Guidance

Living in Bulgaria

Information for British citizens moving to or living in Bulgaria, including guidance on residency, healthcare and driving.

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Published
22 March 2013
Last updated
29 October 2024 — See all updates

This guide sets out essential information for British citizens moving to or living in Bulgaria. Read about how our embassy in Sofia can help.

This information is provided as a guide only. You should get definitive information from the Bulgarian authorities. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is not liable for any inaccuracies in this information.

Support for British nationals abroad: A guide sets out how British nationals can stay safe abroad and how the FCDO can help if you do get into difficulty.

Read general guidance on moving or retiring abroad.

To stay up to date:

Before you go

See our travel advice for Bulgaria for up-to-date information on entry requirements, local laws and customs, safety and emergencies.

If you were living in Bulgaria before 1 January 2021

Some parts of this guide only apply if you have been living in Bulgaria since before 1 January 2021. You should read these in addition to the rest of the guidance in each section.

You should also read our living in Europe page for detailed guidance about citizens’ rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Visas and residency

Check the entry requirements for Bulgaria.

If you move to Bulgaria, you may need a visa. Read the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ guidance on visas.

Read the Ministry of Interior information about which documents you need for different kinds of residence permits.

Once you have been resident in Bulgaria for 5 consecutive years, you can apply to the Migration Directorate for a permanent residency permit.

Applying for Bulgarian citizenship

When you have held a permanent residence permit in Bulgaria for 5 years, you can apply for Bulgarian citizenship (in Bulgarian).

You may need to renounce your UK citizenship, depending on your personal circumstances (for example, if you are not married to a Bulgarian citizen).

For your Bulgarian citizenship application, you may need to order a birth, marriage or death certificate from the UK. You may also need a UK criminal records certificate.

You may need to have these and other UK documents officially translated. We have provided a list of translators. You may also have to get your documents legalised (apostilled).

Visas and residency if you were living in Bulgaria before 1 January 2021

If you have lived in Bulgaria since before 1 January 2021, you and your family members have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

You should request a new residence card (документ за пребиваване) which will show that you have these rights. It will also show your right to enter Bulgaria, and exempt you from the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and visa requirements.

The deadline for applying for the new residence card was 31 December 2021. You may need to pay a fine if you apply after this date.

Your close family members continue to be able to join you and settle in Bulgaria at any time in the future. Read more information on who this applies to in the Living in Europe guidance. They must travel to Bulgaria and then apply as your family member.

Nationals of certain non-EU countries may need a visa before travel. The Bulgarian authorities should issue family reunion visas free of charge.

Read the Advice on Individual Rights in Europe (AIRE) Centre’s guidance on residency in Bulgaria if you moved to Bulgaria before 1 January 2021.

Passports and travel

You can apply for or renew your British passport from Bulgaria.

Check the Bulgaria travel advice for passport validity requirements.

Always carry your passport when travelling to other EU or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. If you have citizenship of an EU or EFTA country, in addition to your British citizenship, you should enter and leave Bulgaria using your EU or EFTA passport.

Bulgaria is now part of the Schengen area. Visits to Bulgaria count towards your 90-day visa-free limit in the Schengen area.

On 31 March 2024, Bulgaria joined Schengen for border control-free travel via air and sea. Border controls will continue to remain at all land and river borders, including those within the Schengen zone. You will need to show your passport at land and river borders, although your passport should not be stamped.

Visits to any other Schengen countries in the 180 days before you travel to Bulgaria will count towards your 90-day visa-free limit.

If you’re travelling to Bulgaria (and all other Schengen countries) without a visa, make sure your whole visit to the Schengen area is within the 90-day limit.

If you stay in Bulgaria with a Bulgarian residence permit or long-stay visa, this time does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit for travel to the Schengen area.

Different rules apply if you are travelling to other EU and Schengen countries as a resident of Bulgaria.

Check each country’s travel advice page for information on entry requirements.

