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Destination guide · Southeast Europe

Moving to Bulgaria from the U.S.

Which residence permit fits a pensioner, a remote worker, an employee, a freelancer or an investor, the 2026 money tests in euros (and the leva figures some laws still use), the U.S. tax treaty and the missing Social Security agreement, and what tax, health insurance, housing and paperwork involve, with every figure taken from, or calculated from, an official source and dated.

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Rules and figures checked: October 2026Official sources: 94
CurrencyEuro, since January 1, 2026Lev fixed at BGN 1.95583 = €1; EUR 1 = USD 1.1367 (ECB, Sep 24, 2026)12
EU / SchengenYes / YesEU member since 2007; land border checks ended January 1, 202534
Retirement permitYes, for pensionersMeans of at least the minimum pension or the minimum wage; the law does not say which5
Digital nomad income floor€27,533 or €31,010 a year50 minimum monthly wages; two readings of the law, about $31,297 or $35,24956
U.S. tax treatyYes, signed 2007Amended by a 2008 protocol; no Social Security totalization agreement789
Citizenship5 years after permanent residenceYou must give up U.S. citizenship, unless you are married to a Bulgarian citizen or of Bulgarian origin10
What changed, 2024 to 2026

What Has Changed in Bulgaria Since 2024

Bulgaria joined the Schengen area in full in 2025 and the euro area in 2026, created a residence permit for digital nomads, and adopted its 2026 social insurance budget late, in July, with new caps from August. The changes, newest first.

  • October 1, 2026: the statistics office’s flash estimate puts inflation for September 2026 at 5.6% a year, after 5.1% in August1112.
  • August 1, 2026: the maximum monthly insurable income, the cap on social contributions, rose from €2,111.64 to €2,300, and the minimum base for the self-employed from €550.66 to €620.20. The 2026 social insurance budget was published only on July 28, 2026, with effect from January 113.
  • July 1, 2026: the minimum pension rose from €322.37 to €347.51 a month13, and regulated household electricity prices rose by a weighted average of 3.05%14.
  • June 16, 2026: the Foreigners Act was amended: certificates for the investment routes come from the Ministry of Economy, Investment and Industry. The investment amounts did not change and are still written in leva5.
  • May 20, 2026: the EU regulation on data sharing for short-term rentals, (EU) 2024/1028, applies15. Whether Bulgaria has added a national registration scheme for it we could not confirm; see short-term rentals.
  • April 2026: new EU rules for bringing pets into the EU apply from April 2216; the EU’s Entry/Exit System replaced passport stamps at Schengen borders on April 1017.
  • January 31, 2026: an amendment to the Citizenship Act added a fast procedure to revoke naturalization in terrorism cases. The five-year rule, the language test and the requirement to give up your other citizenship did not change10.
  • January 1, 2026: Bulgaria adopted the euro, at a fixed 1.95583 leva per euro; leva remained legal tender for one month only11819. The minimum wage rose to €620.20 a month (BGN 1,213)6. Sofia re-set its transit fares in euros, rounded down20.
  • December 20, 2025: the documents rule for the new digital-nomad residence permit took effect. The permit itself was added to the Foreigners Act in June 2025215.
  • June 27, 2025: the Foreigners Act amendment that created the digital-nomad permit also requires residents to report a change of address within 30 days5, and the Health Insurance Act also covers holders of a single residence-and-work permit22.
  • January 1, 2025: checks at internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania ended; air and sea checks had ended on March 31, 20244. Days in Bulgaria count toward the Schengen limit of 90 days in any 180, like days in any other Schengen country23.
On this page
  1. Who Bulgaria suits
  2. Permits and money tests
  3. Step by step, in the right order
  4. Cost of living
  5. Health insurance
  6. Taxes, the treaty and Social Security
  7. Renting and buying
  8. Where to live
  9. Registration, numbers, banks, driving, pets
  10. EES and ETIAS
  11. A 12-month timeline
  12. Questions
  13. Sources
Is Bulgaria for you?

Who Bulgaria Suits, and Who It Frustrates

Bulgaria suits Americans with a pension, remote workers with a foreign employer or clients, and people who want a flat income tax. It frustrates anyone who wants to keep paying into one Social Security system only, to own land outright, or to become a citizen without giving up a U.S. passport.

In its favor

  • A dedicated pensioner permit: if you are entitled to a pension under any country’s law and have sufficient means, the law provides a long-term permit5.
  • A flat 10% income tax from the first euro, with no regional surcharge, according to the EU’s tax database and the government’s investment agency2425.
  • Under the U.S. tax treaty, U.S. Social Security paid to a Bulgarian resident or a U.S. citizen is taxable only in the United States78.
  • A digital-nomad permit since 2025 for people working remotely for a non-EU employer, their own non-EU company or their own clients outside Bulgaria5.
  • The law sets a 14-day limit for deciding a long-term residence permit filed in Bulgaria5.
  • A low annual property tax: municipalities set it between 0.1 and 4.5 per thousand of the assessed value, and Sofia charges 1.875 per thousand, according to the EU’s tax database26.

Against it

  • No Social Security totalization agreement with the United States: Bulgaria is not on the Social Security Administration’s list of agreements279. See what that means.
  • Citizenship means giving up U.S. citizenship, unless you are married to a Bulgarian citizen or of Bulgarian origin10.
  • Foreigners may not buy land except under EU-accession conditions, a ratified treaty or inheritance by law28.
  • The digital-nomad permit lasts at most two years: one year, renewable once5. By our reading, that is too short to reach the five years needed for permanent residence.
  • On an ordinary long-term permit, as a retiree or remote worker, you are probably outside the public health insurance system and need private coverage, by our reading of the Health Insurance Act22.
  • Prices are rising fast: consumer prices were 5.1% higher in August 2026 than a year earlier12, and house prices 15.5% higher in the second quarter of 202629.
Visas and permits

Which Permit Fits You, and What It Takes in 2026

As an American you can stay in Bulgaria without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180523. To live there you need a residence permit under the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act. The building blocks are these5:

  • A type D visa first. Every long-stay route starts with a long-stay visa from a Bulgarian consulate, valid for up to six months and for a stay of up to 180 days. You then apply in Bulgaria for the residence permit5.
  • A long-term permit (in Bulgarian, “prodalzhitelno” residence) is granted for up to one year unless the Act says otherwise, and is renewed from there. Permanent residence has no end date, and EU long-term resident status starts with a five-year permit5.
  • Conditions for every long-term permit: secured accommodation, health insurance, and sufficient means of at least the minimum monthly wage, the minimum stipend or the minimum pension, without relying on social assistance. On your first application, from age 18, you also need a criminal record certificate5.

The minimum monthly wage is €620.20 in 2026, about $704.986; the minimum pension is €347.51 a month from July 1, 2026, about $395.01, and was €322.37 before that13.

Euros, and the leva still in the laws. Bulgaria has used the euro since January 1, 20261. As of October 2026, the Foreigners Act, the Labor Migration Act, the Interior Ministry’s fee tariff and the Citizenship Act still state some amounts in leva (BGN). Under the Euro Introduction Act, those amounts are divided by the fixed rate of 1.95583 and rounded to the cent19. Where a law gives leva, we quote the leva and add our own euro conversion.

Main routes for U.S. citizens, 2026. Euro figures for amounts in leva are our conversions at the fixed rate. Checked October 7, 2026.
RouteMade forMoney or other testWhat you getLaw
PensionerPeople entitled to a pension under Bulgarian or foreign law5Sufficient means of at least the minimum pension (€347.51 a month) or the minimum wage (€620.20); the law does not say which5136A long-term permit for up to one year, renewable5Foreigners Act, art. 24(1) item 10
Digital nomadRemote workers for a non-EU employer or their own non-EU company, or freelancers of at least a year, with no work for anyone in Bulgaria5Gross average annual income of at least 50 minimum monthly wages: €27,533.07 or €31,010, depending on the reading56One year, renewable once for a second year5Foreigners Act, art. 24s
EU Blue CardHighly qualified employees with a contract of at least six months30Gross pay of at least 1.5 times the average wage: about €2,071 a month, by our arithmetic3031A card for 24 months to five years, renewable5Labor Migration Act, art. 17
Freelance practiceSelf-employed people with a detailed activity plan30A permit from the Employment Agency; fee BGN 400 (€204.52)30Up to one year, renewable30Labor Migration Act, arts. 44 and 45
Company owner or managerPartners and managers of a Bulgarian company5At least 10 full-time jobs for Bulgarian citizens, kept for the stay, unless a treaty provides otherwise5A long-term permit5Foreigners Act, art. 24(1) item 2
Start-up visaFounders of a high-tech or innovative project5A ministry certificate for the project and at least 50% of a Bulgarian company in that line of business5A long-term permit5Foreigners Act, art. 24p
Real estate investmentInvestors in Bulgarian real estate5At least BGN 600,000 (€306,775.13) per person, paid through a Bulgarian bank, with any loan no more than 25%5A long-term permit; permanent residence after keeping the investment five years5Foreigners Act, art. 24(1) item 19
Family reunificationFamily of a foreigner who has lived in Bulgaria for at least a year5The sponsor shows housing and means of at least the minimum wage or minimum pension5A decision within a month; then six months to apply for the D visa5Foreigners Act, art. 33f

Source: the Foreigners Act as amended to June 16, 20265 and the Labor Migration Act30. Article numbers are transliterated from the Bulgarian (24s, 24p and 33f are чл. 24с, 24п and 33ф). In dollars at the ECB rate of September 24, 2026 (EUR 1 = USD 1.1367), €620.20 is about $704.98, €31,010 about $35,249, €2,071 about $2,354 and €306,775 about $348,7112.

