Bulgaria Digital Nomad Visa: Requirements, Income and How to Apply

At a glance

Minimum income	About €31,010 a year gross (€2,584 a month); see below
First permit	1 year
Renewable?	Yes, once, for 1 more year
Leads to permanent residency?	No, not on its own
Special tax regime	None, but Bulgaria’s standard income tax is a flat 10%
Freelancers and business owners?	Yes, both have their own categories

Who can apply

Bulgaria is one of the newest countries with a digital nomad route. Amendments to the Law on Foreigners came into force on 1 July 2025, and applications opened on 20 December 2025, once the implementing rules were in place.

It’s a long-term residence permit, not a visa as such. You first get a type D long-stay visa from a Bulgarian consulate, then apply for the residence permit once you’re in Bulgaria.

It’s for citizens of countries outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland. The law defines a digital nomad as someone who provides remote services using information technology and fits one of three categories:

• Employee: you have an employment contract with an employer registered outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland. If the contract is fixed-term, it must run at least as long as the permit.
• Business owner or manager: you’re the legal representative, a board member, the owner, or a partner or shareholder with more than 25% of a company registered outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, and you provide your remote services through it.
• Freelancer: you’ve personally provided remote services for at least a year before you apply.

Watch the employer rule. Unlike most countries, Bulgaria doesn’t accept employees of companies based in other EU countries. If you work for a German or Dutch company, for example, this route doesn’t fit.

Business owners don’t need to employ themselves. Bulgaria gives owners and directors of non-EU companies their own category, so you apply through your stake in the company. How you pay yourself still has tax consequences in more than one country, so get professional advice on structuring and tax before you rely on it.

All three categories share one condition: no work for, and no services to, people or businesses in Bulgaria.

Minimum income requirement

Bulgaria doesn’t set a fixed figure. The law requires average annual gross income of at least 50 times the Bulgarian minimum monthly wage for the previous calendar year.

There are two readings of which year’s minimum wage applies:

• The 2026 wage (€620.20): a threshold of €31,010 a year, or about €2,584 a month
• The 2025 wage (€550.66): a threshold of €27,533 a year, or about €2,294 a month. A Bulgarian law firm, Innovires, says this is the figure for 2026 filings.

To be safe, aim to show at least €31,010. That’s also the figure for anyone applying in 2027, when the previous year’s wage will be 2026’s. The threshold rises each year with the minimum wage.

The income must come from outside Bulgaria. You’ll typically show it with your contract, payslips or invoices, bank statements for the previous year and, for freelancers and business owners, tax returns or company accounts.

Not earning €2,584 a month yet? That’s where most people reading this page are. The Portable Income Launchpad is a six-week program for experienced professionals turning their expertise into remote income that meets a visa threshold like this one.

Bringing your family

The digital nomad law doesn’t set out a separate family route or an extra income amount per family member. According to Innovires, your spouse and minor children can join you through Bulgaria’s general family reunification permits once your own residence permit has been issued.

Family reunification has its own documents and conditions, so check them with the consulate or the Migration Directorate before you plan a family move.

How long it lasts and renewal

The permit is valid for one year and can be extended once, for another year. That’s a hard ceiling of two years on this route.

To extend, you need to keep meeting all the original conditions: income above the threshold, no Bulgarian clients and valid health insurance. If your permit expires while your extension is being processed, you can stay in Bulgaria until a decision is made, as long as you applied before the permit ran out.

Bulgaria joined the Schengen area in January 2025, so while your permit is valid you can travel in the rest of Schengen for up to 90 days in any 180.

Tax: special regimes and when you become tax resident

Bulgaria has no tax regime written for digital nomads, and it doesn’t need one. Its standard personal income tax is a flat 10%.

The permit doesn’t decide your tax position by itself. Under Bulgarian tax law, you’re tax resident if you spend more than 183 days in any 12-month period in Bulgaria, or if your centre of vital interests is there. As a resident, you’re taxed on your worldwide income and file an annual return by 30 April of the following year.

If you’re coming from a high-tax country, the 10% rate can mean a big saving, but only if you’ve properly left your home country’s tax system. Bulgaria’s tax treaties provide relief from double taxation, and social security depends on your home country and the agreements it has with Bulgaria. Get advice in both countries before you move. This is general information, not tax advice.