The EU is planning to introduce a new digital system for travellers called the Entry/Exit System (EES). We are still waiting for the EU to confirm the exact date when EES will be introduced. Once the system is in place, non-EU nationals visiting the EU, including UK nationals, will need to create a digital record when they enter the EU’s Schengen Zone. This includes providing biometric data (fingerprints and facial image) at the border.

If you are a UK national with rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, you will be exempt from EES registration if you have the correct documentation. View the EU’s frequently asked questions about the EES.

All UK nationals, lawfully resident in Bulgaria before 1 January 2021, should keep their residence document under the Withdrawal Agreement, issued by the Bulgarian authorities,  with them when travelling. Also make sure it remains valid, and replace it if it’s lost or stolen.

If you hold other residence permits issued to non-EU nationals under the general system for legal residents, you also are exempt from EES. View more information on the Ministry of Interior website: Information about Brexit.

If you were living in Bulgaria before 1 January 2021

When you travel, you should carry your residence document (Документ за пребиваване) or frontier worker permit issued under the Withdrawal Agreement, in addition to your valid passport.

You must proactively show your residence document, or other evidence of residence status, if you are asked to show your passport at border control. Other evidence may be your tenancy agreement or a utility bill in your name, dating from 2020. If you have applied for, but not yet received, your residence document, show your certificate of registration.

If you cannot prove that you are a resident in Bulgaria, you may be asked additional questions at the border to enter the EU. Your passport may be stamped on entry and exit. This will not affect your rights in the country or countries where you live or work. If a passport is stamped, the stamp is considered null and void when you can show evidence of lawful residence.

If you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, you can enter and exit Bulgaria with a valid passport. You do not need any additional validity on your passport beyond the dates on which you are travelling.

Healthcare in Bulgaria

Read our guidance on healthcare in Bulgaria and make sure you are correctly registered for your circumstances.

Travel insurance is not intended to cover healthcare costs if you live overseas.

If you cannot register for healthcare, you must ensure you have private healthcare cover for Bulgaria.

Be aware that UK travel insurance providers will not generally cover your healthcare costs if you live overseas.

View a list of English-speaking doctors in Bulgaria.

Medicine

If you are on a prescription for any medication you should ensure you have a supply of it, or are able to obtain it when in Bulgaria. Certain medicines may not be available in Bulgaria (including major brands readily available in the UK), and you may be prohibited from taking them into the country. You should consult your GP before travelling to Bulgaria to find out about any alternative medication.

Read the guidance if you need to travel with medicines.

Working in Bulgaria

If you are planning to move to Bulgaria and work, you may need a visa.

To apply for a job you may need to provide a UK criminal records check, known as a DBS check.

You can get a Bulgarian criminal records certificate from the Judicial Records Register from any Bulgarian Regional Court (Районен съд) or from the Ministry of Justice. You can read the details and download application forms at the Ministry of Justice website (in Bulgarian).

Read:

If you were living in Bulgaria before 1 January 2021

You have the right to work under the Withdrawal Agreement, if you have a residence document (Документ за пребиваване) or have applied for one.

If you live in Bulgaria and were regularly commuting to work in another EU or EFTA country before 1 January 2021, read our guidance for frontier workers.

Professional qualifications

You may need to get your professional qualification recognised if you want to work in a profession that is regulated in Bulgaria.

Read guidance on:

If you were living in Bulgaria before 1 January 2021

If the relevant regulator in Bulgaria officially recognised your professional qualification before 1 January 2021, or you started the recognition process by this date, make sure you understand the terms of your decision. You should get advice from the relevant regulator.

Studying in Bulgaria

If you plan to study in Bulgaria, you must meet all visa requirements before you travel.

Contact the relevant higher education provider in Bulgaria to check what fees you may have to pay.

Read guidance on:

If you were living in Bulgaria before 1 January 2021

The studying in the European Union guide includes information if you were already living in Bulgaria before 1 January 2021.

Studying in Bulgaria

If you plan to study in Bulgaria, you must meet all visa requirements before you travel.