Income check

Does Your Income Meet the Digital-Nomad, Pensioner or Blue Card Figure?

Choose the route and enter your income in dollars or euros: gross income a year for the digital-nomad permit, your pension or other means a month for the pensioner permit, and gross pay a month for the Blue Card. Where the law can be read two ways, we check you against both figures. Dollars use the ECB rate of September 24, 2026 (EUR 1 = USD 1.1367)2; we compare to the exact cent.

A check of the money figure only, by our arithmetic. The digital-nomad figure is 50 minimum monthly wages “for the preceding calendar year”: 50 × the 2025 wage of BGN 1,077 is BGN 53,850, €27,533.07 at the fixed rate; 50 × the 2026 wage of €620.20 is €31,0105619. The pensioner figure is the minimum pension or the minimum wage513. The Blue Card figure is our mean of the statistics office’s monthly averages, times 1.53031323334. Meeting a figure does not mean a visa or permit will be granted.

Applying from the United States

You apply for the D visa only at the Bulgarian mission for your place of permanent residence, and a personal interview is mandatory35. Bulgaria has four posts in the United States, each covering a list of states, and all work by appointment, booked by phone or through Calendly36. We found no outsourced visa center for D visas in the United States on an official page.

Where Americans apply, by state of residence. Ministry of Foreign Affairs page last updated September 10, 2026; checked October 7, 2026.
PostStates covered
Embassy consular section, WashingtonDC, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas, Florida36
Consulate General, New YorkConnecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont36
Consulate General, ChicagoColorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming36
Consulate General, Los AngelesAlaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington State36

Fees. The D visa costs €100, about $114, and is not refunded if you are refused37. In Bulgaria, the Interior Ministry’s fee for a long-term permit on grounds such as pensioner or digital nomad is BGN 500 (€255.65) for more than six months and up to a year, or BGN 200 (€102.26) for six months, plus a BGN 10 (€5.11) service fee. A Blue Card costs BGN 110 (€56.24), a student permit BGN 100 (€51.13), and a permit for family of permanent residents or of Bulgarians BGN 150 (€76.69)38. The tariff we read is consolidated only to 2024 and still in leva; the euro figures are our conversions, and we found no decree restating it in euros3819.

Official time limits for a decision. These are stated limits, not measured waiting times. Checked October 7, 2026.
ProcedureTime limit
D visa at a consulateWe found no time limit on an official page; ask your consulate
Long-term permit (including pensioner and digital nomad)14 days, extendable by one month in complex cases5
EU Blue Card, for a holder of a long-term permit60 days, extendable by 155
Freelance permit (Employment Agency)30 days30
Family reunification (the sponsor’s application)One month, after a security opinion given within 15 days5
Permanent residenceTwo months, extendable by two5
EU long-term resident statusTwo months, extendable by two5
Citizenship by naturalizationThe minister’s proposal within 12 months10

Retiring to Bulgaria: the pensioner permit

Bulgaria has a ground made for retirees. A long-term permit is available to a foreigner who holds a D visa, is entitled to a pension under the law of Bulgaria, their own country or another country, and has sufficient means to live in Bulgaria5.

  • Documents: the common ones, plus an official document proving your pension entitlement and a letter from a bank in Bulgaria confirming an account into which the pension will be paid21. So you need a Bulgarian bank account before you apply for the permit.
  • Money: no separate pensioner figure is set. The general rule asks for means of at least the minimum wage, the minimum stipend or the minimum pension, and does not say which applies to a foreign pensioner; it asks for the means “for the period of stay”, which suggests you should show them for the whole permit, not just one month5. In the second half of 2026 the two yardsticks are €347.51 and €620.20 a month136. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs checklist written for its Consulate General in Dubai asks for proof of means of at least six monthly wages or, for pensioners, six pensions39; we could not read a checklist for the U.S. posts, so ask yours what it expects.
  • Term: up to one year, renewable; after five years you can apply for permanent or EU long-term residence5.

Living on savings, but not yet a pensioner? We found no ground in article 24(1) of the Foreigners Act for people who live on savings or investments without a pension entitlement: there is no “financially independent” permit5. Check this with the Migration Directorate before you plan around it.

Remote work: the digital-nomad permit

Since 2025 the Foreigners Act has a permit for digital nomads: foreigners who work remotely using information technology5. The permit is for people in one of three situations5:

  • You are employed by an employer registered outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland; a fixed-term contract must outlast the permit.
  • You own more than 25% of, manage or legally represent a company outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, through which you provide remote services, and you serve no one in Bulgaria.
  • You have personally provided remote services for at least a year before you apply, and you neither serve anyone in Bulgaria nor work freelance there.

The income test is a gross average annual income of at least 50 minimum monthly wages “for the preceding calendar year”; gross income counts521. The words can be read two ways, and we found no Migration Directorate guidance that settles it:

  • If they mean the minimum wage in force in the previous year (2025: BGN 1,077), an application in 2026 needs BGN 53,850, which is €27,533.07 at the fixed rate, about $31,297, by our arithmetic619.
  • If they mean income in the previous year of at least 50 times the current wage (€620.20), it needs €31,010, about $35,2496.

To be safe, plan on €31,010. The permit lasts one year and can be renewed once, for a second year; you keep your right to stay while a renewal filed in time is pending5. Employees show their contract and the employer’s registration; company owners and freelancers show registry proof and at least one contract and a reference from a client confirming the work is done fully remotely21. As with every long-stay route, you need the D visa first5.

Two years, then what? Two years is shorter than the five years of residence needed for permanent or EU long-term residence. By our reading the permit cannot lead to permanent residence on its own; the Act does not say so expressly, and we did not check whether you can switch to another ground inside Bulgaria5. We also found no special tax regime for digital nomads; see taxes.

Working for a Bulgarian employer: the EU Blue Card and work permits

  • Blue Card: a degree from studies of at least three academic years, or, for IT managers and specialists, three years of relevant experience in the last seven (five years for other occupations), and a contract of at least six months. There is no labor-market test30.
  • Blue Card pay: gross pay of at least 1.5 times the average wage, using the statistics office’s latest data for the 12 months before the contract30. The office’s monthly averages from July 2025 to June 2026, the first six converted from leva, average about €1,381, so the floor is about €2,071 gross a month, about $2,354, by our arithmetic31323334. The Employment Agency, which applies the test, may use a different period; treat our figure as a guide and ask it for its working figure.
  • Blue Card term: up to five years and at least 24 months; for a shorter contract, the contract plus three months. A holder may work remotely if the contract allows, and a holder of a long-term permit gets a decision within 60 days5.
  • Ordinary work permits: third-country employees hired by an employer in the previous 12 months may not exceed 20% of its average headcount, or 35% for small and medium-sized firms, and pay must be no worse than for Bulgarians30. We found no exemption for Americans.

Your own business: freelance practice, company owners and the start-up visa

  • Freelance practice: the Employment Agency issues a permit on a detailed plan of your activity and decides within 30 days; the Interior Ministry then issues the visa or permit. The permit lasts up to one year and is renewable, for a fee of BGN 400 (€204.52) each time305.
  • Company owners and managers: the company must have created at least 10 full-time jobs for Bulgarian citizens, kept for the whole stay; the requirement applies to each partner and each manager, unless an international treaty provides otherwise; ask the Migration Directorate whether any applies to Americans5.
  • Start-up visa: a certificate from the Ministry of Economy, Investment and Industry for a high-tech or innovative project, plus at least 50% of a Bulgarian company in that line of business5.

