Last Updated on November 9, 2023 by Bulgarian Citizenship Team
Permanent Residence by Investment in Bulgarian ETFs
In exchange for a safe and liquid investment of 512,000 EUR, applicants from all nationalities can obtain permanent residence with only a single visit to Bulgaria.
The permanent residence can be upgraded to citizenship if the investment is maintained for five years. There is no physical residence requirements, however, fluency in Bulgarian language is required.
Permanent residence by investment
- The client purchases Bulgarian ETF of 512,000 EUR
- Time to Permanent Residency – 6 months
- Time to Bulgarian Citizenship – 60 months
- Investment in EUR (Refundable) – 512,000 EUR
- All-in Handling Fee in EUR (Non-refundable) – please ask for a quote
- Handling Fee in EUR Dependents – please ask for a quote
NB: The permanent residence is granted for five years. If the applicant maintains the investment for five years, the applicant will be eligible to apply for permanent indefinite leave to remain residence or Bulgarian citizenship.
Schedule to get Bulgarian Permanent Residence by Investment in Bulgarian ETF
Month 1 – Opening an account with a Bulgarian based broker and buying Bulgarian ETFs for approx. 512,000 €. This step includes the preparation of the set of Investor D visa application documents, confirmation certificate of investment in Bulgarian ETFs issued from the broker and Investment certificate issued from the Bulgarian Investment Agency;
Month 2 – The Investor applies for a D visa in the nearest Bulgarian embassy or general consulate.The Bulgarian Investor visa is usually granted within 30 working days;
Month 3 –Applying for apermanent residence by investment. The investor visits Bulgaria to apply for permanent residence with the local Migration Office. Usually, permanent residence applications are considered within 45 working days;
Month 4 – 6 – Once the residence application is approved, the investor will be photographed and the permanent residence card is issued within 3 working days.Family reunification process can be started. Family members will obtain permanent residence in 3 months.
Permanent residence by prolonged stay
Obtaining temporary residence in Bulgaria and renewing it annually for a period of five years and residing physically in the country for 30 months in the last five years, you are eligible to apply for a permanent residence in Bulgaria. The Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act allows foreign nationals to apply for Visa D and Bulgarian temporary residence under more than 20 grounds.
This is the most popular category for obtaining permanent residence in Bulgaria. The Bulgarian residency is implied by the prolonged stay of the applicant under a category of the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act which does not automatically provide ground for permanent stay otherwise.
If the foreign national resides for another five years in Bulgaria after the permanent residency was granted and he is fluent in Bulgarian, the applicant can apply for Bulgarian Citizenship by Naturalization.
Permanent residence by origin
If you can prove your Bulgarian origin, you can apply for permanent residency during your citizenship application processing. You are no longer required to hold a valid D visa to apply for permanent residency by origin, shortening the process by at least 2 months.
It’s worth noting that maintaining your permanent residency status for 5 years, you may be eligible to apply for Bulgarian citizenship by naturalization. This option is quite interesting because, even if your citizenship application based on your ancestry is not successful, you can still apply for citizenship through naturalization in the future. However, it’s important to remember that naturalization applicants must pass a Bulgarian language test, which is not required for applications based on descend.
Benefits of obtaining Permanent Residence in Bulgaria
- Holders of Bulgarian permanent residency can work in Bulgaria without work permit;
- Non-EU nationals and their families (spouse and minor children) can obtain Permanent Residence in Bulgaria. It should be noted that permanent residence gives the same rights as Bulgarian citizens, except voting;
- Holding Bulgarian permanent residence for five years entitles you to apply for Bulgarian citizenship;
- Opportunity to become resident of the European Union. Easy access to EU countries.
- Holding a permanent residence the foreign national is entitled to enter and leave the country as many times as they wish without visas.
- Quality education and medical systems throughout the EU.
- Bulgaria tax residence. Becoming a permanent resident, you can easily qualify as Bulgaria tax resident.
For more information about obtaining Bulgarian permanent residency, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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