Authored by the expert who managed and guided the team behind the Bulgaria Property Pack
Everything you need to know before buying real estate is included in our Bulgaria Property Pack
Bulgaria offers one specific property-linked residency route, but it requires a substantial investment of around 307,000 euros and only grants temporary status, not permanent residency or citizenship.
This guide breaks down exactly what foreign buyers can and cannot achieve through real estate investment in Bulgaria in 2026, including the path to citizenship after Bulgaria's 2022 removal of its investor-passport program.
We constantly update this blog post as Bulgarian immigration rules and market conditions evolve.
And if you're planning to buy a property in this place, you may want to download our pack covering the real estate market in Bulgaria.
Insights
- Bulgaria's property-linked residency requires a minimum investment of 600,000 BGN (around 307,000 euros), but the full amount must pass through a Bulgarian bank account with no more than 25% financed by loan.
- Bulgaria officially joined the Schengen Area with full land border access on January 1, 2025, making cross-border travel within Europe significantly easier for Bulgarian residents.
- Bulgaria adopted the euro in 2025 at a fixed rate of 1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN, so legal thresholds still written in lev now have a stable euro equivalent.
- Bulgaria's investor-citizenship program was formally abolished in April 2022 through a State Gazette amendment, meaning property investment no longer leads directly to a Bulgarian passport.
- Foreigners from outside the EU cannot directly own land in Bulgaria under Article 22 of the Constitution, so buying a house with land typically requires setting up a Bulgarian company.
- The property-based residence permit in Bulgaria is valid for up to one year and must be renewed annually, with no hard limit on how many times you can renew as long as you maintain the investment.
- To qualify for permanent residency in Bulgaria, foreigners typically need five years of continuous lawful residence with absences not exceeding 30 months total during that period.
- Bulgarian citizenship through naturalization requires passing a Bulgarian language test, which is one of the most common reasons applications get rejected.
Can buying property help me get permanent residency in Bulgaria?
Does buying a property qualify or at least help for residency in Bulgaria?
As of early 2026, buying property in Bulgaria can qualify you for a temporary residence permit, but only if your investment reaches the legal threshold of 600,000 BGN (approximately 307,000 euros or 320,000 USD).
This is not a "buy any apartment and get residency" situation: the Bulgarian Foreigners Act sets strict rules requiring the full purchase amount to flow through a Bulgarian bank account, and if you used financing, the outstanding loan cannot exceed 25% of the property value at the time of your application.
Beyond the large investment route, owning or renting a home in Bulgaria can serve as supporting evidence of accommodation when applying for other types of visas or residence permits, even though it does not create a legal basis for residency on its own.
The most common additional requirement is demonstrating that you meet the payment and banking conditions, since Bulgarian authorities will verify your funds actually passed through the local banking system.
Is there any residency visa directly linked to property ownership in Bulgaria right now?
Yes, Bulgaria's Foreigners Act explicitly includes a "prolonged residence permit" category for foreigners who invest at least 600,000 BGN (around 307,000 euros) in Bulgarian real estate.
Whether you buy a primary residence or an investment property does not matter for this visa category, since the law focuses on the investment value and payment conditions rather than how you intend to use the property.
This means a rental property can qualify just as well as your main home, as long as you meet the 600,000 BGN threshold, route the funds through a Bulgarian bank, and keep any loan balance under 25%.
What exactly do I get with a property-based residency in Bulgaria?
Is this residency temporary or permanent in Bulgaria right now?
The property-based residency in Bulgaria is temporary, officially classified as a "prolonged residence permit" under the Foreigners Act.
This category sits below permanent residence in Bulgaria's immigration hierarchy, meaning you have fewer rights and must renew your status regularly.
The key legal distinction is that permanent residents in Bulgaria can stay indefinitely without renewal, while prolonged residence holders must actively maintain their eligibility and reapply each year.
As a temporary resident, you have the right to live in Bulgaria but may face restrictions on work authorization that permanent residents do not encounter.
How long is the initial residency permit valid in Bulgaria in 2026?
As of early 2026, the prolonged residence permit based on property investment in Bulgaria is valid for up to one year from the date of issuance.
This one-year validity period has remained consistent in recent years and applies across most prolonged residence categories in Bulgarian immigration law.
The validity period typically begins from the date your residence card is issued, not from when you entered Bulgaria or when your application was approved.
You should start your renewal process at least two to three months before your permit expires to avoid gaps in your legal status in Bulgaria.
How many times can I renew residency in Bulgaria?
There is no hard legal limit on how many times you can renew your property-based residence permit in Bulgaria, as long as you continue to meet all the eligibility conditions.
Each renewal period is again up to one year, following the same validity framework as your initial permit.