Investment routes

As of October 2026, Bulgaria still has residence by investment in law. The amounts are written in leva; the euro figures are our conversions5:

  • Real estate, long-term permit: at least BGN 600,000 (€306,775.13, about $348,711) per foreigner in Bulgarian real estate, held directly or through a company you own more than 50% of, paid in full through a licensed Bulgarian bank, with any loan no more than 25%5.
  • Disadvantaged regions, long-term permit: at least BGN 250,000 (€127,822.97) of company capital, at least 50% ownership and at least five jobs for Bulgarian citizens, certified by the Ministry of Economy, Investment and Industry5.
  • Permanent residence directly: after vetting by the Bulgarian Investment Agency, for BGN 2,000,000 (€1,022,583.76) in listed Bulgarian shares or bonds; BGN 1,000,000 (€511,291.88) in concession rights or Bulgarian collective investment schemes or alternative investment funds; BGN 6,000,000 (€3,067,751.29) in the capital of a non-listed Bulgarian company; BGN 2,000,000 in a certified priority investment project; or BGN 500,000 (€255,645.94) plus 10 jobs5.
  • Holding period: the investments for direct permanent residence must stay above the minimum for five years and may not be pledged as loan collateral meanwhile. The agency’s pre-approval is not itself a ground for a visa or residence. Holders of the real estate or regional permits can get permanent residence after keeping the investment for five years5.
  • No citizenship by investment: the investor naturalization articles were repealed in 202210.

Study and family

Full-time university students get a permit of up to one year, or 18 months for the final year; time as a student counts half toward permanent and EU long-term residence5. For family reunification, a sponsor who has held residence for at least a year applies in Bulgaria and shows housing and means of at least the minimum wage or minimum pension; after a decision within a month, the family member has six months to apply for a D visa5. Family of permanent residents and of Bulgarian citizens have their own grounds, and Blue Card families do not wait for the sponsor’s minimum period5.

After the first permit: permanent residence and citizenship

  • Permanent residence after five years of lawful, uninterrupted residence, with absences of no more than 30 months in total. You apply in person; the decision is due within two months, and the fee is BGN 1,000 (€511.29, about $581.18) plus a BGN 10 service fee538.
  • EU long-term resident status also needs five years, but absences must be under six consecutive months and no more than 10 months in total, with means of at least the minimum wage and minimum pension and health insurance. The card is valid for five years and renewable; the fee is BGN 110 (€56.24)538.
  • We found no language or civics test for permanent or EU long-term residence in the Foreigners Act5.
  • Citizenship needs five years of permanent or EU long-term residence, no conviction for an intentional crime, an income or occupation to support yourself, Bulgarian at an elementary level, and release from your current citizenship10. Since permanent residence itself comes after five years, that is about ten years in all, by our arithmetic. Spouses of Bulgarian citizens can apply after three years of permanent residence and three years of marriage10.
  • Giving up U.S. citizenship: spouses of Bulgarian citizens, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, and citizens of countries with a reciprocity treaty are exempt. We found no U.S.–Bulgaria reciprocity treaty, so an American who is not married to a Bulgarian must give up U.S. citizenship; proof of release can follow within three years of the Citizenship Council’s approval1040.
  • The language exam is a written Ministry of Education exam, held monthly, at a level allowing “normal communication at an elementary level”, and can be taken through a consulate. People over 70 have an oral interview instead, and a Bulgarian school or university diploma replaces the exam. The Ministry of Justice also holds an interview when you file4140. The fee is €511.29 (BGN 1,000), and you may file at the Ministry or a consulate40.
  • Bulgarian origin: if a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was of Bulgarian origin, you can naturalize without the residence, income, language and renunciation conditions10.

General information, not advice. Quantum Jetset does not give legal, tax, immigration, financial or investment advice. Consulates and the Migration Directorate decide each case; check the official source for your route and, if your case is not simple, speak to a Bulgarian immigration lawyer.

Step by step

The Order of Operations, Step by Step

The sequence below is for a first long-term permit applied for from the United States: a D visa from the Bulgarian post for your state, then the permit in Bulgaria535. Adjust it for your route.

  1. Choose the route by what you will live on: a pension points to the pensioner permit, remote work for a non-EU employer or clients to the digital-nomad permit, a Bulgarian job to the Blue Card, your own business to freelance practice or a company, and family in Bulgaria to family reunification530.
  2. Check the money figure with the income check above, and keep proof of the gross income or pension it uses5.
  3. Find your post by your state of residence, and book the appointment by phone or Calendly; the interview is in person3635.
  4. Gather the documents: proof of accommodation, health insurance, means, a criminal record certificate, and your route’s own papers, such as proof of your pension or your remote work521. If you rent, the Dubai checklist asks for a notarized declaration from the owner agreeing that you may register at the address; ask your post whether it wants the same39.
  5. Buy the insurance your post asks for. The Dubai checklist asks for coverage of at least €30,000 from an insurer licensed in the EU for the whole stay, including repatriation and emergency care39; confirm the U.S. posts’ requirement.
  6. Apply for the D visa and pay €10037. We found no official processing time, so leave a wide margin.
  7. Register your address within three days of arrival by filling in an address card (hotels also register their foreign guests)5.
  8. Open a Bulgarian bank account; pensioners need a letter from the bank for the permit application2142.
  9. Apply in person for the long-term permit at the Migration Directorate or a regional migration unit; the decision is due within 14 days, and the fee is BGN 500 (€255.65) for more than six months and up to a year538.
  10. Note your personal number for a foreigner (LNCh), which identifies foreigners with long-term or permanent residence and is part of the data recorded for your residence document43.
  11. Sort out health coverage: keep private insurance unless your status puts you in the public system; see health insurance22.
  12. Renew at least 14 days before the permit runs out, and report any change of address within 30 days5.
  13. Plan for your driving license: the Road Traffic Act lets foreigners with long-term residence (the term the law also uses for EU long-term status) drive on a non-EU license for up to a year from the issue of their residence document; whether this covers an ordinary long-term permit we could not confirm, so ask the traffic police before you drive on your U.S. license44; see driving.
Cost of living

What Things Cost, From Official Figures

Prices are in euros, Bulgaria’s currency since January 1, 20261. Dollar figures on this page use the European Central Bank’s reference rate of September 24, 2026: EUR 1 = USD 1.13672. Your costs are in euros, so their dollar value moves with that rate.

Start with inflation, which is high. Consumer prices were 5.1% higher in August 2026 than a year earlier and 0.6% higher than in July; the 12-month average rate was 5.0%, and on the EU’s harmonized measure prices rose 5.0%12. Over three years prices rose 12.9%, and over five years 43.2%12. The flash estimate for September 2026 is 5.6% a year, with prices 0.3% lower than in August; the final figures are due on October 14, 202611.

Rents: rising, with no official figures by town

As of October 2026, there is no official statistic of rents per square meter for any Bulgarian town. The statistics office’s only per-square-meter rents are city statistics for 2019 and 2020, which do not state their unit, so we do not use them45. What the official data do show is how fast rents are rising: on the EU’s harmonized measure, actual rents paid for housing were 7.1% higher in August 2026 than a year earlier, after 10.1% in June and 8.5% in July46. Expect asking rents on portals to differ from town to town; we do not quote them because they are not official.

Pay and the minimum wage

The average gross wage was €1,444 a month in the second quarter of 2026, about $1,641: 2.6% more than in the first quarter and 9.8% more than a year earlier. It was €1,476 in April, €1,434 in May and €1,421 in June47. Information and communication paid the most, at €3,079, and finance €2,140; accommodation and food service paid the least, at €918. Private-sector pay rose 11.5% in a year and public-sector pay 4.8%47. We did not find 2026 averages by district. The minimum wage is €620.20 a month from January 1, 2026, about $704.986.

Electricity

Household electricity prices are regulated. From July 1, 2026 the energy price paid to the end supplier, before VAT, is €0.09297 per kWh by day or on a single meter and €0.04103 at night, and total household prices rose by a weighted average of 3.05%14. Network charges come on top: in the western distribution area, which includes Sofia, transmission access €0.00018, transmission €0.00801, distribution access €0.00347 and distribution €0.02391 per kWh14. By our arithmetic, that is €0.12854 per kWh by day and €0.07660 at night before VAT. In the first half of 2026, before this change, household prices including taxes had fallen slightly in every consumption band on the half-year before48.

Public transit

Sofia re-set its fares in euros on January 1, 2026, converting at the official rate and rounding down in the passengers’ favor20.

