Routes
Residency options
Bulgarian residency routes:
- Employment-based residence
- Business / self-employment routes
- Retirement / pensioner residency
- Family reunification
- EU citizen-derivative routes
Permanent residence typically after 5 years.
Country
EuropeEU memberSchengen
Bulgaria
Bulgaria is an EU member state with competitive corporate tax, structured residency routes, and a well-developed digital infrastructure. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Bulgarian partners for filings.
FoundersEU accessCost of living
Currency
BGN / EUR transition
Language
Bulgarian
Time zone
UTC+2
EU access
EU member state.
Currency
Lev (currency board to EUR). Euro adoption in progress.
Tax
Competitive flat corporate-tax rate.
Company
Company setup
OOD (LLC) and EOOD (single-shareholder LLC) are common structures. Formation is well-documented. Corporate tax is at a flat rate; VAT registration depends on activity.
Banking
Banking
Personal and corporate banking for residents is broadly accessible. Source-of-funds documentation matters for non-standard cases. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions.
Family
Family relocation
Family reunification is supported. Schools (public, private, English, German, French) are concentrated in Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna.
Documents
Documents you may need
Typical Bulgarian residency documents:
- Passport
- Criminal record certificate
- Proof of address
- Basis for residence (employment, business, etc.)
- Health insurance
- Family certificates
Apostilled and translated to Bulgarian.
Risks
Risks we watch for
Risks Bordercase watches for in Bulgaria:
- Tax residency triggers
- VAT classification on cross-border services
- Processing variations between regions
- Euro adoption is in progress - operational planning needed
Document readiness
Tick the documents you already have.
0/12 total · 0/8 required
Ticks are saved locally on this device. They never leave your browser.
Services we coordinate in Bulgaria
What Bordercase helps with here.
Every case combines several of these. Tell us your situation in the assessment and we will scope what fits.
Relocation Planning
A clear plan to leave, arrive, and land - without losing what you have built.
Learn more →Residency Route Assessment
Stop guessing which visa route fits. See the realistic options across every country that could work.
Learn more →Company Setup
Set up the right entity in the right jurisdiction - banked, compliant, and built to last.
Learn more →Company Management
Keep your foreign company alive, renewed, and compliant - without losing weekends chasing partners.
Learn more →Banking Solutions
Open the bank account you actually need - not the one a forum told you to try.
Learn more →Family Relocation
Move the family together - schools confirmed, insurance in place, life ready to start.
Learn more →Partner Lawyer Coordination
Reach the right licensed adviser the first time - and never lose the thread.
Learn more →Global Citizenship Planning
A second base - and, eventually, a second passport - planned with patience, not promises.
Learn more →Notes
Recent notes about Bulgaria
- · Banking
Bulgarian banking for new residents in 2026: personal and corporate
Bulgarian banking is solid, EU-licensed, and accessible to residents. Cross-border movers should know what each side - personal and corporate - actually looks like.
- · Company Setup
Setting up a Bulgarian company in 2026: OOD basics and what the substance test now looks like
A Bulgarian OOD is one of the lower-friction EU corporate vehicles. The 2026 question is what substance is needed to defend it across borders.
- · Residency
Bulgaria in 2026: residency, banking, and the EU + Schengen position
Bulgaria's entry to Schengen by air and land changed the calculus for cross-border movers. Here's the residency map and what now flows from it.
Country content is informational. Bordercase does not promise residency, citizenship, banking, or tax outcomes for any jurisdiction. Regulated legal, tax, and fiduciary advice is provided by licensed partners.