How do you apply for a residence permit in Bulgaria in 2026?

You may enter with a passport or national ID and stay for the short free-movement period without a third-country temporary residence permit. If you plan to live in Bulgaria beyond that window (commonly framed as longer than three months from entry), you register prolonged stay at Migration and receive a residence certificate (удостоверение за продължително пребиваване). Bring identity, housing proof, health cover such as a European Health Insurance Card or a private policy, and the work, study, self-employment, or means documents your category checklist lists.

Sofia’s central Migration queues are busier than many regional offices; arrive early and keep name spellings identical across passport and lease. The paper certificate can appear quickly; the plastic residence card takes longer and needs an extra fee in euros (€). The personal number of a foreigner arrives with this residence file, not from a separate municipal application: Get an LNCH. After that, banking becomes realistic: Open a bank account.

Non-EU foreigners who want to reside beyond short-stay limits usually need a Type D long-stay visa issued by a Bulgarian embassy or consulate abroad before they move. Entering as a tourist and “switching” later often fails. Common grounds include employment, study, family reunification, business activity, and self-funded stays on pension or savings income. There is no single branded “financially independent visa” product; the embassy and Migration match your papers to a published category, and Country To Live’s Bulgaria country notes explain planning tradeoffs without replacing the live checklist on mvr.bg.

After you enter on Type D, file the temporary residence permit at Migration (or the competent district Migration unit) within the windows your visa and category require. Expect passport, Type D, basis documents (contract, admission letter, family certificates, company papers, or means proof), accommodation evidence, insurance, and certified Bulgarian translations where asked. Processing is measured in weeks, not a café afternoon on Vitosha Boulevard. When the permit is granted, you receive the plastic residence card and the foreigner personal number that leases, payroll, and the National Revenue Agency expect.

Budget rent and setup cash before you treat the card as settled life: How expensive is Bulgaria and Monthly budget. Winter utilities still surprise poorly insulated Sofia flats: Utilities, internet and transport.