Sofia public transport fares from January 1, 2026. Checked October 7, 2026.
Ticket or passPrice
Monthly pass, all lines (personalized)€25.50
Annual pass, all lines (personalized)€185
Monthly pass, pensioners on a Bulgarian state pension€12.70
Monthly pass, people aged 68 or over€5
“30 plus” ticket (30 minutes, with transfers)€0.80
60-minute ticket€1.10
Single ticket from the driver€1.00
Day pass€2.00

Sources: Sofia Urban Mobility Center2049. In dollars, €25.50 is about $28.99 and €185 about $210. In Varna, residents of pension age with a permanent address in the city pay €12.75 for 30 days on all city lines, or €9.00 on one line50; we could not confirm Varna’s regular fares, or fares in the other towns on this page.

Build your own full budget, line by line and in both currencies, in the Relocation Planner workbook.

Health insurance

Public Insurance, Private Cover, and the Medicare Question

Whether you can join the National Health Insurance Fund depends on the kind of residence you hold, and until you can, your coverage is private.

Who is in the public system

  • The Health Insurance Act makes insurance with the Fund compulsory for foreigners with permanent residence or EU long-term resident status (in Bulgarian, “dalgosrochno”, the status that comes after five years)22.
  • It also covers EU Blue Card holders, holders of a single residence-and-work permit and seasonal workers; the last two were added in 202522.
  • Our reading: the ordinary long-term permit (“prodalzhitelno”) held by pensioners, digital nomads and others is not listed in general. So retirees and remote workers on that permit appear to fall outside compulsory public insurance and need private coverage22. We found no official explainer; ask the Fund about your status.

The insurance your visa or permit requires

Every long-term permit requires health insurance5. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs checklist for type D visas, written for its Consulate General in Dubai, asks for a policy for the whole stay from an insurer licensed in the EU, with coverage of at least €30,000, including repatriation, emergency medical care and emergency hospital treatment39. We could not read the checklist of the Embassy in Washington or the consulates; ask your post what it accepts, and budget for coverage beyond the minimum if you will not be in the public system.

What the public system costs

  • The contribution rate for 2026 is 8%51.
  • If you are insured but have no income, you pay contributions yourself on at least half the minimum insurable income of the self-employed22. That minimum is €620.20 a month from August 1, 2026 (€550.66 before)13, so the contribution is €24.81 a month, about $28.20, or €22.03 before August, by our arithmetic.
  • Visit fee: insured people pay a fee set by Council of Ministers decree for each visit to a doctor or dentist and for each day in hospital, up to 10 days a year; pensioners pay less, and many groups, such as children and pregnant women, are exempt52. We could not confirm the current amount in euros from the Fund’s own page; ask your doctor.

Family doctors and emergencies

We found no official statistics on waiting times or on how many people lack a family doctor. In an emergency call 112, the single number for police, ambulance and fire5354.

Medicare does not follow you

Medicare generally does not pay for care outside the United States, and Medicare drug plans do not cover prescriptions bought abroad55. Most Medigap plans include foreign travel emergency coverage, but it pays 80% after a $250 deductible, up to $50,000 in a lifetime, and only for emergencies that start in the first 60 days of a trip56. That is travel coverage, not residence coverage.

Whether to keep paying the Part B premium ($202.90 a month in 2026) is a real decision: if you drop Part B and re-enroll later, the premium rises by 10% for each full 12-month period you could have been enrolled but were not, usually for life57. Decide with your whole plan in view.

Taxes for Americans

Two Tax Systems, a Treaty, and No Social Security Agreement

Moving to Bulgaria adds a second tax system; it does not remove the first while you remain a U.S. citizen. The United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live58. The two countries have an income tax treaty, signed in Washington on February 23, 2007 and amended by a protocol signed in Sofia on February 26, 2008; the IRS lists both, with the Treasury’s technical explanation785960. They have no Social Security totalization agreement27. What follows is the map; the route is a job for a cross-border tax adviser.

How far we could check. The National Revenue Agency’s site and the Ministry of Finance’s site could not be reached from our research environment, so we could not read the Personal Income Taxes Act or the Local Taxes and Fees Act themselves. The rates below come from the European Commission’s Taxes in Europe Database, whose entries for Bulgaria are supplied by the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance and describe the position on January 1, 202624. That is an official EU source, but it sits below the law: check your own figures with the National Revenue Agency (nra.bg) or a Bulgarian tax adviser.

When you become tax resident

We could not confirm Bulgaria’s own residence test from an official text: the EU database lists only “residents” and “non-residents”24. Check the test, and the date your Bulgarian tax residence starts, with the National Revenue Agency. If both countries treat you as resident, the treaty decides: you are resident only where you have a permanent home available to you, and if you have one in both, where your personal and economic relations are closer (article 4(3))7.

Income tax: a flat 10%

According to the EU’s tax database, Bulgaria taxes personal income at a flat 10% from the first euro, with no tax-free allowance and no regional surcharge24; the government’s investment agency also gives a “10% flat” personal income tax rate25. Sole proprietors (sole traders, ET) pay 15% on business profit, and dividends are taxed at 5%, as a final tax24. A government budget package of November 2025 proposed raising the dividend rate to 10%61; the database still shows 5% as of January 1, 2026, and we found no enacted increase, so check the current rate before you rely on it24.

Employers withhold tax each month. The annual return is due between January 10 and April 30 of the following year, and for sole proprietors between March 1 and June 3024. We found no special regime for newcomers, retirees or remote workers: no non-domiciled regime, no lump-sum regime for pensioners and no expatriate allowance24.

Pay estimate

Employee Contributions and 10% Tax on a Monthly Salary

Enter your gross monthly salary from a Bulgarian employer, in euros. The estimate takes employee contributions of 13.78% (for people born after 1959) on pay up to the monthly cap6213, then income tax at 10%. According to the EU tax database, compulsory social security contributions are deductible from the tax base in full, so the 10% applies to your pay after contributions24; we could not read the Personal Income Taxes Act itself. Dollars use the ECB rate of September 24, 20262.

A simplification, by our arithmetic, to the cent. It is for an employee born after 1959 with one job. The 10% is worked on pay after your contributions, which the EU tax database says are deductible from the tax base in full. It leaves out child and other reliefs, the rules for people born before 1960, the employer’s contributions, U.S. tax, and the credit for Bulgarian tax on your U.S. return. Your payroll or adviser works out the real figures.

Examples: monthly gross pay from August 1, 2026, by our arithmetic. Contributions at 13.78% on pay up to €2,300; tax at 10% of pay after contributions.
Gross a monthEmployee contributions10% tax on pay after contributionsTake-home
€620.20 (about $705)€85.46€53.47€481.27
€1,444.00 (about $1,641)€198.98€124.50€1,120.52
€2,000.00 (about $2,273)€275.60€172.44€1,551.96
€2,300.00 (about $2,614)€316.94€198.31€1,784.75
€3,000.00 (about $3,410)€316.94€268.31€2,414.75
€5,000.00 (about $5,684)€316.94€468.31€4,214.75

Pensions, Social Security and retirement accounts

The saving clause, and the protocol that changed it. Like other U.S. treaties, this one lets the United States tax its citizens as if the treaty did not exist, apart from listed exceptions. The text signed in 2007 excepted paragraphs 1 and 2 of article 17; the 2008 protocol replaced that with paragraphs 2 and 5. The protocol governs, so read any summary that quotes the 2007 wording alone with care8759.

  • U.S. Social Security paid to a resident of Bulgaria, or to a U.S. citizen, is taxable only in the United States (article 17(2)). Bulgaria cannot tax it78.
  • Private pensions are taxable only in the country of residence, which would be Bulgaria (article 17(1)). The technical explanation says this covers qualified plans under section 401(a), including 401(k) plans, IRAs (including SEP and SIMPLE plans) and 403(a) and 403(b) plans. Because article 17(1) is subject to the saving clause, the United States can still tax its citizens on the same payments7598.
  • Growth inside a U.S. plan: Bulgaria may not tax the earnings and growth inside your U.S. retirement plan as they build up, only the payouts (article 17(5))759.
  • U.S. government pensions for federal, state or local service are taxable only in the United States, unless you are a Bulgarian national resident in Bulgaria (article 18(2))7.
  • Annuities are taxable only in the country of residence (article 17(3)), subject to the saving clause for U.S. citizens7.
  • Relief from double tax (article 22): for income the treaty lets the United States tax, Bulgaria exempts it, taking it into account in setting the rate, but gives only a credit for U.S. tax on dividends, interest and royalties. For income the United States taxes only because you are a citizen, Bulgaria credits only the tax a non-citizen would pay, and the United States then credits the Bulgarian tax7.
  • Investment income: tax at source on dividends is limited to 5% for a company holding at least 10% of the voting stock and 10% otherwise; on interest, to 5%, with exemptions (articles 10(2) and 11(2))7.