Contact the relevant higher education provider in Bulgaria to check what fees you have to pay.

Tax

The UK has a double taxation agreement with Bulgaria so that you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries. Ask the relevant tax authority your questions about double taxation relief.

You should get professional advice on paying tax in Bulgaria. Find an English-speaking lawyer in Bulgaria.

In Bulgaria, you should expect to pay personal income tax and home owners’ tax. Additional taxes exist, including a vehicle tax and a fee for rubbish collection. See National Revenue Agency (in Bulgarian).

Read guidance on:

National Insurance and social security contributions

National Insurance-type contributions (NIC) are called ‘social security contributions’ (SSC) in Bulgaria. Find out if you need to pay National Insurance in the UK or social security contributions in Bulgaria.

You can request proof from HMRC of the time you’ve worked in the UK and your UK National Insurance Record.

Read guidance on:

Benefits

UK benefits

Read guidance on entitlement to UK benefits and pensions while you are living in Bulgaria.

Check which UK benefits you can claim while abroad and how to claim them.

Many income-related benefits such as Pension Credit and Housing Benefit cannot be paid if you’re abroad for more than 4 weeks.

Bulgarian benefits

You may be eligible to claim some Bulgarian social security benefits.

You can get information about local Bulgarian benefits and pensions from the National Social Security Institute.

Pensions

Read guidance on entitlement to UK benefits and pensions while you are living in Bulgaria.

Read State Pension guidance if you have lived in Australia, Canada or New Zealand and you are claiming or waiting to claim your UK State Pension.

If you retire in Bulgaria, you can claim:

If you have not worked in Bulgaria, you should claim your UK State Pension by contacting the International Pension Centre.

Read the Money and Pension Service’s MoneyHelper guidance on pension and retirement for more information on cross-border pensions.

Life certificates for UK State Pensions

If you get a ‘life certificate’ from the UK Pension Service you need to respond as soon as possible. Your payments may be suspended if you do not.

Money and banking

Whether UK banks can provide services to customers living in the EEA depends on local laws and regulation.

Read the Money and Pension Service’s MoneyHelper guidance on banking, insurance and financial services for more information on cross-border banking.

Accommodation and buying property

All UK nationals living in Bulgaria are subject to property rules for third country nationals, according to the Property and Use of Agricultural Land Act. This includes people whose rights are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement.

Property you already own is not affected by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, and you do not need to transfer your ownership.

You should seek specialised legal advice when purchasing property in Bulgaria.

You can purchase buildings, apartments and real estate in Bulgaria. However, you can only purchase agricultural land if you have resided in Bulgaria for more than 5 years. UK nationals can still acquire agricultural land through inheritance.

Read our guidance on buying a property abroad.

Driving in Bulgaria

You cannot renew or replace your UK, Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or Isle of Man licence if you live in Bulgaria. Read the guidance on what you must do to drive legally in Bulgaria:

Exchanging your UK, Gibraltar, Jersey or Guernsey licence

If you habitually live in Bulgaria, and have a Bulgarian residence permit, you must exchange your driving licence for a Bulgarian one.

To exchange your licence please visit your nearest Traffic Police office. These are situated at your nearest Regional Police Department (in Bulgarian).

You will need to bring with you:

  • A medical certificate from a General Practitioner stating that you are fit to drive. If you have an ongoing medical condition specified in Ordinance No. 3 of 11.05.2011 on the physical fitness requirements for motor vehicle drivers, then the medical certificate card is issued by the Transport Central Expert Medical Committee or the relevant Transport District Expert Medical Committee (TCLEK/TOLEK).

  • Your Bulgaria residence document.

  • The UK driving licence to be replaced (it should be retained whilst the application is processed, and handed over to the relevant “Traffic Police” unit upon receipt of the new Driving Licence).

