Moving to Bulgaria
This is the planning end of the site — for people still weighing Bulgaria against other countries, still unsure which permit applies to them, and still assuming the paperwork can wait. It covers the decision, the honest country comparisons, the documents you legalize before you fly, moving with animals, and the order everything happens in.
Most people reading this have not decided yet, and the expensive mistakes happen in the months before the flight. This section covers the decision, the country comparisons, the paperwork you legalize at home, pets, and the sequence once you land.
Start here
- [Moving to Bulgaria: the complete guide](/guides/moving-to-bulgaria-complete-guide) — the whole arc in one place, so the specialized guides have context.
- Compare honestly: vs Portugal, vs Spain, vs Greece, vs Romania, vs Cyprus. Rule it in or out while changing your mind is still free.
- [What Schengen and the euro changed](/guides/bulgaria-schengen-euro-2026-what-changed) — full Schengen since January 2025, euro since 1 January 2026; older advice is usually wrong on both.
- [Residence permits explained](/guides/bulgaria-residence-permits-explained), or the residency wizard. Your route decides your documents, consulate and timeline — settle it before anything else.
- [Apostille and document legalization](/guides/apostille-documents-bulgaria) — start the week you pick a route; it runs on someone else's clock and is the usual reason a move slips.
- [Moving with pets](/guides/moving-to-bulgaria-with-pets) — vaccination and paperwork timelines set the earliest date you can legally fly with an animal.
What people get wrong
Schengen access is not permission to live here
Bulgaria has been a full Schengen member since January 2025, so visiting is easy — and that is the trap: visitor time never becomes residence. Non-EU nationals need a type D visa from a Bulgarian consulate outside the country, converted into a residence card after arrival. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens have a much shorter path.
Documents get legalized where they were issued
Birth and marriage certificates, police clearance and diplomas are apostilled in the issuing country, then translated and certified in Bulgaria. Cheap and boring while you are still at home; slow and expensive once you have left. Build the list from your permit type and do one batch.
Most numbers online are pre-euro
The lev no longer exists — Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026 — so any price quoted in leva is stale. Current figures: 10% flat income tax, 10% corporate, 5% on dividends, social security capped at €2,300 a month of income. The digital nomad permit from December 2025 expects roughly €31,000 a year; check yours in the salary calculator.
Common questions
Do I need a visa to move to Bulgaria?
With EU, EEA or Swiss citizenship, no — you move first and register locally. Everyone else needs a type D visa from a Bulgarian consulate before travel; that visa is what lets you request a residence card after arrival. The category depends on why you come: work, company, retirement, family or remote work.
How long does the whole move take?
Plan in months, not weeks. The slow steps are outside your control: consulate appointments and apostilles from your home authorities. The Bulgarian side is faster once you are in the system — pick a route, legalize documents, book the consulate, fly, then register your address and sort banking and health insurance.
Is Bulgaria still cheap now that it uses the euro?
The changeover was a currency swap, not a price reset: the wage base is still far below Western Europe, with a minimum wage of €620.20 a month. Build a real budget in the cost-of-living calculator rather than trusting a headline.
Then move on to the residency and visa guides, or ask in the Q&A.