A question for your tax adviser, not a rule we can state. The EU database marks “pension income” as outside Bulgaria’s taxable base24, but we could not read from the law whether that covers payouts from U.S. private pensions, 401(k) plans and IRAs, as opposed to statutory pensions. Settle the treatment of your accounts, and whether to take anything out before you move, with an adviser who knows both systems.

Inheritance, gift and wealth taxes

  • No wealth tax: we found none in the EU database’s list of Bulgarian taxes.
  • Gift tax is municipal: 0.4% to 0.8% on gifts between brothers and sisters and to their children (nieces and nephews), and 3.3% to 6.6% between other people; Sofia charges 0.7% and 5.0%63. Gifts between spouses and between lineal relatives (parents, children, grandchildren) are not taxed, according to the database63.
  • Inheritance is taxed under a separate law, not the income tax act24. We could not confirm its rates, thresholds or exemptions from an official source; ask the municipality or a Bulgarian adviser.
  • Buying property: a municipal transfer tax of 0.1% to 3% and a low annual property tax; see buying6326.

Social contributions, and what the missing agreement means

According to the EU database, employees born after 1959 pay 13.78% of pay: 8.78% for pensions (6.58% to the state fund and 2.2% to a universal pension fund), 3.2% for health, 1.4% for sickness and maternity and 0.4% for unemployment, by our sum. Employers pay 18.92% to 19.62%, depending on the work-accident rate6264. The self-employed pay 27.8%, 19.8% for pensions and 8% for health, plus an optional 3.5% for sickness and maternity65. Contributions are charged on pay up to the maximum monthly insurable income: €2,111.64 to July 31, 2026 and €2,300 from August 1, 2026. The self-employed pay on at least €550.66 a month to July 31 and €620.20 from August 113.

No totalization agreement. The United States has Social Security agreements with many countries, the most recent, as of October 7, 2026, with Romania from September 1, 2026, but not with Bulgaria279. The tax treaty does not cover social security taxes either (article 2(2))7. In plain terms, by our reading: if you work in Bulgaria, nothing in an agreement exempts you from Bulgarian contributions or from U.S. Social Security tax where U.S. law applies to you, so the same pay can be charged in both countries; and years paid into one system do not count toward a pension from the other. Ask an adviser before you take a Bulgarian job or work for yourself from Bulgaria.

What you still file in the United States

U.S. filings for citizens living abroad, tax year 2026. Sources: IRS and FinCEN.
WhatThe rule
Form 1040Due April 15; citizens living abroad get an automatic extension to June 15 (interest still runs from April 15)58.
Foreign Earned Income ExclusionUp to $132,900 of earned income for 2026. It does not cover pensions, Social Security or investment income6667.
Foreign Tax CreditClaim Bulgarian tax paid on Form 1116; no credit on income you excluded68.
FBARRequired when your foreign accounts together exceed $10,000 at any time in the year69.
Form 8938 (FATCA)For taxpayers living abroad: over $200,000 at year end or $300,000 at any time (single); $400,000 and $600,000 (joint)70.

For U.S. tax preparation and planning, our sister brand eTaxNexus works with Americans abroad.

Questions to take to your tax adviser
  • On which date will I become Bulgarian tax resident, and does my former U.S. state still treat me as resident?
  • Does Bulgaria tax my 401(k), IRA and Roth IRA payouts, or only statutory pensions, and should I take anything out before I move?
  • In what order do the Bulgarian exemption, the Bulgarian credit and the U.S. credit apply to my pensions and investment income under article 22?
  • With no totalization agreement, which country’s Social Security contributions will I owe on my work, and could I owe both?
  • Which reliefs can I claim beyond the deduction of my contributions?
  • What are the current rates for gifts and inheritance in my municipality?
Renting and buying

Lease Rules, the Land Rule, and What Buying Costs

Renting under the Obligations and Contracts Act

Leases are governed by articles 228 to 239 of the Obligations and Contracts Act. The copy we read is consolidated to 2018; its lease articles were last amended in 2007, and we know of no later change, though we did not check a 2026 consolidation71.

  • Term: a lease may not run for more than 10 years, unless it is a commercial transaction. We found no statutory minimum term, no cap on deposits and no rent control in these articles71.
  • Notice: on an open-ended lease, either side may end it with one month’s notice (one day if rent is set by the day)71.
  • Staying on: if you stay after the term ends, with the landlord’s knowledge and without objection, the lease continues for an indefinite term71.
  • Repairs: minor repairs from ordinary use are yours; others are the landlord’s71.
  • If the landlord sells: your lease binds the buyer only if it was entered in the property register; an unregistered lease with a certain date binds the buyer for its term, but at most one year after the sale71. We could not confirm which leases can be registered or the fee.

Buying: apartments yes, land no

The Constitution allows foreigners to acquire land only under conditions arising from Bulgaria’s EU accession, under a ratified international treaty, or by inheritance by law28. By our reading, as an American you therefore cannot buy land directly, which includes a plot or a house with its land, while the rule does not cover buildings and apartments. We found no U.S.–Bulgaria treaty that grants land rights. Ask a Bulgarian lawyer how any purchase involving land would be held before you sign.

  • Transfer tax: each municipality sets the tax on buying real estate at 0.1% to 3%; Sofia charges 3.0%. The base is the agreed price, or the assessed value if that is higher, and the tax is paid when the property is transferred63.
  • Annual property tax: 0.1 to 4.5 per thousand of the tax assessment value, set by the municipality; Sofia charges 1.875 per thousand. It is paid in two installments, by June 30 and October 31; according to the database, the tax is halved on a property used as your main residence, 5% comes off if you pay the whole year by April 30, and property assessed at up to €858.97 is exempt26. Since January 1, 2026, the amounts in the Local Taxes and Fees Act are in euros19.
  • Notary and registry fees: we could not confirm them from an official source; get a written quote from the notary.
  • Your tax number as a buyer: how a non-resident buyer obtains a personal number or tax number, and at what fee, we could not confirm; ask the notary or the National Revenue Agency.

These rates come from the European Commission’s Taxes in Europe Database, with data supplied by the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance as of January 1, 2026; we could not read the Local Taxes and Fees Act itself, so check the rate with the municipality where you buy6326.

Purchase costs

Transfer Tax and Annual Property Tax on a Purchase

Enter the price, and the tax assessment value if you know it. The transfer tax applies to the higher of the two; the annual property tax applies to the assessed value6326. Choose Sofia, or another municipality and its transfer tax rate. Dollars use the ECB rate of September 24, 20262.

By our arithmetic, to the cent. The rate box is used only for another municipality, between 0.1% and 3%. The annual tax is shown at the full rate, before the 50% rebate for a main residence. It leaves out notary and registry fees, which we could not confirm, VAT on a new building, agents’ fees and any loan costs. Check the rates with the municipality.

What property costs: the official price index

The statistics office stopped publishing average prices per square meter by town in 2014: its series of market prices of dwellings ends in the second quarter of that year72. What it publishes instead, as of October 2026, is a house price index. In the second quarter of 2026, prices were 15.5% higher than a year earlier and 4.5% higher than in the first quarter29; existing dwellings rose 17.6% in a year and new ones 12.3%73. On the quarter, Plovdiv rose most (+5.8%), then Stara Zagora (+2.9%), Varna (+2.8%) and Sofia (+2.4%), while Burgas fell 1.5%29. Meanwhile the number of sales fell 18.1% in a year nationally: 21.3% in Sofia, 21.9% in Varna, 24.7% in Burgas and 3.3% in Plovdiv7475.

House price index, change from the second quarter of 2025 to the second quarter of 2026, for the six cities over 120,000 people. Preliminary. Checked October 7, 2026.
CityAll dwellingsNewExisting
Sofia+13.2%+12.6%+13.7%
Plovdiv+11.3%+2.7%+19.0%
Varna+14.3%+9.1%+16.3%
Burgas+9.1%+10.5%+8.5%
Ruse−0.8%not published−0.9%
Stara Zagora+15.7%+22.3%+12.8%
Bulgaria+15.5%+12.3%+17.6%

Source: National Statistical Institute7673. The index base became 2025 = 100 from the first quarter of 202673. An index shows how prices change, not what a home costs; for a price, you need listings or a valuation. We found no official price data for Bansko, Sozopol or Nessebar.

