Retiring to Bulgaria on a UK state pension — is it enough for the visa, and how is the pension taxed?

Yes to all three, with pleasant surprises in the detail. Visa: the pensioner D visa route requires proof of a stable pension income plus means of subsistence, accommodation in Bulgaria and health cover. Two full UK state pensions comfortably satisfy consulates, especially backed by house-sale proceeds in the bank. You will need pension award letters, a Bulgarian bank account with funds, and your property deed or rental contract, with apostilles and certified translations. After arriving on the D visa you apply for the one-year residence permit, renewable annually, with permanent residence available after five years. Uprating: Bulgaria is covered by the UK-EU arrangements, so your state pension keeps its annual increases — no frozen pension problem as in some non-EU countries. Also request the S1 form from the UK before you leave: it entitles state pensioners to Bulgarian public healthcare funded by the UK, which is a significant benefit most people discover too late. Tax: Bulgaria exempts pensions paid under a compulsory state social security scheme, and the UK state pension qualifies — so Bulgaria takes nothing from it. Your workplace pension is different: under the UK-Bulgaria tax treaty it becomes taxable in Bulgaria once you are resident here, at the 10 percent flat rate — modest on £250 a month. File the treaty claim with HMRC so they issue an NT code and pay it gross, otherwise you will chase refunds of UK withholding. Our retirement guide at /guides/retiring-in-bulgaria covers the visa file, S1 procedure and yearly renewals step by step.