Health Cover

I have used a good one, she speaks perfect English and can give you good advice. If you want her number please message me,

To join the health system you need to have a residencia but once you have that, you pay 26lvs a month into the system each.........so if you buy yourselves a years health insurance on a monthly pay system, then you can cancel it after getting your residency card..........and join the bulgarian health system...
Thats if they do health insurance on a monthly plan of course...ive never had to do it, but its what i did with the car insurance to get it over here...naughty but needs must...

Hallo Paul Gillian were looking do same but you have get id card before you can get a resident permit don't if new that we have had our place over there since last year but carnt get because of covid boarders are still closed as far  awere of and looking for medical insurance as well many thanks Paul & Gillian

We applied for Bulstradlife

Do you mean a I'd card in Bulgaria

Were are they based Bulgaria thaks

How do we apply for Bulgarian I'd card thankyou

Hi. How did you go ? Were you able to get the Health Insurance you needed? Also, you'll be most welcome to visit us when you get to Bulgaria. Just message me for the info.

Greetings Melanie...

I have just posted on another topic the info for Brits looking to apply for a BG Residence Permit, so I've copied it below for you.

As to medical insurance, there are several different types of cover. There is something called "Medical Insurance for Foreigners", and it's cheap (about 80 euros). This is what you need for any official application which specifies that you need proof of health insurance. You can walk into any insurance office and get this in about 10 minutes. It satisfies the bureaucrats, but obviously isn't really a terribly useful insurance. :-)

Like other countries, you can also buy a proper private health insurance policy. As you know, these get very expensive as you get older, so 60+ (for your husband) will be pricey. However, it is much cheaper in Bulgaria than in UK or Spain, for example. I was quoted 300 euros here, while my Spanish one was quoted at 1100 euros.

Finally, as you note, you can also (once you have your residence permit) pay into the Bulgarian social security system.

Once I got my residence permit, I discovered I had to visit the social security office to "activate" me/my number (from my ID card) in the system. Once activated, you can make contributions as an employee (if you get a job, or setup a company and hire yourself), self-employed, or unemployed.

Self-employed is a minimum of about 60 euros per month... while unemployed is only 13 euros per month.

Once I'd paid some months, the system showed me as being part of health system... and I was able to go to DSK bank and fill in their form (they administrate this, for some reason) to get my Bulgarian EHIC card. So I can use this when travelling in the EU. Here they issue it only for 12 months, so you have to repeat annually.

I believe there is another step required to get the domestic card to show that I am entitled to treatment here, but I haven't yet figured this out, sorry. Mostly out of laziness, I admit... but also because I've found that private treatment is very cheap.

I have gone to duty doctor at Pulmed (my local private hospital) several times for minor issues, and a consult is 25 leva. When I'm very lazy... I've just wandered over to the Emergency Ward (not busy at Pulmed) and chatted to the Emergency Doc. This costs a bit more, but still less than 50 leva. Last time, he gave me a bunch of tests (blood pressure, blood analysis, ultrasound, EKG) and it was still only 120 leva.

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GETTING A BG RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR UK (or other non-EU) CITIZENS

The UK is no longer a member of the EU, so getting residence is a little trickier than before.

So...

(a) Perhaps you don't need a residence permit? I believe UK citizens can stay in Bulgaria for up to 3 months in any 6 months, without any visa or residence permit. You can buy a Health Insurance for Foreigners policy here for less than 100 euros. If you're still living/working in UK, and you just want to enjoy the summer here, for example, this might be fine.

(b) If you want to live here most/all the time, then you do need a residence permit, and the first step is to apply for a D Visa. Then once you have that you can apply for the residence permit. (Visa can be applied for at any Embassy/Country, but residence can only be applied for here in Bulgaria.) This process is much easier if you are retirees with a pension (this is one of the grounds for granting the D Visa). Otherwise, it's tricky again... and I think the usual option is to go for Foreign Trade Representative.

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Here's some official info, I've copied:

RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR FOREIGN (NON-EU) NATIONALS
All foreign nationals who would like to obtain Bulgarian residence must first apply for a long-term D visa in the nearest Bulgarian embassy or general consulate. There are 5 primary instances for which a D visa is granted:

1. Registration of a Trade Representative Office of a foreign company in Bulgaria;
2. Registration of a Bulgarian limited company employing at least 10 local citizens for no fewer than 6 months;
3. Investment in real-estate property – 312,000 €; You may learn more how to buy a real-estate in Bulgaria;
4. Non-EU citizens who are pensioners and have sufficient funds & accommodation to support their stay in Bulgaria;
5. Family reunification in Bulgaria;
6. Bulgarian residence for European citizens;
7. Bulgarian passport by investment.

Our experience shows that the most convenient and affordable way for a foreign national to obtain a Bulgarian D visa and Bulgarian residence permit is by way of registering a foreign company’s trade representative office in Bulgaria. Registering a trade representative office with our law firm, we will not charge you maintenance or annual fees for the registered office address of your trade representative office.

FOR RETIREES
Non-EU citizens who are retired in their home country can apply for a Bulgarian Pensioner D visa and temporary residence permit. The required documents are published in Art. 24, sec. 11, para. 10 of the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act.

Documents required for a non-EU Pensioner to obtain a long-term Pensioner D visa:

- Standard Visa Application form
- Two passport-size photographs
- Passport
- Document, showing that they are entitled to a retirement income, issued by the country of origin and legalised with a notary public
- Document from a bank in Bulgaria certifying that the applicant has a valid bank account to which regular transfers of his/her pension will be made
- Evidence of accommodation and address in Bulgaria
- Medical Insurance
- Police clearance certificate/ CBR check

The set of documents for a long-term Pensioner D visa is submitted in person in the nearest Bulgarian embassy or consulate. After the Pensioner D visa is approved, the foreign national can apply for a residence permit. The residence permit for retired people is granted for a period of up to 12 months and it can be renewed annually.

Brilliant info, thanks! We are slowly working our way through the endless paperwork but it’s going to be so worth it!!

@Sailingdom hi iam looking to get insurance coverage for Bulgaria. I plan to move next year.

I would appreciate any contact details you can provide.

Thank you

Taalia

@Sailingdom  hi would appreciate the contact details for a good health insurance contact.

Iam planning to move next year.

Does the health insurance coverage have to start prior to entering the country as part of the initial visa application to enter the country.

Thank you

Taalia

@Taaliak

This is 24ins.bg an online brokerage in Bulgaria.

It's a standard policy for foreigners, in order to meet immigration requirements for visa/residence. So you can get this type of policy from almost any broker.

This link has information on the policy and what it covers, and it has a price calculator based on your age, and the length of coverage. (I'd suggest a year, to be safe, but you might get away with 6 months, the length of the D visa. I'd guess the price for 12 months isn't much more than 6.) Typically, it's less than 100 euros, but it does (as you'd expect) get more expensive if you're older.

https://24ins.bg/en/foreigners-in-bulgaria