Bulgaria · Digital nomad
Digital Nomad Residence Permit (Article 24s, Foreigners Act)
This is new and live, not merely proposed. It was introduced by amendments promulgated in State Gazette No. 52 of 27 June 2025, and the Council of Ministers approved the implementing decree on 10 December 2025.
At roughly EUR 27,500 a year in 2026, this is one of the most accessible nomad permits in the EU. Romania's equivalent demands roughly double that amount. Paired with Bulgaria's 10% flat tax, and now with Schengen and the euro, it is a serious proposition for 24 months. But the two-year cap and the lack of any route to permanent residence make it a tax-residency anchor, not a structuring tool.
Qualifying routes
Average gross income over the preceding calendar year must be at least 50 times the Bulgarian monthly minimum wage, taken at the preceding year's rate. For applications filed in 2026 that is roughly EUR 27,500 a year, on the 2025 wage; from 2027 it rises to roughly EUR 31,000, on the 2026 wage.
The facts
- Minimum
- €27.5k
- Total landed cost
- Government and consular fees only, and they are modest. The process has two stages: a Type D long-stay visa, then a residence permit.
- Route type
- Income requirement
- Timeline
- 2–4 months (The Type D visa at a consulate takes roughly 4-8 weeks. The residence permit application must follow within 14 days of entry.)
- Physical presence
- Genuine residence in Bulgaria.
- Family
- Not clarified. No source we could verify addresses whether dependants receive derivative permits
- Permanent residency
- None through this route. The permit lasts two years at most: one year plus a single one-year renewal.
- Citizenship
- None through this route.
- Language test
- Not applicable
- Dual citizenship
- Permitted
- Requirements
- non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationalremote employee of a non-EU/EEA/Swiss employer doing IT-based work, with any fixed-term contract running at least as long as the permit; or a legal representative, board member or owner of over 25% of such a company; or self-employed, personally providing IT services remotely for at least 1 yearincome of at least 50x the Bulgarian monthly minimum wage, averaged over the preceding calendar yearaccommodation, medical insurance and a criminal record certificate
- There is a hard two-year cap: one year plus a single one-year renewal. The permit offers no route to permanent residence, so it is a dead end by design.
- Company owners, representatives and the self-employed may not work for, or provide services to, persons in Bulgaria.
- The threshold is set on the preceding year's minimum wage, so it moves every January: roughly EUR 27,500 for applications in 2026, on the 2025 wage, and roughly EUR 31,000 from 2027, on the 2026 wage. Re-check the figure when you apply.
- Family eligibility is unclear and unverified. If dependants matter, confirm before filing.
- Company owners must hold over 25% of a non-EU/EEA/Swiss company; legal representatives and board members of such a company also qualify. The self-employed must have personally provided IT services remotely for at least one year.