If you are exchanging a “С1”, “С”, “С1Е”, “СЕ”, “D1”, “D”, “D1Е” or “DЕ” licence, e.g. for minibuses, lorries, some vehicles with trailers and Heavy Goods Vehicles, you will also need to provide:

  • A medical certificate following an examination of your vision, hearing, nervous system, internal organs and any past surgery or orthopaedic-trauma. These examinations should be conducted by specialists. You should ask your GP for advice on how to obtain this certificate following the necessary examinations.

  • A certificate for psychological fitness. You should ask your GP for advice on how to obtain this.

Categories of entitlement are carried over in line with those set out on the submitted UK driving licence. If you only want to retain the entitlements necessary for driving a car or motorbike, you can do that by stating this in writing when submitting the application. To do this, a separate application should be submitted in free text or using the forms prepared in some of the Regional Directorates of the Ministry of Interior.

At the Traffic Police office, you will need to:

  • sign an application form (computer generated, provided by the Traffic Police Office);
  • sign a declaration of habitual residence (provided by the Traffic Police Office).The declaration confirms that the usual residence of the applicant is in Bulgaria; and that the applicant does NOT have a valid driving licence issued by an EU member state.

It costs 25 BGN to exchange your driving licence – the fee can be paid on site via card or at any bank.

Your new Bulgarian driving license should be ready within 30 days. You can collect it from the Traffic Police Office where you submitted your application. Please note that you will also have to return the UK driving licence being replaced to the Traffic Police Office upon receipt of your new Bulgarian driving licence.

For further details please read the Bulgarian government’s guidance for UK nationals on how to exchange your driving licence.

Please note that the application for exchanging your driving licence will be in Bulgarian. If you don’t speak Bulgarian, you should consider bringing a Bulgarian speaker with you. If you decide to hire a professional translator or interpreter, you will be responsible for any costs related to their services. If you need help finding a translator or interpreter please click this link.

Exchanging your Isle of Man licence

If you have a licence from the Isle of Man you may need to take a test.

Disabled drivers

If you have a UK Blue Badge and live in Bulgaria, you must return it to the original UK issuing authority. To apply for a new Bulgarian disabled parking card, you must have a certificate from your local Territorial Expert Medical Commission (in Bulgarian) and then apply at your local municipality.

Read the EU guidance on the EU parking card for people with disabilities.

Bringing a UK-registered vehicle to Bulgaria

Read our guidance on taking a vehicle out of the UK.

Driving outside Bulgaria with a Bulgarian licence

You can use your Bulgarian licence when visiting the UK. Keep up-to-date with the UK Highway Code.

If you go to live in the UK, you can exchange your Bulgarian licence for a UK one without taking a test.

To drive in another country, in addition to your Bulgarian licence you may need to apply for an IDP (in Bulgarian).

Read the EU guidance on:

Voting

You cannot vote in Bulgaria.

You may be able to vote in some UK elections. You can:

Births, deaths, marriage and civil partnerships

Births

If your child is born in Bulgaria, you can register the birth with the UK authorities in addition to registering locally. If your child has British nationality, you do not need to register the birth with the UK authorities to apply for a British passport.

Deaths

If someone dies in Bulgaria, read our guidance on:

Marriage and civil partnership

Find out how you can get married or get a civil partnership abroad.

You may also need notarial and documentary services for UK nationals in Bulgaria

Pets

If you’re moving to Bulgaria with your pet, read the guidance and ensure you comply with the regulations:

To visit other countries with your pet, check the rules for the country you’re travelling to. Contact your vet to get the travel documents your pet needs.

Read guidance on:

Before you travel, check the rules for the country you’re travelling to for any additional restrictions or requirements.

Emergencies

Dial the European emergency number 112 in Bulgaria for the police, ambulance or fire brigade, or dial:

  • 166 for police
  • 160 for fire brigade
  • 150 for first aid

Dial the EU 116 000 hotline to report a missing child in the EU country where you live or in another EU country.

If you need guidance on child abduction, read the guidance on international parental child abduction; the EU guidance on child abduction and EU guidance on child abduction to another EU country.

