Bulgaria Country Profile

Passport
For more details visit Bulgaria Passport Ranking
  • Passport Grade
    B+
  • Passport Ranking
    50/198
  • Passport Score
    157.1/198
  • Visa-free Countries
    153
  • Visa-required Countries
    45
  • Access to the World's GDP
    49%
  • Access to the World's Surface Area
    51%
  • Access to the World's Population
    40%
  • Access to the Unesco Sites
    77%
Citizenship and Naturalization
Birthright citizenship (Jus Soli)
  • Birthright citizenship (Jus Soli)
    No
    No provisions
Naturalization - Standard Conditions
  • Minimum residency period
    10 years
    Must hold permanent residency for 5 years, which takes 5 years to obtain.
  • Physical presence requirement
  • Language test
    Yes, Bulgarian
  • Need to renounce original citizenship?
    Yes, but exceptions are possible
  • Can minor children naturalize?
  • Can naturalized parents pass citizenship to a child born abroad?
  • Can you lose naturalization due to prolonged absence/ naturalization elsewhere?
Naturalization - Your Spouse is a Citizen
  • Living IN the country: Residency/marriage requirement
    8 years / 3 years
    Must be married for 3 years, and hold permanent residency for 3 year (which generally takes 5 more years for non-EU citizens to obtain.)
  • Living ABROAD: Marriage requirement
    Not allowed
  • Language test
    Yes, Bulgarian
  • Need to renounce original citizenship?
    Yes, but exceptions are possible
Naturalization - Other Beneficial Provisions
  • Your child is a citizen
    No provisions
  • Citizens of specific countries
"–": The provision has not been analysed.
Visas and Residencies
Visas and Residencies
Taxation
For more details visit Cost of Living
  • Taxation Type
    Residence-based
A tax resident of a country with a RESIDENCE-BASED tax system pays taxes on their WORLDWIDE income. However, if you lose tax residency status there (e.g., by moving out), the country will generally stop taxing you.

Bulgaria boasts an income tax of flat 10% on most types of personal and business income
Bulgaria is part of the European Economic Area (EEA), allowing its citizens to live and work in any other EEA country, plus Switzerland. (The EEA consists of 27 European Union countries plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.)
Schiff Sovereign's Take on Bulgaria
Bulgaria, which has been an EU member state since 2007, has a lot going for it.

For starters, it boasts a comfortable climate and low cost of living. (Digital nomads will find the latter aspect very attractive.)

The lifestyle is pleasant in Bulgaria. The capital, Sofia, is a fun city with a population of just over a million people. It’s not enormous, but still has all the amenities you could want. You’ve also got a beautiful countryside and vacation spots such as Varna, which is a fairly famous resort city on the Black Sea.

Hostorially, Bulgaria has been pretty close to Russia.

Today, Bulgaria has all the advantages of Russia (before the Ukrainian invasion): a developing market with multiple opportunities, well-educated people, a decent tax system… but without Russia’s political risk. 

As for taxation, Bulgaria's 10% flat tax rate on most income types is appealing, too.

Locals are also generally well educated, with a decent level of English proficiency. 

Westerners will find Bulgaria to be very inexpensive. Land and labor are cheap, and input costs are low, so you can successfully manufacture virtually anything in Bulgaria. The country is also part of the EU, so you can target the entire European market with your products or services.

Bulgaria is on an upward trajectory. For example, it’s increasingly popular as a destination for companies providing financial services. One of the alumni from our annual entrepreneurship camp has started an investment firm there. Another alumnus has moved there to start an apiculture company.

And if you have any Bulgarian blood in your veins, pay attention. The country is home to a successful Citizenship by Ancestry program, allowing you to claim Bulgarian citizenship if one of your ancestors emigrated from Bulgaria. 

You can be separated from your ancestor by up to three generations (up to your great-grandparent) and still qualify.

Citizenship by Ancestry is typically the cheapest and least intrusive way to obtain a coveted second passport.
Schiff Sovereign's Rolodex
Service Providers available in Bulgaria
  • Immigration (residency, citizenship)
  • Tax advice (attorneys and/or accountants)
  • Corporate services (company formation, etc.)
  • Real Estate (agents, lawyers)
  • Citizenship by Ancestry
  • Citizenship by Investment
Obtain access to our Rolodex by signing up for Sovereign Confidential Join Sovereign Confidential Today

Sovereign Global Explorer

Benefiting from over a decade of our team’s boots-on-the-ground experience, Global Explorer is where your international journey begins.
Bulgaria Overview
  • Region
    Europe
  • Capital City
    Sofia
  • Largest City
    Sofia
  • Currency
    Bulgarian lev
  • Languages
    Bulgarian
  • Population
    6.5 million (112th)
  • Life Expectancy
    75.6 years (118th)
  • GDP (Nominal)
    $85 billion (71st)
  • GDP/Capita
    $13,037 (77th)
Useful Data
For more details visit Cost of Living
  • Cost of Living
    Inexpensive (3/7)
  • Climate
    Comfortable (2/5)
  • Safety
    Very Safe (2/7)
  • Pollution
    Average (3/5)
  • English Proficiency
    Moderate (3/5)

Sovereign Global Explorer

Benefiting from over a decade of our team’s boots-on-the-ground experience, Global Explorer is where your international journey begins.

Ready to fire-proof your future? Learn how here...

Subscribe to our FREE Sovereign Letters series below. Packed with powerful, immediately actionable Plan B strategies, signing up for this newsletter is one of THE best steps you can take, right now, to safeguard your freedom and maximize your sovereignty.

SIGN UP NOW TO TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR FUTURE

Found a mistake or have a suggestion with Bulgaria Country Profile? Let us know by filling out the form below.