Address registration for foreigners

At a glance

Total time: Report a move within 30 days
Official fees: Residence card fee for a new card
Where: Your local Migration office
Bulgarian needed?: Forms are in Bulgarian

In Bulgaria your address is official information. It goes on your residence card, banks and offices ask for it, and you must tell the authorities when it changes. How it works depends on whether you are an EU citizen or not.

Who registers where

	EU, EEA and Swiss citizens	Non-EU citizens
When you first register	You give your address when you apply for the EU registration certificate	You give your address when you apply for residence at the Migration office
Proof of address	Rental contract or property deed	Property deed, or a rental contract plus the owner’s notarised declaration
When you move	Update your address with Migration and get a new certificate	Tell Migration within 30 days and apply for a new residence card

What counts as proof

If you own the home: a copy of your notary deed (нотариален акт).
If you rent: your rental contract, plus a declaration signed by the owner that you live there. For non-EU residents, since July 2025 the owner’s signature on this declaration must be certified by a notary.
If you live with family or friends: the same declaration from the owner of the home.

Ask before you sign a lease. Some landlords refuse to sign an address declaration, or to go to a notary. Make it a condition in the rental contract, or you may not be able to get or renew your residence card. See our renting guide.

When you move

Get proof of the new address: the new rental contract and the owner’s notarised declaration, or your deed.
Go to the Migration office for your new address, with your passport and residence card.
Apply for a new residence card showing the new address and pay the card fee.
Update your address with your bank, your doctor, NAP and your employer.

Long-term and permanent residents must report a new address within 30 days. Late reporting can bring a fine, and since 2026 the fines are charged in euro. Other residence types can have shorter deadlines, so report a move as soon as you can.

Bulgarian citizens and EGN holders

Bulgarians register their permanent and current address (постоянен и настоящ адрес) at the municipality. If your Bulgarian partner moves with you, they register there, not at Migration.

Common mistakes

Renting a flat whose owner won’t sign the address declaration.
Moving and forgetting to update the residence card. It can cause problems when you renew it, and at the bank.
Using an address you don’t live at. Migration can check, and it can put your residence at risk.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Deadlines depend on your type of residence, so check with your Migration office.