The renewal conditions do not become stricter over time, but authorities will verify that you still own the qualifying property and that your investment still meets the legal requirements.
The most common reason for renewal rejection in Bulgaria is failing to maintain the property investment, either by selling the property or letting the value drop below the 600,000 BGN threshold.
Can I live and work freely with this residency in Bulgaria?
The property-based residence permit in Bulgaria allows you to live in the country legally, but it does not automatically grant you the right to work as an employee.
This residency category typically permits self-employment and business ownership, but taking a job with a Bulgarian employer may require separate work authorization.
Certain regulated professions in Bulgaria, such as law or medicine, have additional licensing requirements that apply regardless of your residence status.
If you plan to work in Bulgaria, you should clarify whether your specific residence ground includes work rights or whether you need an additional work permit on top of your property-based residency.
Can I travel in and out easily with residency in Bulgaria?
Yes, traveling in and out of Bulgaria with property-based residency is straightforward, especially since Bulgaria became a full Schengen member with land border controls lifted on January 1, 2025.
However, if you are away from the EU for more than 12 consecutive months, you risk losing your residence status under Bulgarian law, though some investor categories have exceptions.
As a Bulgarian resident, you can travel freely within the Schengen Area for short stays without additional visas, which now covers 29 European countries.
When re-entering Bulgaria after traveling abroad, you must carry your valid Bulgarian residence card along with your passport to prove your legal status.
Does this residency lead to permanent residency in Bulgaria eventually?
Yes, but not automatically: you typically need five years of continuous lawful residence in Bulgaria before you can apply for permanent residency, with total absences during that period not exceeding 30 months.
The property investment itself does not create a direct shortcut to permanent residency; it is the accumulated time living legally in Bulgaria that qualifies you.
Beyond the five-year requirement, you must also demonstrate stable income, clean criminal records, and compliance with Bulgarian tax and social obligations.
Once you obtain permanent residency in Bulgaria, you are no longer required to maintain the original 600,000 BGN property investment to keep your status.
What conditions must I keep to maintain residency in Bulgaria?
Do I need to keep the property to keep residency in Bulgaria?
Yes, you must maintain ownership of the qualifying property to keep your property-based residence permit in Bulgaria, since selling it or reducing your investment below 600,000 BGN can trigger loss of your residence rights.
If you sell your property before your permit expires, Bulgarian authorities can revoke your residence status because the legal basis for your permit no longer exists.
You can replace your property with another qualifying property without losing residency, as long as the new investment meets the same threshold and payment conditions.
During renewals, Bulgarian immigration authorities verify ongoing property ownership through the national property registry and may request updated documentation proving you still own the asset.
Is there a minimum stay requirement per year in Bulgaria?
Bulgaria does not impose a specific "minimum days per year" rule printed in the law, but you must actually settle and reside in the country after receiving your permit, or you risk having it withdrawn.
Enforcement of physical presence varies, but authorities can revoke residence if they determine you never actually lived in Bulgaria after approval (the law mentions failure to settle within a year as grounds for withdrawal).
If you fail to maintain sufficient presence, you may be denied renewal or have your residence revoked, especially if border records show prolonged absences.
When you later apply for permanent residency or citizenship in Bulgaria, physical presence becomes more strictly measured, with the permanent residency route requiring you to not exceed 30 months of absence over five years.
Can I rent out the property and keep residency in Bulgaria?
Yes, you can rent out your qualifying property and still maintain your residence status in Bulgaria, since the law focuses on ownership and investment value rather than personal occupancy.
There are no specific restrictions in the Foreigners Act distinguishing between short-term rentals (like Airbnb) and long-term leases for residency purposes, though local municipalities may have separate licensing rules for tourist rentals.
Rental income from your Bulgarian property is subject to Bulgarian taxation, but earning rental income does not negatively affect your residence status as long as you declare it properly.
If you operate a rental business, you must register the activity with Bulgarian tax authorities and potentially with local tourism offices if offering short-term accommodation, but this is a tax compliance matter separate from your residence permit.
Can residency be revoked after approval in Bulgaria right now?
Yes, Bulgarian authorities can revoke your property-based residence permit after approval if you stop meeting the conditions, such as selling your property, providing false information, or staying outside the EU for too long.
The revocation process typically involves the Migration Directorate issuing a decision, which you will receive in writing along with the reasons for the action.
You have the right to appeal a revocation decision through Bulgarian administrative courts, though the process can take several months.
If revocation is initiated, you generally have a short grace period (often 30 days) to leave Bulgaria voluntarily or to resolve the issue that triggered the revocation.
Can real estate investment lead to citizenship in Bulgaria?
Can property investment directly lead to citizenship in Bulgaria?
