OBTAINING A RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR
PERSONS CARRYING OUT NON-COMMERCIAL
ACTIVITIES (RELIGIOUS SERVANTS)

To do this, you need to obtain the appropriate resolution of the "Confessions" Directorate of the Ministerial Council on the Law on Religions as foreign religious servants who are invited by the central leadership of registered religions. If we are talking about other types of non-commercial activity, then permission from the Ministry of Justice is required.

The mechanism is the same as for obtaining a residence permit on other grounds:

• Stage 1. Collecting documentation.
• Stage 2. Submission of documents for a long- term visa at the Bulgarian consulate in the country of legal stay. The cost of such a visa is 100 euros, the term for examination of documents is from 30 working days.
• Stage 3. Entry into Bulgaria with a Visa D and submission of documents for a residence permit at the Migration Directorate at the regional police department at the place of residence. The term of examination is 14 days, the cost is 10 levs. Documents must be submitted no later than 14 days before the expiration of the visa.
• Stage 4. If a positive decision is made, you need to pay a fee of 500 levs for an annual permit and order the production of a personal card - from 45 levs for production within 30 days (if you pay 90 levs, the card will be ready in 15 days, urgent production takes 2 days and costs 250 levs).
• Stage 5. If desired, if the ground is still valid, you can prolong the residence permit by contacting the Migration Directorate two weeks before the end of the term. The list of documents, amounts and terms do not change.

The documents for a visa, initial and subsequent obtaining a residence permit are the same. In this case, the list includes:
• Foreign passport, copies of its first spread and spread with the date of the last entry into Bulgaria. The document must be valid for another 1.5 years from the date of submission.
• Personal card and its copy - upon renewal of the residence permit.
• A completed application form with a color photo - for a visa. For a residence permit you need to fill out an application, the photo is taken on the spot.
• Health insurance valid on the territory of the country for the entire period of stay, the amount of coverage is from 30 thousand euros.
• Proof of housing - owned or rented. In the first case, a copy of the title deed will be required. In the second - a notarized copy of the lease agreement with an address declaration, the signatures of the parties are certified by a notary.
• Proof of the availability of funds - a certificate from an account in a Bulgarian bank about the availability of an amount equivalent to 6 (for a visa) or 12 (for a residence permit) minimum Bulgarian salaries. In 2020, the minimum wage is 610 levs.
• A positive resolution of the Directorate of the "Confession" of the Ministerial Council (for clergy) or a permit for non-economic activities issued by the Ministry of Justice (for other persons engaged in non-commercial activities).
• Certificate of no criminal record in the host country. Date of issue of the document - no earlier than 5 months prior to submission. Translation, legalization is required. When re- applying for a residence permit, you no longer need to provide a certificate. Also, minors and stateless persons do not provide this document.

Thus, a religious servant must first obtain an invitation from the religious authorities of any religion registered in Bulgaria. Then on this invitation a positive conclusion must be made. It is attached to the standard list of documents for obtaining a Visa D, and then a residence permit, and serves as a confirmation of the ground specified in the law.