Long-term residence permit in Bulgaria

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO?

Obtaining the residence permit status in Bulgaria is possible subject to the following conditions:

The foreigner stayed legally in Bulgaria for five years without interruption before applying for the residence permit status. (Bulgarian Law on Foreigners, Art. 24, 1)
When calculating the period of stay, temporary grounds for stay in Bulgaria (seasonal workers, secondees, etc.) are not taken into account (Bulgarian Law on Foreigners, Art. 24g.2)
When calculating the period of stay for students, trainees and pupils, half of the time spent in Bulgaria is taken into account (Bulgarian Law on Foreigners, Art. 24g.3). i.e. to obtain the residence permit status, a student must stay in Bulgaria for 10 years continuously.
A stay in Bulgaria is considered continuous if the period of absence of a foreigner has not exceeded 10 months in five years, of which no more than 6 months can be consecutive. (Bulgarian Law on Foreigners, Art. 24g.4)

Having the status of a Long-term residence permit in Bulgaria has a number of advantages over having the status of a residence permit:

assignment of a Single Civil Number;
the opportunity to work in Bulgaria for hire;
the opportunity to obtain Bulgarian citizenship;
the right to free health care using the National Health Insurance Office;
the right to retirement benefits;
free education on an equal footing with the citizens of Bulgaria;
the possibility of personal acquisition and registration of a car on an equal footing with the citizens of Bulgaria;
obtaining loans on an equal footing with Bulgarian citizens;