Permanent residence permit after 5 years of maintaining investments in real estate or business

Foreign nationals who previously acquired long-term residence permit status on the basis of investments in real estate (repealed item 19) or investments in economically disadvantaged regions (repealed item 20) have the legal right to apply for a permanent residence permit if they have maintained their investments continuously and in full for 5 years.

Stage 1: Review and verification at the Investment Agency

Before submitting an application for a permanent residence permit to the migration service, the foreign national must initiate a verification procedure at the Bulgarian Investment Agency (BAI) in order to obtain an official certificate.

A declaration on the origin of funds (in accordance with the anti-money laundering law — ЗМИП) is attached to the application to BAI, together with a specific package of documents:

For former holders of a long-term residence permit for real estate (item 19): An official declaration that the circumstances that served as grounds for issuing the status have remained unchanged, or current title documents together with a recent statement (certificate) of the absence of encumbrances from the Registry Agency (Имотен регистър).

For former holders of a long-term residence permit for regional investments (item 20): An official certificate issued by the Ministry of Economy and Industry of Bulgaria confirming that the investment circumstances have been maintained and that economic activity is being carried out.

💡 Transfer procedure: BAI prepares the completed document itself and, within 14 days, sends it directly to the migration service at the foreign national's place of residence through official channels. The applicant receives a certified copy. This confirmation is valid for strictly 6 months.

Stage 2: Submitting documents for the permanent residence permit and fees in euro (€)

Once the Investment Agency has confirmed the five-year status of the investment, the foreign national applies to the regional office of the Migration Directorate. With Bulgaria's transition to the euro, all fees are set in the single European currency.

Application processing fee: €5.11 (equivalent to 10 leva).

Processing time: On this ground the decision is taken under an expedited procedure — within 14 days.

Final formalisation of the status:

Once the application is approved, the foreign national takes the following steps:

Pays a one-off state fee for the grant of the permanent residence permit — €511.29 (equivalent to 1,000 leva).

Registers with the municipality at the place of residence and receives a Unified Civil Number (EGN).

Obtains a permanent plastic identity card.

Production cost: €23.01 (equivalent to 45 leva).

Issuance time: 30 days.

Validity of the document: The plastic card is issued for 5 years, after which it is subject to standard technical replacement without re-confirming the grounds.

List of documents for the Migration Directorate

Application in the prescribed form.

Foreign passport: Valid for at least a further 3 months on the date of submission. Plain copies of the first page (with personal details) and of the spread bearing the current residence/long-term residence permit stamp are provided.

A copy of the confirmation (certificate) from the Bulgarian Investment Agency (the original is already in the migration service's database).

Statement from a Bulgarian bank: A certificate confirming sufficient personal funds in the current account to live independently in the country without recourse to the social assistance system.

Housing: Documents confirming ownership (title deed) or long-term rental (notarised contract and address declaration) of residential property in Bulgaria.

Receipt for payment of the processing fee (€5.11).

Strict annual monitoring after obtaining the permanent residence permit

Obtaining open-ended permanent residence permit status does not release the investor from obligations towards the state. Until the full period provided for by the investment commitments has expired, the foreign national must:

Report changes: Immediately notify the Investment Agency of any legal or factual changes (for example, the sale of a share in the property, the liquidation or restructuring of the company) that invalidate the investment grounds.

Annual declaration: Every year, strictly by 1 December, send the Investment Agency an official notification that there have been no changes in the structure of the investment.

⚠️ Consequences of breaches: BAI automatically forwards all information about its checks to the Migration Directorate. If the foreign national sells the property or closes the business assets that served as the basis for the five-year qualifying period, the permanent residence permit status will be revoked immediately and the identity card confiscated.