Short-term rentals

Anyone, including a person who is not a trader, may rent out guest rooms or guest apartments, even in their own home, but the place must be categorized or registered with the municipality; since January 1, 2020, platforms may advertise only categorized or registered accommodation77. You register by filing an application-declaration with the mayor, which is reviewed within 14 days77. Guests must be entered in the accommodation register, and foreign guests registered immediately775. The EU regulation on data sharing for short-term rentals, (EU) 2024/1028, has applied since May 20, 202615. The Tourism Act we read is consolidated to August 2024, so we could not confirm any national registration-number scheme under the EU regulation, the tourist tax or the income-tax treatment; ask the municipality and a Bulgarian adviser before you buy a property to rent out.

Our position on property. We take no developer or property commissions. We may receive a referral fee from some professional partners. It never changes what you pay, and we tell you when it applies.

Where to live

Ten Towns, Compared on Official Numbers

Bulgaria had 6,423,207 residents on December 31, 202578. We compare ten towns below on population7980, the house price index76 and climate normals for 1991–2020 derived from the bulletins of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology81. Without official rents or prices per square meter by town, these are starting points for a scouting trip, not verdicts.

Capital and U.S. Embassy

Sofia, with 1,213,134 people at the end of 2025, is by far the largest city80, and the U.S. Embassy is there53. Its prices rose 13.2% in a year to the second quarter of 2026, while sales fell 21.3%7674. A monthly transit pass costs €25.50, and people aged 68 or over pay €520. It is the coolest city in our table, with a January mean of −0.4°C (31°F)81.

Consider: Sofia

The Black Sea Coast

Varna has 322,683 people and Burgas 189,08680. Prices rose 14.3% in a year in Varna and 9.1% in Burgas, where they fell 1.5% on the quarter7629. Varna offers residents of pension age a 30-day pass for €12.7550, and the U.S. Embassy has held passport and citizenship sessions there by appointment, the latest we found on October 1, 202682. Their January means of 2.7°C and 2.9°C are the mildest in our table81.

Consider: Varna · Burgas

The Second City

Plovdiv, with 333,994 people, is the second-largest city80. Prices of existing dwellings there rose 19.0% in a year, and of new ones 2.7%76; on the quarter Plovdiv rose most of the six cities, by 5.8%29. The Plovdiv station has a July mean of 24.3°C (76°F)81.

Consider: Plovdiv

Smaller Cities and Resort Towns

Stara Zagora (120,976) had the fastest price rise of the six large cities, 15.7%, and Ruse (120,282) the only fall, 0.8%8076. Veliko Tarnovo has 60,067 people80. The resort towns of Nessebar (18,384), Bansko (10,189) and Sozopol (4,484) have no official price data at all80; Bansko sits about 500 m higher than the nearest station in our table, so it is much colder than the table shows81.

Consider: Stara Zagora · Veliko Tarnovo · Ruse

Population of the town at the 2021 census and on December 31, 2025, and the change in the house price index from the second quarter of 2025 to the second quarter of 2026. Checked October 7, 2026.
TownCensus, Sep 7, 2021Dec 31, 2025House prices, year to Q2 2026
Sofia1,183,4001,213,134+13.2%
Plovdiv319,612333,994+11.3%
Varna310,664322,683+14.3%
Burgas189,741189,086+9.1%
Stara Zagora122,536120,976+15.7%
Ruse124,787120,282−0.8%
Veliko Tarnovo58,50760,067no official index
Nessebar11,23618,384no official index
Bansko9,06210,189no official index
Sozopol4,0224,484no official index

Sources: National Statistical Institute, Census 202179 and population by towns at December 31, 202580; house price index76. The two population series are not directly comparable, because the statistics office revised its census base; the large rise shown for Nessebar is not explained in the sources we read, so do not read the two columns as growth.

Climate normals 1991–2020: mean temperatures and approximate precipitation, derived from the monthly bulletins of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology. Checked October 7, 2026.
Town (station)January meanJuly meanYear meanPrecipitation a year
Sofia (Sofia station)−0.4°C (31°F)21.7°C (71°F)10.9°C (52°F)about 625 mm (25 in)
Plovdiv (Plovdiv station)1.2°C (34°F)24.3°C (76°F)12.9°C (55°F)about 545 mm (21 in)
Varna (Varna station)2.7°C (37°F)23.3°C (74°F)12.8°C (55°F)about 530 mm (21 in)
Burgas, Sozopol, Nessebar (Burgas station)2.9°C (37°F)23.7°C (75°F)13.3°C (56°F)about 550 mm (22 in)
Veliko Tarnovo (Veliko Tarnovo station)0.5°C (33°F)23.5°C (74°F)12.3°C (54°F)about 685 mm (27 in)
Ruse (Ruse station)0.0°C (32°F)24.9°C (77°F)13.0°C (55°F)about 645 mm (25 in)
Stara Zagora (Sliven station, about 70 km away)2.1°C (36°F)24.3°C (76°F)13.1°C (56°F)about 580 mm (23 in)
Bansko (Blagoevgrad station, about 500 m lower)1.2°C (34°F)23.5°C (74°F)12.6°C (55°F)about 555 mm (22 in)

Source: NIMH monthly bulletins, which give each month’s mean and its deviation from the 1991–2020 norm81. Every figure is our researcher’s derivation (the mean less the deviation, and the precipitation from its share of the norm), not an official normals table; precipitation is approximate. Stara Zagora, Bansko, Sozopol and Nessebar have no station in the bulletins, so the nearest listed station stands in. Fahrenheit and inch conversions are our arithmetic. Compare Bulgaria with other destinations.

Practical matters

Paperwork: Registration, Numbers, Banks, Driving and Pets

Registering your address

Within three days of entering Bulgaria, a foreigner must state in writing the address where they will stay, by filling in an address card, unless they travel on organized tourism; hotels register their guests themselves5. Once you hold long-term or permanent residence, you must report a change of address within 30 days to the migration service and apply for a new residence document5.

Your personal number

Foreigners with long-term or permanent residence are identified by a personal number for a foreigner (LNCh), formed under rules set by the Council of Ministers, and it is part of the data recorded for your residence document43. How someone without residence, such as a buyer of property, obtains an LNCh or a tax number, and at what fee, we could not confirm; ask the Migration Directorate or the National Revenue Agency.

A bank account

Under EU law, any consumer legally resident in the EU, whatever their nationality, has the right to open a basic payment account, and the bank must decide within 10 business days of a complete application42. We could not confirm the Bulgarian rules that implement this, or any fee cap. If you will apply for the pensioner permit, open the account early: you need the bank’s letter for the application21.

Driving on a U.S. license

As a visitor, the U.S. Embassy says a U.S. state license is valid in Bulgaria only with your passport and a certified translation prepared by a licensed translation company in Bulgaria, and that this is strictly enforced83. The Road Traffic Act accepts a foreign license with a legalized translation into Bulgarian, among other cases44.

Once you live here, the Road Traffic Act lets foreigners with long-term residence (the term the law also uses for EU long-term status) drive on a license from outside the EU for up to one year from the issue of their residence document; whether this covers an ordinary long-term permit we could not confirm, so ask the traffic police before you drive on your U.S. license44. A foreign license is exchanged for a Bulgarian one without a test only if the issuing state is a party to the Convention on Road Traffic and the license meets its Annex 6; otherwise you must pass a test44.

Two things we could not settle. We could not confirm from an official source whether a U.S. state license meets that exchange condition, or how the one-year rule, which speaks of long-term residents, applies to holders of an ordinary long-term permit44. Expect that a test may be required, and ask the traffic police before your year runs out. We found no reciprocity agreement between a U.S. state and Bulgaria.

Pets

New EU rules for pets apply from April 22, 202616. The United States is on the list in Annex II of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636, so a dog, cat or ferret coming from the United States needs no rabies antibody (titer) test84. For each animal:

  1. A microchip, then a rabies vaccination; after a first vaccination, wait 21 days before travel16.
  2. An EU animal health certificate, valid for travel within the EU for six months from the checks at your point of entry, or until the rabies vaccination expires, whichever is earlier16. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reminds travelers that pets from outside the EU need a passport and a veterinary certificate issued by an official veterinarian85.
  3. No more than five dogs, cats or ferrets in one non-commercial movement16.

We could not confirm Bulgaria’s points of entry for pets, any tapeworm rule or national fees, because the Food Safety Agency’s site could not be reached; ask your airline and the agency before you book.

Shipping your household

Your personal belongings enter free of customs duty when you move your normal residence into the EU, if you have lived outside the EU for at least 12 months, have owned and used the goods for at least six months, bring them in within 12 months of settling, and do not lend, pledge, hire out or sell them for 12 months without telling customs. Goods may arrive up to six months early against a security86. We could not confirm the VAT relief or the Bulgarian Customs Agency’s procedure and forms; ask your mover or a customs broker.

