Continuous residence permit for retired foreigners

Created on 25.11.2024

The continuous residence permit in Bulgaria entitles you to live legally in the country for up to 1 year. After it expires, it can be renewed as many times as necessary. You can obtain such a permit on various grounds, one of which is if you are retired. In this case you must:

• be entitled to a pension in Bulgaria, your country of origin or another country; and
• have sufficient financial resources to support yourself in Bulgaria.

In this article we will describe the procedure for obtaining this type of residence permit by pensioners.

Applying for a visa “D”

To apply for a continuous residence permit as a pensioner, you must first apply for a visa "D". You must submit the completed and signed visa "D" application form in person to the consular representation of the Republic of Bulgaria in the country where you are legally resident. You can only apply for a visa outside Bulgaria!

In order to obtain such a visa, you must submit the following documents in addition to the form: 

1. A valid foreign travel document (e.g. passport) which expires at least 3 months after the planned date of departure, has at least 2 blank pages and was issued within the last 10 years.
2. A copy of the pages of your passport with your personal details, visas and/or residence permits.
3. Your passport-size photo.
4. You may have your fingerprints taken. 
5. Proof of payment of the visa fee - €100 unless otherwise provided for, for example, by law, or an international treaty to which Bulgaria is a party. The fee is not refundable if you are refused a visa. 
6. Medical insurance for traveling abroad, covering all repatriation costs and emergency medical and emergency hospital treatment for the period of stay in Bulgaria.
7. Proof that you have sufficient means to support yourself in Bulgaria, e.g. bank statements.
8. Evidence that you have secured accommodation – a deed of ownership if you have property in Bulgaria or a rental agreement.
9. Criminal record certificate from the country you are a citizen of or where you live.
10. Documents proving the purpose of your trip to Bulgaria - e.g. a pension decision in this case. 

Obtaining the residence permit - documents required 

Once you have obtained your visa and arrived in Bulgaria, you should apply for a continuous residence permit on the grounds that you are a pensioner. To do this, you need to submit these documents (some of them are the same as those for a visa): 

1. Application form.
2. A copy of your passport of the page with your photo, personal details, visa and the stamp of your last entry into the country. Carry the original passport with you because they will check the copy against it. 
3. Proof of paid state fee - if the permit is for 6 months, the fee is 200 BGN and if the permit is from 6 months to 1 year, the fee is 500 BGN. Additionally, a fee of 10 BGN is charged on the initial amount for processing the documents. 
4. Proof that you have a home to live in - a deed of ownership of your property or a notarized rental agreement (with which you must also submit a notarized declaration from the owner that he provides you with the address for registration).
5. Compulsory medical insurance if you are not insured in Bulgaria.
6. Proof that you have stable and sufficient financial means to support yourself without the need to use social assistance in Bulgaria, in an amount at least equal to the minimum monthly wage (933 BGN for 2024 and 1077 BGN for 2025) or the minimum pension (580.57 BGN for 2024 and 636 BGN for 2025) in Bulgaria. 
7. Criminal record certificate issued by the country of which you are a citizen or the country where you habitually reside.
8. A document certifying that you are entitled to a pension. If you receive your pension from another country, the competent pension authorities there must issue you with this document. 
9. A document from a bank in Bulgaria certifying that you will receive your pension in an account in that bank. 

You must submit these documents to the Migration Directorate in Sofia if you live in Sofia, or to the Regional Directorates of the Ministry of Interior Affairs where you will reside. 

Important! When you first obtain such a permit, you must apply no later than 3 months from your entry into Bulgaria.

Your application for a continuous residence permit must be processed within 4 months after you  initially apply for the permit. This period can be extended by a further 3 months if your case is more complicated or if you need to submit additional documents. You will be notified of this and given instructions on what to do.

When renewing your residence permit, you must do so no later than 14 days before your current residence permit expires.  Your application will be processed within 14 days. However, if your case is complicated or additional documents are needed, the authorities may extend this period by another 1 month, which they will notify you of. 

What to do if you are refused?

If the authorities refuse to issue you with a continuous residence permit, you can challenge this refusal before an administrative court. You have 14 days from the time you are notified of the refusal to do so. You should consult a lawyer to prepare your appeal against the refusal. If you need legal assistance, you can fill in the following form: 

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