to bring some BBQ with you to BG...including beans with burnt ends. Is Arthur Bryant still there?

Hi Michael,

Good idea on the private email. Yes, Arthur Bryant is still in KCMO.  I hope I will be able to get a grill and a smoker when in BG!

Talk to you soon.

Duane

10-4....see you on private email.

Dr John....please tell me how to insert my photo on the Expat messenger trail..as you have done with yours.
Michael Waggoner

Hi. I'm planning to move to Burgas by June next year to be with my boyfriend. We already have a house but I'm worried about jobs. The other concern I have is being able to learn the language. So if anyone can help I would really appreciate that? Thanks.🙂

Jobs and learning the language are the two toughest items in Bulgaria.  I have hired a tutor for the winter for one hour a day/five days a week.   It is a very difficult language to learn however well worth learning to gain the respect you will need.  If my tutor works out I will post the name.  There are a number of videos on Utube--learn Bulgarian. 

As for jobs, skills are what is needed as the average wage is some 700 lev per month for common jobs.  If you have computer skills you have a plus.

Hi. I do have computer skills and I also have experience and certificate in Customer service. And yes please post the name and maybe email address of your tutor I do need it. Thanks.

Hi. I do have computer skills and I also have experience and certificate in Customer service. And yes please post the name and maybe email address of your tutor I do need it. Thanks.

Will post after I get a few lessons.   And with your computer and service skills there are a number of opportunities.

Thanks. 

Hi all
My name is Dave I'm currently in the UK and work in automotive product development I bought a house in the Burgass region of Bulgaria which I hoped to modernise this year but for obvious reasons I've only been able to get a few flying visits, I plan to semi retire there eventually and use the house as a base to tour from although if I could find a way to make a comfortable living there I would love to move there sooner
I hope to make lots of new friends both locals and expats 😎
Take care everyone and stay safe x
Kindest regards

Dave

Hello all
I've recently being living in the Philippines, but now have decided to move back to Europe as eventually would like a nice apartment overlooking the Black Sea.

Hello All!

I'm French and will be moving to Sofia for work. I've lived in the UK, China and Russia so Bulgaria will be yet again a new adventure for me. I'd love to meet with other expats, travellers and locals, go for drinks, food, talks, walks etc.
Basically I'd like to make new friends and get some advice on housing, bank account opening, sim cards etc.

If anyone's interested, hit me up !

Stay Safe

Hi there, I’m currently living in beautiful Burgas with my Bulgarian boyfriend. We worked on ships but since Covid started we had to relocate here. I’m interested in making friends and also to attend some interesting activities in Burgas. My base is in London but I can also speck Italian and French but I couldn’t learn Bulgarian 😑. If someone wants to practice some languages skills I’m happy to help.

Hi
I´m Poul and Danish. I´m currently living near Kosharitsa the last 3 years.
I´m a pensioner but still quite active and trying to set up a new company in BG (Winch Supply. Ltd).
I have given up to learn Bulgarian, but I still get around.
Nice to learn about other expats.
BR Poul

Hi everyone. I'm Caroline and I"m moving to Varna next Jan 2021. Hope to meet some of you soon!

Varna is a good choice. Especially between April and October.

Hi, we are a couple from the UK who have been travelling in our campervan for a few months (Covid has delayed our trip by 6+ months) and now we're faced with the pain in the bum that is Brexit. We have been locked down again in France for the last 7 weeks but hoping restrictions will be lifted on Tuesday so we can head east then.

We would like to find somewhere to rent initially with a view to buying later if we find the right place for us - but obviously timescales are going to be stupidly tight before the end of transition (if not completey unrealistic). We are looking for a rural furnished property in the mountains or not too far from the coast - we're not city folk and like space around us. We also have the small matter of a 6.5m long, 3.6m high campervan to accommodate with offroad parking.

If anyone knows of a suitable property for immediate long term rent, or any encouraging words for getting a rental agreement and residency permit in just a couple of weeks, please drop us a message!

After januari you cannot travel in the EU anymore as an British citizen due to Brexit an Covid-19. Hopefully you have an EU passport too.

This is possible, but since there are numerous different options, it is good to better define exactly what you're looking for and the respective budget.
If there are better specifications I think I can help.

Hi everyone,

I'm Christo, Bulgarian national, currently living in the Netherlands. I'm interested in participating in this forum to improve the experience of expats in Bulgaria. I will be visiting in approx. 10 days for 3 months because the pandemic has made WFH very easy, and I might be renting permanently in Bulgaria after that. Curious to meet new faces!

Regards

Hi,

I invite you to follow this topic on this new thread:
https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=915932

Thanks!