Schools

School is compulsory until age 16. It starts in the school year that begins in the calendar year a child turns seven, or six if the parents choose87. Pre-school is compulsory from age four and free in state and municipal kindergartens, according to the EU’s education network, in a summary last updated in 202388. Places in first grade go by how close a family lives to the school87. We could not confirm the documents needed to enroll a child from outside the EU or how U.S. grades are recognized; ask the school.

Your U.S. services, and emergencies

  • The U.S. Embassy in Sofia, at 16 Kozyak Street, handles passports by appointment8953 and offers notarial services by appointment90. It has held passport and citizenship sessions in Varna by appointment (the latest we found: October 1, 2026); watch its announcements for the next one82.
  • U.S. citizens can call the Embassy on +359 2 937 5100 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or +359 2 937 5101 in an after-hours emergency, or email [email protected]53.
  • In an emergency, call 112 for police, ambulance or fire5354.
Entry rules

Before the Visa: Visiting Under EES and ETIAS

Bulgaria has been an EU member since 20073. It joined the Schengen area for air and sea travel on March 31, 2024, and checks at its internal land borders ended on January 1, 20254. As an American you can visit without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area, and since then days in Bulgaria count toward that limit23. The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) started progressively on October 12, 2025; since April 10, 2026, when it became fully operational, it has recorded your entries and exits with fingerprints and a facial image instead of passport stamps, which lets border systems detect overstays automatically17. Once you hold a Bulgarian residence permit or long-stay visa, you are not registered in the EES; you show the permit with your passport91.

As of October 7, 2026, ETIAS, the EU travel authorization for visa-free visitors, is not yet running and no start date has been announced; the EU says it will give several months’ notice92. When it starts it will cost EUR 20 (free under 18 and over 70) and last three years or until your passport expires9394. Residence permit and long-stay visa holders will not need it94.

Timeline

A Realistic Twelve Months

Built backwards from the rules above, for a pensioner or digital-nomad permit. The law gives 14 days for the permit decision in Bulgaria, but we found no official time for the D visa itself, so the plan leaves several months for it. Your own dates depend on your post and on how quickly your documents come together.

Months 12–9

Decide and test

Choose the route and run the income check. If you are a remote worker, plan on the higher reading, €31,010 a year. Book a session with a cross-border tax adviser about your 401(k), IRA and pensions, and about paying into two Social Security systems. Plan a scouting trip within your 90 visa-free days.

Months 9–7

Build the file

Order your criminal record certificate and pension proof. Ask your post for its document list and insurance requirement. Start pet preparations: microchip first, then the rabies vaccination, which counts only from 21 days after the first dose.

Months 7–4

Apply for the D visa

Book the appointment with the post that covers your state and attend the interview in person. Pay the €100 fee. Keep your travel plans flexible until the visa is in your passport.

Months 4–1

Prepare the move

Line up a first address and, if you rent, the owner’s consent to your registration. Get moving quotes: household goods enter free of duty only if you have owned and used them for at least six months and lived outside the EU for at least twelve.

Arrival

Register and apply

Register your address within three days. Open a bank account and get the bank’s letter if you are a pensioner. Apply in person for the long-term permit, which the law says should be decided within 14 days (extendable by a month), well inside the D visa’s 180 days of stay.

By month 12

Renew and settle

Renew the permit at least 14 days before it runs out. Ask the traffic police early whether you can drive on your U.S. license, and for how long. Put the Bulgarian tax return (by April 30), the U.S. return (June 15 for Americans abroad) and FBAR on the calendar.

Questions

What Americans Ask Us About Bulgaria

Does Bulgaria have a retirement visa?

Yes, in effect. The Foreigners Act gives a long-term permit to a foreigner with a D visa who is entitled to a pension under any country’s law and has sufficient means5. You need proof of the pension entitlement and a letter from a bank in Bulgaria confirming the account your pension will be paid into21.

How much income do I need as a pensioner?

The law sets no pensioner figure. It asks for means of at least the minimum wage, the minimum stipend or the minimum pension, without saying which applies: in the second half of 2026 that is €347.51 (the minimum pension) or €620.20 (the minimum wage) a month5136. Ask your consulate which it applies.

How much do I need to earn for the digital-nomad permit?

A gross average annual income of at least 50 minimum monthly wages “for the preceding calendar year”5. Read as 50 times the 2025 wage, that is BGN 53,850, or €27,533.07; read as 50 times the 2026 wage, €31,010, about $35,2496. We found no official guidance settling which, so plan on €31,010.

Can a digital nomad stay long term?

The permit lasts one year and can be renewed once, so two years at most5. By our reading that does not reach the five years needed for permanent residence; the Act does not say so expressly.

Will Bulgaria tax my U.S. Social Security?

No. Under article 17(2) of the treaty, U.S. Social Security paid to a Bulgarian resident or to a U.S. citizen is taxable only in the United States, and the 2008 protocol keeps that rule safe from the saving clause78.

Is there a Social Security agreement between the U.S. and Bulgaria?

No. Bulgaria is not on the Social Security Administration’s list of agreements in force279. By our reading, nothing then stops both countries charging contributions on the same work, and periods paid into one system do not count toward benefits in the other.

What is the income tax rate?

A flat 10% on personal income from the first euro, with 15% on the profit of sole proprietors and 5% final tax on dividends, according to the EU’s tax database (Bulgarian Finance Ministry data as of January 1, 2026)24. We could not read the Personal Income Taxes Act itself; check current rates with the National Revenue Agency.

Can Americans buy property in Bulgaria?

Foreigners may acquire land only under conditions arising from EU accession, under a ratified international treaty, or by inheritance by law28. By our reading the rule covers land, so it limits buying a plot or a house with its land, but not an apartment; ask a Bulgarian lawyer before you buy. Each municipality charges a transfer tax of 0.1% to 3% (3% in Sofia) on the agreed price, or on the assessed value if that is higher, according to the EU’s tax database, paid by the buyer unless the contract says otherwise63.

Can I drive on my U.S. license?

As a visitor, the U.S. Embassy says a U.S. state license is valid only with your passport and a certified Bulgarian translation by a licensed translation company in Bulgaria83. The Road Traffic Act lets foreigners with long-term residence (the term the law also uses for EU long-term status) drive on a non-EU license for up to a year from the issue of their residence document; whether this covers an ordinary long-term permit we could not confirm, so ask the traffic police before you drive on your U.S. license. A license is exchanged without a test only if the issuing state is a party to the Convention on Road Traffic and the license meets its annex44.

Can I become a Bulgarian citizen and keep my U.S. passport?

Only if you are married to a Bulgarian citizen, or naturalize through Bulgarian origin. Otherwise you must have been released from your current citizenship, or be released when you naturalize, and we found no U.S.–Bulgaria reciprocity treaty that would change that10. You need five years of permanent residence first, and Bulgarian at an elementary level1041.

Sources

Every Figure on This Page, and Where It Comes From

We use official sources only: Bulgarian laws as published by the ministries that apply them, the National Assembly and the courts; the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, the Ministry of Justice and the Council of Ministers; the National Social Security Institute, the National Health Insurance Fund, the National Statistical Institute, the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission, the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, InvestBulgaria Agency and the Sofia and Varna transit operators; the EU, Eurostat, the European Commission’s Taxes in Europe Database and the European Central Bank; and U.S. federal agencies and the U.S. Embassy in Sofia. Bulgarian-language titles are given in English. Each source was read on the date shown; where a page or a consolidated law carries its own date, the title says so. The National Revenue Agency’s and the Ministry of Finance’s sites could not be reached from our research environment, so tax rates rest on the EU database, as the page says. Where official texts can be read two ways, we give both readings. If you spot something that has changed, email [email protected].

