The Bulgaria program allows an applicant to obtain permanent residence (PR) in 4-6 months, and to apply for standard citizenship after 5 years. Bulgaria PR will allow the applicant and his/her family to live, work, and study in Bulgaria. Bulgaria citizenship will allow the applicant and his/her family to live, work, and study anywhere in Europe and Switzerland.

Benefits

1. The government processing time for due diligence and permanent residence (PR) is 4-6 months.
2. There are no restrictions on nationalities (all foreign nationalities may apply).
3. There is no in-country residence requirement, but PR-holders may choose to reside, work, and study in Bulgaria.
4. When PR-holders receive a travel visa to a Schengen country (e.g. Greece), they can then travel freely amongst other Schengen countries.
5. Once Bulgaria joins Schengen, Permanent Residents will have visa-free access to all Schengen countries.
6. There is no age restriction, language requirement, in-country residency requirement, education requirement, or management/business experience requirement.
7. A signed declaration on the source of funds is all that is required; there is no detailed path of funds requirement.
8. Confederation offers a financing option, which replaces the minimum 6-year investment of €512,000 in government bonds. It is a payment to finance a non-recourse loan to the principal applicant, and he/she has no personal liability to repay any portion of the loan.
9. PR is lifelong, as long as the investment in government bonds is maintained (additional fees apply if the investment is maintained after 6 full years).
10. Applicants can apply for citizenship after holding PR for 5 years.
11. Citizens have visa-free access to approximately 142 countries and territories, including Canada and Europe.
12. Bulgaria allows dual/multiple citizenship.
13. Citizenship is transferable by descent, so is transferred to all children and grandchildren regardless of age, marital status, or family size (including adopted children).
14. Bulgaria has one of the lowest income tax rates in the European Union (10% flat rate for personal and corporate tax), and a free-trade environment. The applicant doesn’t pay Bulgarian income tax if he/she resides outside Bulgaria.

Geography

Bulgaria is a Balkan nation with diverse terrain, encompassing coastline along the Black Sea, a mountainous interior, and rivers (including the Danube). It is located in southeastern Europe, bordering Romania, Serbia, the Republic of Macedonia, Greece, and Turkey. It has an area of approximately 111,000 km².

Population

The country has a population of 7.3 million people, approximately 18% of whom live in the capital city of Sofia (1.3 million). Other cities and districts include Varna, Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo, and Stara Zagora.

Climate

Bulgaria has a temperate-continental climate, with hot summers and snowfall in winter (especially in the mountains). The average temperature in Sofia varies from 27°C in July and August, to -4°C in January.

Languages

The official language is Bulgarian, and a large percentage of the population also speaks English, German, or French.

Education

There is a free public school system for children with Citizenship or Permanent Residency. There is also an American school that accepts international students, and a number of private schools that use the British curriculum (such as Saint George International School and Preschool in Sofia).

Economy

Bulgaria is part of the European Union, but not part of the Eurozone. The currency is the Lev (BGN), which is tied to the euro (€): 1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN. Income tax is a flat rate of 10% for both personal and corporate tax, one of the lowest tax rates in the EU.

The GDP in 2015 was USD $18,501 per capita, with growth of 3.9%. The economic sectors in Bulgaria are services (67.4%), industry (27.5%), and agriculture (5.1%). Bulgaria exported $26.1 billion worth of goods in 2016, which was mainly clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, and fuels.

1. The applicant must possess a valid passport and reside legally in a country.
2. The applicant must pass a medical and security background check.
3. The applicant must provide a declaration explaining the source/origin of invested funds.
4. The principal applicant must be minimum age 18 years (no maximum age).
5. The spouse must be married to the principal applicant for at least 5 years.
6. The applicant must invest €512,000 in Bulgarian government bonds or listed stocks, for at least 6 years, to obtain residence. Confederation’s financing option is used to purchase these bonds/stocks for 6 years.
7. The applicant must visit Bulgaria up to four times (for 2-4 days respectively, to open an investment brokerage account, attend interviews and submit documents), but there is no further requirement for in-country residence during the process, and therefore no income tax liability.

To view or download a comparison of residence programs, please click here.