Bulgaria Type D visa: requirements and documents

At a glance

Total time: Varies by consulate
Official fees: €100 visa fee
Where: Bulgarian embassy or consulate
Bulgarian needed?: No, but documents in Bulgarian

If you are not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen and want to live in Bulgaria, the Type D visa is usually your first step. You apply for it at a Bulgarian embassy or consulate before you move, then use it to enter Bulgaria and apply for a residence permit.

Who needs a Type D visa

You need one if you are a non-EU citizen who wants to settle in Bulgaria for the long term: to work, freelance, retire, study, join family or invest.
You don’t need one if you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen. You can register at the Migration office instead: see our EU registration certificate guide.
A short-stay (Schengen) visa or visa-free entry is not enough. You can’t usually switch from a tourist stay to residence while you are in Bulgaria.

What the visa gives you

A Type D visa is usually valid for up to 6 months and lets you stay up to 180 days. Researchers and some students can get one valid for up to a year, with a stay of up to 360 days.

The visa is not the residence permit itself. Once you are in Bulgaria, you apply to the Migration office for a long-term residence permit, at least 14 days before your visa’s permitted stay ends. Our residence guide for non-EU citizens covers that step.

When and where to apply

Apply at the Bulgarian embassy or consulate responsible for the country where you live. Some consulates use an outside service provider, such as VFS, to take applications.
You can apply no earlier than 3 months before your planned move.
Children under 18 apply with both parents, or with one parent and a notarised consent from the other. The child must also be present.

Documents everyone needs

Passport valid for at least 18 months, with at least 2 empty pages, plus a copy.
Copies of the passport pages with your personal details and any visas or residence permits.
A recent colour passport photo.
Documents for your reason for moving, plus copies (see the table below).
Health insurance for your whole stay from an insurer licensed in the EU, with at least €30,000 of cover, including emergency treatment and repatriation.
Proof of accommodation in Bulgaria. If you rent, you also need a notarised declaration from the owner agreeing that you can register at the address.
Proof you can support yourself, such as a bank statement, of at least 6 times the Bulgarian minimum monthly wage (for pensioners, 6 times the minimum pension).
A police clearance certificate from your home country or the country where you live. Not needed for children under 18.

Translations: all documents must be translated into Bulgarian and legalised, usually with an apostille. Start early: getting an apostille and a sworn translation can take weeks.

Extra documents for your reason

Your reason	Extra documents
Job with a Bulgarian employer	Certified copy of your work permit from the Employment Agency
Freelancing	Certified copy of a freelance permit from the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy
Retirement	Proof of your pension from the paying country, and a letter from a bank in Bulgaria confirming the account your pension will be paid into
Spouse or child of a Bulgarian citizen	Marriage or birth certificate, a copy of the Bulgarian citizen’s ID card, and a notarised declaration about housing and support
Running a Bulgarian company	Company documents, plus proof from the tax agency (NAP) that the company employs at least 10 Bulgarian citizens
Investment	A bank certificate showing an investment of at least BGN 600,000 (about €306,800) in Bulgarian property, or in a Bulgarian company you own more than half of
Digital nomad	Proof of remote work for employers or clients outside Bulgaria, and of income of at least 50 times the Bulgarian minimum monthly wage in the previous year
University study	Certificate of acceptance from the Ministry of Education and Science

Cost

The visa fee is €100. Family members of Bulgarian citizens don’t pay it. If your consulate uses a service provider, it may charge its own fee on top. You also pay for translations, apostilles and insurance.

Common mistakes

A passport that expires within 18 months.
A rental contract without the owner’s notarised consent to register you.
Travel insurance from a non-EU insurer, or with less than €30,000 of cover.
Documents that are translated but not apostilled.
Waiting too long after arriving to apply for the residence permit.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Requirements can differ between consulates: always check with yours before you apply.