Long-term residence permit for academics and researchers in Bulgaria

Foreign academics and researchers who have signed an official contract to carry out a research project with a research organisation in Bulgaria have the legal right to obtain a long-term residence permit.

The key condition is that the Bulgarian host organisation must be entered on the specialised state register under Art. 7b, para. 1, item 1 of the Research Promotion Act.

The long-term residence permit is issued for the duration of the specific research project. In the "type of permit" field of the plastic residence card, the entry "научен работник" is officially recorded.

Academic mobility within the EU

The Foreigners Act provides for two formats of simplified mobility for academics who already hold status in other European Union countries:

Short-term mobility (up to 180 days): If a foreign national has been admitted as a researcher in another EU country, they may carry out part of their research in Bulgaria for 180 days within any 360-day period. No long-term residence permit is required — a contract with the European institute is sufficient, and the host organisation must officially notify the competent authorities of its own country and of Bulgaria about the planned research.

Long-term mobility (from 180 days to 2 years): If a researcher plans to work in Bulgaria for more than 180 days but less than two years, a special permit is issued. The residence card carries the entry "научен работник – мобилност", and the permit itself may be valid for up to 2 years.

The procedure step by step

The procedure for obtaining the status is standard and consists of two stages requiring your personal presence.

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

The documents are submitted in person by the applicant at the Bulgarian consulate in the country of their citizenship or lawful residence.

Consular fee: €100.

Processing time: From 30 working days.

Result: A long-term type D visa is issued for 180 days.

Stage 2: Obtaining the long-term residence permit (in Bulgaria)

After entering Bulgaria on the type D visa, you must apply in person to the Migration Directorate of the regional police department for your place of residence. The documents must be submitted no later than two weeks (14 days) before the visa expires.

Fee for processing the paperwork: €5.11.

Processing time for the documents: 14 days.

Result: A long-term residence permit is issued, after which the plastic residence card is paid for and produced separately (the tariff depends on how urgently it is needed).

Financial requirements in euro (€)

With Bulgaria's transition to the euro (€), all state fees and bank account requirements are calculated in the single European currency. The financial threshold is tied to the minimum wage, which as of 1 January 2026 is €620.

Account with a Bulgarian bank: You must provide a certificate confirming a personal account holding the following amounts:

For the type D visa (for 6 months): at least 6 minimum wages — €3,720.

For the long-term residence permit (for 1 year): at least 12 minimum wages — €7,440.

List of required documents

All foreign documents must be translated into Bulgarian and officially legalised/apostilled.

Core set of documents (for the type D visa and the long-term residence permit):

Contract with the organisation: A copy of the official contract concluded with the Bulgarian research organisation (Migration officers check the company's entry on the register themselves).

International passport: Valid for at least 1.5 years (18 months) from the date of submission. Copies of the first double page and of the page bearing the stamp of the most recent entry into Bulgaria are provided.

Application: A legibly completed visa application form (for the consulate) or the standard application form (for Migration).

Photographs: 2 current colour photographs (required only at the stage of applying for the type D visa).

Medical insurance: A specialised policy for foreign nationals with coverage of at least €30,000, valid for the entire period of stay in the country.

Proof of accommodation: A title deed to the property (for owners) or notarised copies of the residential lease agreement and an address declaration from the owner of the flat (for tenants).

Bank statement: A certificate from a Bulgarian bank confirming available funds (€3,720 or €7,440).

Criminal record certificate: Issued no earlier than 5 months before submission, with a legalised translation. Not required for minors, stateless persons, or for subsequent extensions of the long-term residence permit.

📑 For academics applying for long-term mobility from another EU country, the set includes: a valid residence permit for the EU country, a passport, mandatory medical insurance and a criminal record certificate.

Annual extension and looking for work

If the current long-term residence permit is about to expire while the contract with the research centre remains in force, the status is successfully extended in Bulgaria. To do this, the same set of documents is submitted to Migration together with a copy of the current residence card. The criminal record certificate is not requested again.

Preferential extension for looking for work (up to 9 months):

Bulgarian legislation gives academics the right to remain in the country after the project ends in order to look for new work or start a business:

Condition: Within 7 working days of the end of the research project, the academic must submit an application to the Employment Agency (Агенция по заетостта) to register as a jobseeker.

Deadlines for submission to Migration: The application to extend the long-term residence permit on this ground must be filed at least 30 days before the current permit expires.

Documents: The general set must be accompanied by an official document confirming timely registration with the Employment Agency.

Result: The long-term residence permit is extended for up to 9 months.