Real estate prices in Bulgaria attract many of our compatriots. A large number of houses and apartments in the country belong to foreigners, including Russian citizens. However, having your own home is not the basis for obtaining a residence permit only if the cost of the purchased home is more than 300 thousand euros. Of course, it will be easier for property owners to obtain a regular tourist visa, but it will allow you to stay in your Bulgarian home for no more than 6 months a year. If this is not enough, then you need to apply for a permanent residence permit.
Holders of such a permit can stay in the country 360 days a year, and also cross the border for entry and exit without restrictions. Nearby countries are also opening for visa-free visits - Croatia, Romania, Macedonia, Cyprus. At the border you need to present your passport along with a residence permit document. The document itself is a plastic card with a number, photo and basic information about the owner. Citizens of Bulgaria have a similar card (“personal card”), which they use instead of a passport.
Once a year, you must pay a fee and submit some documents to renew your residence permit. There is an option to renew once every six months, the amount to be paid is then halved, and the hassle time, on the contrary, doubles, since you will need to visit the migration department office twice a year. Such offices are located in large cities and regional centers, whose employees are not at all eager to help, but rather, on the contrary, do not miss the opportunity to assert themselves at the expense of visitors.
After 5 years of living in Bulgaria, Russian citizens have the right to obtain permanent residence or temporary residence permit, depending on the time spent in the country. LRP is a long-term residence permit that must be renewed every five years, this makes it possible to save a lot on annual insurance and fees. Permanent residence permit is a permanent residence permit for an indefinite period; it is no longer necessary to renew it. The rules for obtaining permanent residence require you to spend at least 6 months per year over the previous 5 years on the territory of Bulgaria, so it is more difficult to obtain.
Unfortunately, until Bulgaria has entered the Schengen zone, not a single option for a residence permit gives the right to visa-free travel within the countries of the European Union. Most people apply for a residence permit in the hope of entering soon.
Also, having a residence permit card allows you to obtain tourist visas to various countries of the world. In large cities there are consulates of countries, you can get an appointment and submit documents almost without a queue. In Bulgaria, unfortunately, it is not possible to obtain a long-term Schengen visa - maximum for the validity period of the card, minimum for the duration of the trip. Even the Greek embassy issues visas with a very limited validity period, and neither a large amount in the bank nor the presence of previous visas influences the consul’s decision. The only relief for property owners in Greece.
In addition, it should be mentioned that if you have a Bulgarian visa stamp “D” in your international passport (required to obtain a residence permit), most likely you will no longer receive a long-term Schengen visa in Russia. In the best case, a short visa for the duration of the trip; in the worst case, the consulate will return your passport with a refusal and an offer to apply for a further visa through the consulate in Bulgaria.
Of course, given the listed facts, it is difficult to come to terms with the fact that Bulgarian citizens have the right to stay and work in the Schengen zone permanently, because the level of qualifications of such specialists is very questionable.
Many people choose to obtain a residence permit in Bulgaria since this option is the easiest of all possible in the EU countries. Although the list of reasons for a residence permit is very long, the most popular remains the registration of a representative office of a foreign company. Employees of the Russian representative office in Bulgaria have the opportunity to live and work (within the scope of their position) on the basis of a residence permit. Retired citizens can obtain a residence permit on the basis of pension payments - this registration option is much simpler, as it requires a minimum amount of paperwork. In the next part we will introduce you to the details of obtaining a residence permit in Bulgaria.