If you have been the victim of a rape or sexual assault in Bulgaria, read the guidance on what to do and where to get support in cases of rape and sexual assault.

If you’re the victim of a crime, have been arrested, or are affected by a crisis, contact the British Embassy Sofia.

Returning to the UK

Read the guidance on returning to the UK permanently which includes information on, amongst other things, bringing family members, tax and access to services.

Updates to this page

Published 22 March 2013
Last updated 29 October 2024 + show all updates

  1. The EU has delayed the introduction of its new Entry Exit Scheme (EES) with no new introduced date yet confirmed.

  2. Information on EES travel was added

  3. Information on travel documents for UK citizens in light of Bulgaria's accession to Schengen.

  4. Changes made to the 'Exchanging your UK, Gibraltar, Jersey or Guernsey driving licence' section. Due to changes in Bulgarian legislation, UK nationals can now exchange their driving licences without providing a Certificate of Secondary Education.

  5. Information reviewed and updated. July 2023.

  6. Visas and residency guidance updated, following the 31 December 2021 residency deadline for people with rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

  7. Guidance reviewed for Passports and travel, Healthcare, Working in Bulgaria, Studying in Bulgaria, Money, tax and banking, Benefits, Births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships, Emergencies, Returning to the UK and Useful information sections.

  8. Updated information on professional qualifications and pensions.

  9. Professional qualifications section updated for British citizens who are moving or moved to Bulgaria after 1 January 2021 and those living there since before 1 January 2021.

  10. Working in Bulgaria section updated: new guidance for frontier workers

  11. Additional support section updated with link to guidance on UK Nationals Support Fund, healthcare section updated including guidance on the S1 form and applying for EHIC and GHIC cards; education section updated with information on funding eligibility for students, and link to Department for International Trade (DIT) guidance on recognition of professional qualifications; working in Bulgaria section updated with link to DIT guidance on working or providing services.

  12. Coronavirus section updated with a link to guidance on vaccines

  13. Information added on driving licence validity and rules on buying property

  14. Updated as the transition period ends with new information on pet travel and moving to Bulgaria.

  15. Passports and travel section updated on carrying proof of residence when travelling.

  16. Residency section updated with new information on registration.

  17. Healthcare section updated on how to apply for a new UK EHIC as a student or S1 holder. Working section updated with information on frontier workers.

  18. Visas and residency section updated to include information about how to access the UK Nationals Support Fund for those who may find it harder to complete their residency applications.

  19. Passports and travel section updated to include information on passport validity and entry requirements when travelling to other European countries from January 2021.

  20. Brexit update: includes further details on passport validity, healthcare rights and State Pension updating if the UK leaves the EU with a deal.

  21. Brexit update: healthcare section updated to reflect transitional arrangements announcement

  22. Brexit update: Pensions section updated to include further details on State Pension uprating.

  23. EU Exit updates: new information added to the following sections: "Passports and travel after the UK leaves the EU"; "Pensions after the UK leaves the EU" and "Returning to the UK"

  24. EU Exit update: Updated information in visas and residency, working, passports and travel, driving, healthcare and voting.

  25. Updated "Applying for Bulgarian citizenship" section: permanent residence required for 5 years in order to apply.

  26. We have updated the contact details you need to apply for an S1 form.

  27. EU Exit update: updated information in the visas and residency section

  28. EU Exit update: updated information on access to healthcare

  29. EU Exit update: updated information on pensions and driving

  30. EU Exit update: Added further information to residency, healthcare and driving sections, including links to external websites.

  31. Information about citizens outreach meetings added.

  32. EU Exit update: New information in residency and visa section on draft withdrawal agreement in principle between the UK and EU. Plus information on travelling with pets in Europe in pet section

  33. Updated March 2018

  34. Updated in March 2018.

  35. Updated January 2018

  36. The article now contains further detailed information on living in Bulgaria and reflects developments in light of the EU referendum.

  37. Information added on changes to EHIC rules and health cover for early retirees.

  38. First published.

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