No, as of early 2026 there is no direct pathway from property investment to Bulgarian citizenship, since Bulgaria formally abolished its investor-citizenship program through a State Gazette amendment published on April 1, 2022.
A higher property investment amount in Bulgaria will not accelerate your citizenship timeline because the law no longer includes any investment-to-passport provisions.
The typical timeline from initial property investment to citizenship eligibility now requires you to first accumulate enough residence time (usually 5+ years of permanent residency), then apply for naturalization like any other foreign resident.
The key difference from the old system is that citizenship-by-investment programs granted passports based on money, while naturalization requires years of actual residency, language skills, and integration into Bulgarian society.
Is citizenship automatic after long-term residency in Bulgaria?
No, Bulgarian citizenship is never automatic: after meeting the residency requirements, you must submit a formal application and go through a review process that includes discretionary checks by authorities.
For standard naturalization, you typically need at least five years of permanent residence status in Bulgaria (which itself requires five years of temporary residence first, so around 10 years total from scratch).
You must pass a Bulgarian language test, demonstrate knowledge of Bulgarian history and institutions, prove stable income, and have a clean criminal record both in Bulgaria and your home country.
Processing times for citizenship applications in Bulgaria vary widely but typically take 12 to 24 months after you submit all required documents, depending on the complexity of your case.
What are the real requirements to become a citizen in Bulgaria?
Do I need physical presence for citizenship in Bulgaria right now?
Yes, Bulgarian citizenship through naturalization requires substantial physical presence during your qualifying residence period, with a practical planning target of around 270 to 300 days per year in Bulgaria to stay safely within legal limits.
Bulgaria measures presence primarily through the lens of continuous residence and absence limits rather than a strict "183 days" formula, with the permanent residence stage requiring no more than 30 months of absence over five years.
Authorities track physical presence through border crossing records, tax filings, utility usage, and other documentation you submit with your citizenship application.
There are some exemptions for spouses of Bulgarian citizens and people of Bulgarian origin, who may face shorter residence requirements or more flexible presence rules.
Can my spouse and kids get citizenship too in Bulgaria in 2026?
As of early 2026, spouses and children of Bulgarian citizens (or those naturalizing) can apply for citizenship through facilitated routes, but they cannot simply be added to your application automatically.
Family members typically must submit their own applications, though a spouse can often apply once the main applicant has obtained citizenship and they meet marriage duration requirements (usually three years of marriage).
Children under 18 can generally be included in a parent's citizenship application or can apply separately if they meet age and dependency criteria set by Bulgarian law.
Spouses face different requirements than the main applicant, primarily needing to prove a genuine and lasting marriage rather than the full residence history required for standard naturalization.
What are the most common reasons citizenship is denied in Bulgaria?
The most common reason Bulgarian citizenship applications are denied is failing to pass the Bulgarian language test, which trips up many applicants who underestimate how seriously authorities take this requirement.
Two other frequently cited reasons are criminal or security issues (including pending proceedings in any country) and incomplete or inconsistent documentation, such as discrepancies between documents from different countries.
If your citizenship application is denied, you can reapply after addressing the deficiencies, though there is typically a waiting period and you may need to demonstrate what has changed since your previous application.
The single most effective step you can take to avoid citizenship denial in Bulgaria is to invest seriously in Bulgarian language classes well before you apply, since language competence is both mandatory and frequently tested.
Two Bulgaria-specific issues foreign buyers often miss
Can foreigners own land in Bulgaria?
Under Article 22 of the Bulgarian Constitution, foreigners from outside the EU cannot directly own land in Bulgaria, which creates complications if you want to buy a house with a garden or any property that includes land.
Buying an apartment in Bulgaria is generally straightforward for foreigners since apartments involve ownership of a unit within a building rather than direct land ownership.
If you want to buy a house with land or agricultural property in Bulgaria, the standard workaround is to establish a Bulgarian company (which can legally own land) and purchase through that entity.
EU and EEA citizens have broader rights to own land in Bulgaria under EU membership agreements, though some restrictions on agricultural land may still apply depending on the specific regulations in force.
What are the strict payment rules for Bulgaria's property-based residency?
To qualify for property-based residency in Bulgaria, the full 600,000 BGN (around 307,000 euros) must have passed through a Bulgarian bank account by the time you apply, which means you need to plan your banking arrangements before purchasing.
If you used a mortgage or loan to finance part of the purchase, the outstanding loan balance cannot exceed 25% of the property value at the time of your residence application.
These rules exist to ensure that applicants have genuinely invested in Bulgaria rather than simply holding leveraged positions, and authorities will verify your bank statements during the application process.
Many foreign buyers are caught off guard by these banking requirements because they are more detailed than typical property purchase rules in other countries with investment residency programs.