Permanent residence permit through a parent's marriage to a Bulgarian citizen: entry before 27.12.1998

Bulgarian immigration law provides for a special historical ground for obtaining permanent residence (permanent residence permit). This status may be claimed by foreign nationals who, before 27 December 1998, entered the territory of Bulgaria, permanently resided or were born on it, provided that their parent entered into an official marriage with a Bulgarian citizen.

Step-by-step application process

The procedure for obtaining permanent residence permit status consists of several successive stages.

Stage 1: Obtaining a type D visa (in your home country)

First, the applicant must obtain a long-term immigration type D visa at the Bulgarian consulate in the country of their lawful residence.

Cost of the visa: 100 €.

Validity of the visa: Issued for 180 days.

Stage 2: Submitting the permanent residence permit documents (in Bulgaria)

After crossing the border on a type D visa, the foreigner must appear in person at the "Migration" Directorate of the regional police department at their place of residence. The package of documents must be submitted no later than 2 months before the expiry of the type D visa.

Fee for processing the documents: 5.11 € (the equivalent of 10 leva).

Decision period: The application is reviewed within 2 months. If necessary, migration service officers may request additional documents and extend this period by a further 2 months.

Stage 3: Registration with the municipality and issue of the ID card

Once a positive decision has been issued, the applicant must:

Within 3 days pay the one-off state fee for granting permanent residence in the amount of 511.29 € (the equivalent of 1 000 leva).

Register with the municipality (town hall) at the place of residence in order to be assigned a Unified Civil Number (EGN).

Order a plastic resident ID card from the migration service.

Cost of the card: 23.01 € (the equivalent of 45 leva).

Production time: 30 days.

Validity: The plastic card is issued for 5 years, after which it must be replaced as scheduled.

Financial requirements in euro (€)

With Bulgaria's transition to the euro, all financial criteria are calculated in the single European currency:

Bank statement for the type D visa: The applicant's personal bank account must show at least 6 minimum Bulgarian salaries (as of 01.01.2026 the minimum wage is 620 €) — a minimum of 3 720 €.

Bank statement for the permanent residence permit: A bank certificate confirming funds allowing independent living in the country without resorting to state social assistance.

Medical insurance (only for the type D visa): A specialised policy for foreigners is taken out for the entire validity of the visa with coverage of at least 30 000 € (the equivalent of the former 60 000 leva).

List of required documents

Obtaining a long-term type D visa and subsequently a permanent residence permit requires a practically identical package of documents. All foreign certificates and statements must be translated into Bulgarian by a licensed translator and officially legalised (bear an apostille).

💡 An important simplification: If the documents certifying the applicant's birth or their parent's marriage were issued in Bulgaria and are duly reflected in the state electronic database "Population", the foreigner has the right not to submit them on paper — migration service officers will check the data themselves through official channels.

Basic package of documents:

Foreign passport: A valid passport with a validity of at least 3 months from the date of submitting the application. Simple copies of the personal data spread and of the page with the stamp of the most recent entry into Bulgaria are submitted.

Application: A completed visa form (for the consulate) or an application of the established form (for "Migration").

Housing provision: A document confirming ownership of housing (notary deed) or legally rented housing (notarised lease agreement and an address declaration from the owner).

Bank statement: Proof of financial means (for the type D visa — a minimum of 3 720 €).

Criminal record certificate: Issued in the home country or the country of permanent residence no earlier than 5 months before the day of submission (with a legalised translation). Stateless persons do not submit this certificate.

Receipt for payment of the document processing fee of 5.11 € (required only when applying for the permanent residence permit in Bulgaria).

Documents confirming the ground (submitted at the same time):

The applicant's birth certificate (original and a simple copy).

The certificate of the marriage concluded by the foreigner's parent with a Bulgarian citizen (original and copy).

An official supporting document certifying the archival fact that the applicant physically entered, resided or was born on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria strictly before 27.12.1998.