Bulgaria Visas, Taxes and Money for Digital Nomads

The visa was created by amendments to the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act passed in June 2025, with the implementing rules adopted in December 2025. It is a long-stay type D visa followed by a one-year residence permit.

• Who can apply: citizens of countries outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland who work remotely using technology as: an employee of a company registered outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland; an owner or partner holding more than 25% of such a company; or a freelancer who has provided remote services to clients outside Bulgaria for at least a year.
• Income: gross income in the previous calendar year of at least 50 times the Bulgarian minimum monthly wage, about €27,500 (about $31,000) for 2026 applications, based on the 2025 minimum wage. Some advisers calculate it from the previous year’s lower minimum wage, so check the figure your consulate uses.
• Length: one year, renewable once for another year, so two years in total. It doesn’t lead to permanent residence by itself.
• No local work: you can’t work for Bulgarian employers or clients, or take a job in Bulgaria.
• Schengen travel: as a residence permit holder, you can travel in the rest of the Schengen Area for 90 days in any 180.

Documents

Expect to provide:

• A valid passport and the visa application form, with photos.
• Your employment contract, company registry extract or client contracts, showing the work is done remotely.
• Proof of income for the previous calendar year, such as payslips, bank statements or tax returns.
• Health insurance valid in Bulgaria and the rest of the Schengen Area for the whole stay.
• Proof of accommodation in Bulgaria, such as a rental contract.
• A criminal record certificate from your home country.

Foreign documents usually need an apostille and a certified Bulgarian translation.

How to Apply

1. Type D visa at a Bulgarian consulate in your country of residence, usually with an interview. The visa fee is about €100, and processing commonly takes a month or more.
2. Residence permit in Bulgaria. After you arrive, apply to the Migration Directorate of the Ministry of Interior (or its regional office) for the one-year residence permit and residence card. There are further fees for the permit and card, adding up to a few hundred euros.
3. Renewal: apply before the permit expires to extend it for the second year.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (mfa.bg) and the Migration Directorate publish the official rules, mostly in Bulgarian. Many people use a local lawyer for the residence permit stage.

Family

Spouses and dependent children can join you, applying for their own type D visas and residence permits on the basis of family reunification, with proof of the relationship, insurance and enough income to support them.

Tax for Nomad Visa Holders

There is no special tax regime or exemption for nomad visa holders. If you spend more than 183 days in Bulgaria in any 12 months, you are normally tax resident and pay Bulgaria’s flat 10% on worldwide income (see below).

Bulgaria has been a full member of the Schengen Area since 1 January 2025, so its days count towards the same 90 days in any 180 as the rest of Schengen. Citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries can come visa-free for that time. You can’t extend a visa-free stay in Bulgaria to work remotely; for longer, you need the nomad visa or another residence permit.

• EES: the EU’s Entry/Exit System has been fully live since April 2026. Non-EU visitors register fingerprints and a photo at the border on their first entry, and the system counts your Schengen days automatically.
• ETIAS: the online travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors has no announced start date yet; the EU says it will give several months’ notice.
• Visa nationals (for example, citizens of India or China) need a Schengen short-stay visa for visits.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens don’t need a visa and can live and work in Bulgaria freely. If you stay more than three months, register with the Migration Directorate for a long-term residence certificate.

Overstaying the 90/180 rule or a residence permit can bring a fine, and with EES your exit date is recorded automatically. Longer overstays can lead to an entry ban covering the whole Schengen Area. Plan exits carefully and keep your permit renewals early.

This is a general guide, not tax advice.

• Residence: you are generally tax resident if you spend more than 183 days in Bulgaria in any 12-month period, or if your centre of vital interests (home, family, work) is in Bulgaria. Tax treaties can change the outcome if you are also resident elsewhere.
• Residents pay a flat 10% income tax on worldwide income. Freelancers in liberal professions can usually deduct a fixed 25% of their income as expenses before tax.
• Self-employed residents also pay social security and health contributions, a little under 30% of declared income up to a monthly cap.
• Non-residents pay tax only on Bulgarian-source income. Work physically done in Bulgaria can count as Bulgarian-source, which is one reason short stays are simpler.
• Returns are filed by 30 April for the previous year with the National Revenue Agency.

Read our guide to taxes for digital nomads, and get advice from a Bulgarian accountant if you will stay most of a year.

Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026 at a fixed rate of 1.95583 lev to the euro. Prices, rent, salaries and ATMs are all in euros. The lev, the former currency, is no longer used in shops, though older listings and locals sometimes still mention lev prices. The Bulgarian National Bank exchanges old lev notes.

Cards and contactless payments are accepted almost everywhere in the cities, but carry some cash for small shops, markets, taxis and mountain huts. Use bank ATMs (DSK, UniCredit Bulbank and others) and always decline the ATM’s currency conversion; some independent ATMs charge high fees. Because Bulgaria uses the euro and is in the EU, Wise, Revolut and other euro accounts work well for paying rent and bills.

A Bulgarian bank account is useful for long stays and is usually needed for some utilities. Banks generally ask for a passport, proof of address and, for non-EU citizens, a residence permit; requirements vary by branch.