New immigration service requirements in Bulgaria for property owners

Another extension of a long-term residence permit in Bulgaria gave no hint of any surprises: all the documents had been prepared and the certificates obtained. But instead of a permit, the foreign national received a letter stating that he had to provide a document on the current address according to the State Property Register.

To every question, the immigration service staff replied that they could not grant the foreigner the right of residence and issue the permit card until the relevant document was provided. The data in the State Property Register must be updated, and the address stated in the notarial deed must be brought into line with the address in the register.

Foreign owners of Bulgarian property who wish to obtain a long-term residence permit began receiving such letters in February 2021. Immigration service staff are now unable to enter data into the Unified Register of Foreigners if there is even the slightest discrepancy in the addresses.

The most common problem is the absence of street information in the notarial deed. The data must be changed so that it matches the information in the register. Moreover, this should be done in advance, so as not to face fines for late submission of documents to extend a long-term residence permit — no concessions are provided for those who were unaware of the new rules and did not prepare their documents in advance.

A certificate confirming the inclusion of the address in the register can be obtained at the regional office of ГРОН (Гражданска регистрация и обслужване на населението). The following documents must be submitted to the Service and Information Centre:

• An application in the standard form;
• A copy of the notarial deed certifying the right of ownership;
• A plan (скица) with the current address registration of the neighbours.

The processing time and the cost of the service are set by each municipality individually.

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