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Residency by InvestmentActive

Bulgaria

Bulgaria Investment Residence (Permanent Residence by Investment)

Also known as: Bulgaria Golden Visa (residency), Bulgarian Investor Permanent Residence, Investment Residence Permit

Regulator: Ministry of the Interior — Migration Directorate (residence); InvestBulgaria Agency certifies priority investment projectsOfficial program site ↗
Min investment
$553K
Program tier
Permanent Residency
Program type
Golden Visa
Initial validity
5 yr
Renewable
Yes
Path to PR
Immediate
Path to citizenship
5 yr
Schengen access
Yes

Investment options

Govt Bonds

$553K
Hold for 5 years

BGN 1,000,000 (~EUR 511,000) invested in Bulgarian government bonds / securities or a licensed Bulgarian alternative investment fund, held for at least 5 years. Grants PERMANENT residence directly (no temporary-first step).

Business Investment

$553K
Hold for 5 years

BGN 1,000,000 in the capital/shares of a Bulgarian company carrying out a certified priority investment project, or an increase of company capital to create jobs in a high-unemployment region. Subject to the 2023 stricter source-of-funds and preliminary-approval rules.

Physical presence

To apply
Investment + long-stay (D) visa, then permanent-residence permit issued in Bulgaria
To maintain
Permanent residents should not be absent from Bulgaria for more than ~12 consecutive months to preserve PR status
For PR
PR is granted from the outset under the investment route
For citizenship
Citizenship requires ~5 years holding PR plus actual residence, Bulgarian-language proof, and renunciation of prior citizenship (see notes)

Path to citizenship

  • Available: Yes
  • Minimum years: 5
  • Physical-presence years: 5
  • Language test: Yes

Bulgaria's fast-track citizenship-by-investment ('golden passport') was CLOSED in 2021 (Citizenship Act amendment). Today an investor PR holder may naturalise after ~5 years, but only on the ordinary terms: actual residence, Bulgarian-language proficiency, and — critically — RENUNCIATION of prior citizenship (Bulgaria does not permit dual citizenship via naturalisation). The old 'double the investment for fast-track citizenship' option no longer exists.

Tax implications

  • Becomes tax resident automatically: No
  • Worldwide income taxed: No
  • Territorial tax system: No
  • Day-count for tax residency: 183 days
  • Wealth tax: No

Bulgaria has a flat 10% personal income tax and a flat 10% corporate tax — the lowest headline rates in the EU. Tax residency is triggered by 183+ days OR centre of vital interests; holding PR alone does not make you tax-resident. No wealth tax. Dividends are taxed at 5%.

Family inclusion

  • Spouse: Yes
  • Children under 18: Yes
  • Dependent adult children: No
  • Parents: Yes

Spouse and minor children can obtain residence; dependent parents and adult children are possible under family-reunification rules once the principal holds residence.

Additional fees

  • Application fee: $250
  • Government fees: $600
  • Legal/agent (est.): $12K

State fees are modest; the cost is the investment itself plus legal/advisory, escrow, and (for the bond route) brokerage fees. Health insurance and a Bulgarian address are required. The 2023 rules add a preliminary-approval step and a government-template source-of-funds declaration.

Eligibility requirements

  • Non-EU/EEA/Swiss national, age 18+
  • Qualifying investment of BGN 1,000,000 (bonds/fund or certified company project)
  • Preliminary approval of the investment from the Bulgarian authorities (2023 rules)
  • Government-template source-of-funds declaration + EU/Bulgarian bank reference
  • Clean criminal record and valid health insurance

Disqualifiers

  • Inability to document a lawful source of funds
  • Sanctioned nationality or adverse-media / security flags
  • Reliance on the closed golden-passport (citizenship-by-investment) route

Recent changes

  1. 2021-02

    Bulgaria's citizenship-by-investment ('golden passport') fast-track was abolished by amendment to the Citizenship Act; the bond route no longer leads to expedited citizenship.

  2. 2023-06

    Stricter rules for the residency-by-investment program: mandatory preliminary approval of the investment, EU/Bulgarian bank reference, a government-template source-of-funds declaration, and evidence of professional/investment activity — to curb fraud.

Notes

Bulgaria's appeal is a permanent-residence-from-day-one investor route at a relatively low EU price point, paired with the EU's lowest flat taxes (10%). But two caveats matter: (1) the fast-track CITIZENSHIP option closed in 2021, so this is a residency program, and naturalisation later requires renouncing your current citizenship; (2) the 2023 rules tightened source-of-funds and approval requirements. This is general information, not legal, tax, or investment advice — verify current thresholds and conditions with the Bulgarian authorities before relying on them.

EasyPassport is a document-organization tool focused on citizenship by descent. This page is reference research, not legal or financial advice. Always verify with the official program authority.