Bulgaria · Digital nomad
Digital Nomad Residence Permit (Article 24k, Foreigners Act)
NEW AND LIVE — not merely proposed. Introduced by amendments promulgated in State Gazette No. 52 of 27 June 2025; implementing Cabinet decree approved 10 December 2025; applications open since 22 December 2025.
At roughly EUR 31,000 a year this is one of the most accessible nomad permits in the EU — Romania's equivalent demands roughly double. 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 express bar on permanent residence make it a tax-residency anchor, not a structuring tool.
Qualifying routes
At least 50x the Bulgarian monthly minimum wage, averaged over the preceding calendar year, gross — roughly EUR 31,000/year on the 2026 minimum wage. The threshold floats with the minimum wage.
The facts
- Qualifying figure
- €31k
- Total landed cost
- Government and consular fees only — modest. Two-stage process: Type D long-stay visa then residence permit.
- Timeline
- 2–4 months — 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 — whether dependants receive derivative permits is not addressed in any source we could verify
- Permanent residency
- None — the permit expressly does not lead to permanent residence
- Citizenship
- None via this route
- Language test
- n/a
- Dual citizenship
- Permitted
- Requirements
- non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationalremote employee of a non-EU/EEA/Swiss employer, or owner of over 25% of such a company, or self-employed with at least 1 year of remote-work historyincome of at least 50x the Bulgarian monthly minimum wage averaged over the preceding calendar yearaccommodation, medical insurance and criminal record certificate
- Hard two-year cap: one year plus a single one-year renewal, and it expressly does not lead to permanent residence. A dead-end permit by design.
- You may not work for, or provide services to, persons in Bulgaria.
- The income threshold floats with the Bulgarian minimum wage — it was roughly EUR 27,500 on the 2025 wage and roughly EUR 31,000 on the 2026 wage. Re-check at application.
- Family eligibility is unclear and we could not verify it. If dependants matter, confirm before filing.
- Company owners must hold over 25% of a non-EU/EEA/Swiss company; the self-employed need at least one year of prior remote-work history.