Does it lead to permanent residency or citizenship?

Not on its own. Bulgaria’s permanent residence generally needs five years of continuous legal residence, and this route stops after two.

Innovires notes that some people use the digital nomad permit as a trial, then switch to another type of permit, such as running a Bulgarian company, and count the combined years toward permanent residence. That means meeting the conditions of the new permit, so plan it with a lawyer.

How to apply

From your home country

1. Prepare your documents. These include a passport, proof of income, your employment contract, company documents or freelance contracts and invoices, a criminal record certificate, proof of accommodation in Bulgaria (such as a notarised lease) and health insurance valid in Bulgaria. Foreign documents need an apostille (or legalisation) and a sworn Bulgarian translation.
2. Apply for a type D visa at the Bulgarian embassy or consulate in your country of residence or nationality. Book ahead, because appointments can be limited. The visa fee is €100.
3. Wait for the visa. Consulates typically take four to eight weeks.
4. Travel to Bulgaria and apply for the residence permit at the Migration Directorate, or the migration unit of your regional Interior Ministry office. Apply while your type D visa is still valid; Innovires says at least 14 days before your permitted stay runs out.
5. Wait for a decision. Innovires says this takes about two to four weeks, longer if the Directorate asks for more documents.
6. Get your residence card. Innovires puts the permit fee at about €261, plus a card fee that depends on how quickly you need it.

From inside Bulgaria

You can’t start this route from inside Bulgaria. You need the type D visa from a consulate first.

Restrictions and common reasons for refusal

The defining restrictions are no Bulgarian clients or employers, no employers based in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, and a two-year limit.

Applications commonly run into trouble because of:

• Income below 50 times the minimum wage for the previous year
• Working for an employer based in an EU country, which isn’t covered
• Freelancers with less than a year of documented remote work
• A company stake of 25% or less, without a management or legal representative role
• Missing apostilles, or translations that aren’t sworn
• Applying at a consulate in a country where you’re only visiting
• Invoicing Bulgarian clients, which can get your permit revoked

Is this visa right for you?

Bulgaria’s permit suits non-EU freelancers, business owners and employees of non-EU companies who want a low-cost Schengen base for a year or two. It has one of the lowest income bars in the EU, and a flat 10% income tax for residents. Owners of small US, UK or other non-EU companies have a clear category of their own.

It’s less suitable if you work for a company in another EU country, if you’re a new freelancer without a year’s track record, or if you want a long-term home: the route stops at two years. Think of it as a trial, and if you want a permanent base, look at Spain or Portugal from the start.

FAQ

How much income do I need for Bulgaria’s digital nomad visa? 50 times the Bulgarian minimum monthly wage, gross. That’s €31,010 a year on the 2026 wage, or €27,533 on the 2025 wage, which some lawyers say applies to 2026 filings.

Can I apply if my employer is in another EU country? No. Employees must work for an employer registered outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland.

How long can I stay? One year, extendable once, so two years in total.

How much tax will I pay in Bulgaria? If you become tax resident, Bulgaria’s flat rate of 10% applies to your worldwide income. Your home country may still have a claim, so take advice.

Can I apply from inside Bulgaria? No. You need a type D visa from a Bulgarian consulate first, then you apply for the permit in Bulgaria.

Does it lead to permanent residence? Not on its own, because it stops after two years. Switching to another permit could let you build toward the five years needed.

If you don’t qualify: alternatives and similar visas

If you work for an EU employer, or want more than two years, compare your options on our digital nomad visas page, or start with:

• Croatia’s digital nomad visa, which accepts employees of any foreign company and doesn’t tax your remote income
• Spain’s digital nomad visa, with a path to permanent residency after five years
• Romania’s digital nomad visa, another lower-cost option in the region

Sources

• State Gazette No. 52/2025: Law amending the Law on Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria (official, in Bulgarian)
• Kinstellar: Bulgaria introduces residence permit for digital nomads (law firm)
• Innovires: How to apply for Bulgaria’s digital nomad visa (Bulgarian law firm)

Educational information, not legal, immigration or tax advice. Rules change, so check the official sources before you apply.