  1. Council Regulation (EU) 2025/1409: the lev conversion rate. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
  2. Euro foreign exchange reference rates (USD, September 24, 2026). European Central Bank. Official page. Checked .
  3. EU countries: membership, euro area and Schengen dates. European Union. Official page. Checked .
  4. Council Decision (EU) 2024/3212 on the full application of the Schengen acquis in Bulgaria and Romania. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
  5. Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act, consolidated text as amended to State Gazette 55 of June 16, 2026 (in Bulgarian). Ministry of Interior of Bulgaria. Official page. Checked .
  6. Minimum monthly wage in Bulgaria since 1990 (in Bulgarian). National Social Security Institute of Bulgaria (NOI). Official page. Checked .
  7. Convention between the United States and Bulgaria for the avoidance of double taxation, signed February 23, 2007. U.S. Department of the Treasury. Official page. Checked .
  8. Protocol amending the U.S.-Bulgaria tax convention, signed February 26, 2008. U.S. Department of the Treasury. Official page. Checked .
  9. Status of totalization agreements. Social Security Administration. Official page. Checked .
  10. Bulgarian Citizenship Act, consolidated text as amended to State Gazette 61 of July 29, 2025 (in Bulgarian). Ministry of Justice of Bulgaria. Official page. Checked .
  11. Inflation and consumer price indices for September 2026: flash estimate. National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI). Official page. Checked .
  12. Inflation and consumer price indices for August 2026. National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI). Official page. Checked .
  13. State Social Insurance Budget Act for 2026, State Gazette 68 of July 28, 2026 (in Bulgarian). Ministry of Labor and Social Policy of Bulgaria. Official page. Checked .
  14. Decision C-13 of July 1, 2026 on regulated electricity prices (in Bulgarian). Energy and Water Regulatory Commission of Bulgaria (KEVR). Official page. Checked .
  15. Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 on data collection and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
  16. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131: non-commercial movement of pet animals. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
  17. Entry/Exit System (EES). European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official page. Checked .
  18. Press release of July 8, 2025: Bulgaria to join the euro area on January 1, 2026. European Central Bank. Official page. Checked .
  19. Act on the Introduction of the Euro in the Republic of Bulgaria, consolidated to State Gazette 115 of December 30, 2025 (in Bulgarian). Elhovo District Court (copy of the Act). Official page. Checked .
  20. Travel documents in 2026 (in Bulgarian). Sofia Urban Mobility Center. Official page. Checked .
  21. Implementing Regulation of the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act, consolidated text as amended to State Gazette 7 of January 20, 2026 (in Bulgarian). Ministry of Interior of Bulgaria. Official page. Checked .
  22. Health Insurance Act, consolidated text as amended to State Gazette 68 of July 28, 2026 (in Bulgarian). National Health Insurance Fund of Bulgaria (NHIF). Official page. Checked .
  23. Entry and exit requirements for non-EU nationals (90 days in any 180-day period). Your Europe, European Union. Official page. Checked .
  24. Bulgaria: personal income tax. European Commission, Taxes in Europe Database (data supplied by the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance, situation January 1, 2026). Official page. Checked .
  25. About Bulgaria. InvestBulgaria Agency. Official page. Checked .
  26. Bulgaria: immovable property tax. European Commission, Taxes in Europe Database (data supplied by the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance, situation January 1, 2026). Official page. Checked .
  27. U.S. international Social Security agreements. Social Security Administration. Official page. Checked .
  28. Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria (in Bulgarian). National Assembly of Bulgaria. Official page. Checked .
  29. Housing price statistics, second quarter of 2026. National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI). Official page. Checked .
  30. Labor Migration and Labor Mobility Act, consolidated text as amended to State Gazette 52 of June 27, 2025 (in Bulgarian). Ministry of Labor and Social Policy of Bulgaria. Official page. Checked .
  31. Employees and average wages, second quarter of 2026 (in Bulgarian). National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI). Official page. Checked .
  32. Employees and average wages, first quarter of 2026 (in Bulgarian). National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI). Official page. Checked .
  33. Employees and average wages, fourth quarter of 2025 (in Bulgarian). National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI). Official page. Checked .
  34. Employees and average wages, third quarter of 2025 (in Bulgarian). National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI). Official page. Checked .
  35. Long-stay visa (type D visa). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. Official page. Checked .
  36. Bulgarian embassy and consulates general in the United States, with consular districts (page last updated September 10, 2026; in Bulgarian). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. Official page. Checked .
  37. Consular fees. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. Official page. Checked .
  38. Tariff No. 4 on the fees collected by the Ministry of Interior, consolidated to State Gazette 47 of 2024 (in Bulgarian). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. Official page. Checked .
  39. Checklist for a type D visa at the Consulate General in Dubai. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. Official page. Checked .
  40. Acquiring Bulgarian citizenship by naturalization under article 12: documents and fee (in Bulgarian). Ministry of Justice of Bulgaria. Official page. Checked .
  41. Ordinance No. 5 of 1999 on the Bulgarian language examination for naturalization (in Bulgarian). Ministry of Justice of Bulgaria. Official page. Checked .
  42. Directive 2014/92/EU on payment accounts (basic payment account). EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
  43. Bulgarian Personal Documents Act (in Bulgarian). Ministry of Interior of Bulgaria. Official page. Checked .
  44. Road Traffic Act, consolidated text as amended to State Gazette 55 of June 16, 2026 (in Bulgarian). Ministry of Interior of Bulgaria. Official page. Checked .
  45. City statistics: average annual rent for housing per square meter, 2019 and 2020. National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI). Official page. Checked .
  46. HICP, monthly annual rates of change for Bulgaria, including actual rentals for housing (dataset prc_hicp_minr, updated October 2, 2026). Eurostat. Official page. Checked .
  47. Employees and average wages and salaries, second quarter of 2026. National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI). Official page. Checked .
  48. Electricity and natural gas prices for household and non-household customers, first half of 2026. National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI). Official page. Checked .
  49. Prices of transportation documents valid from January 1, 2026. Sofia Urban Mobility Center. Official page. Checked .
  50. Travel documents (in Bulgarian). Gradski Transport EAD, Varna. Official page. Checked .
  51. NHIF Budget Act for 2026, State Gazette 68 of July 28, 2026 (in Bulgarian). National Health Insurance Fund of Bulgaria (NHIF). Official page. Checked .
  52. User fees (in Bulgarian). National Health Insurance Fund of Bulgaria (NHIF). Official page. Checked .
  53. Contact the Embassy. U.S. Embassy in Sofia. Official page. Checked .
  54. Act on the National System for Emergency Calls with the single European number 112 (in Bulgarian). Ministry of Interior of Bulgaria. Official page. Checked .
  55. Travel outside the U.S. Medicare.gov. Official page. Checked .
  56. Medicare coverage outside the United States (Product 11037, April 2026). Medicare.gov. Official page. Checked .
  57. Avoid late enrollment penalties. Medicare.gov. Official page. Checked .
  58. U.S. citizens and resident aliens abroad. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
  59. Technical Explanation of the U.S.-Bulgaria tax convention and protocol. U.S. Department of the Treasury. Official page. Checked .
  60. Bulgaria: tax treaty documents (page last reviewed August 13, 2026). Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
  61. Agenda of the Council of Ministers meeting of November 13, 2025 (draft 2026 budget; in Bulgarian). Council of Ministers of Bulgaria. Official page. Checked .
  62. Bulgaria: social security contributions, employees. European Commission, Taxes in Europe Database (data supplied by the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance, situation January 1, 2026). Official page. Checked .
  63. Bulgaria: tax on donations and onerous acquisition of property. European Commission, Taxes in Europe Database (data supplied by the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance, situation January 1, 2026). Official page. Checked .
  64. Bulgaria: social security contributions, employers. European Commission, Taxes in Europe Database (data supplied by the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance, situation January 1, 2026). Official page. Checked .
  65. Bulgaria: social security contributions, self-employed. European Commission, Taxes in Europe Database (data supplied by the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance, situation January 1, 2026). Official page. Checked .
  66. Figuring the foreign earned income exclusion. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
  67. Foreign earned income exclusion: what is foreign earned income. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
  68. Foreign tax credit. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
  69. Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR). FinCEN, U.S. Treasury. Official page. Checked .
  70. Do I need to file Form 8938? Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
  71. Obligations and Contracts Act, consolidated to State Gazette 42 of May 22, 2018 (in Bulgarian). Knezha District Court (copy of the Act). Official page. Checked .
  72. Market prices of dwellings (series covering the first quarter of 1993 to the second quarter of 2014). National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI). Official page. Checked .
  73. House price index, new and existing dwellings. National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI). Official page. Checked .
  74. Housing sales index: number of transactions, six largest cities. National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI). Official page. Checked .
  75. Housing sales index: number of transactions, by statistical region (national total). National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI). Official page. Checked .
  76. House price index for the six cities over 120,000 people, change on the same quarter of the previous year. National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI). Official page. Checked .
  77. Tourism Act, consolidated to State Gazette 70 of August 20, 2024 (in Bulgarian). Ministry of Tourism of Bulgaria. Official page. Checked .
  78. Population and demographic processes in 2025. National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI). Official page. Checked .
  79. Census 2021: population by statistical regions, districts, municipalities and settlements. National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI). Official page. Checked .
  80. Population by towns and sex, December 31, 2025. National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI). Official page. Checked .
  81. Monthly bulletin, July 2026, with deviations from the 1991-2020 climate norms (one of the twelve monthly bulletins used; in Bulgarian). National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology of Bulgaria (NIMH). Official page. Checked .
  82. Passport and citizenship services in Varna (announcement of September 8, 2026, for October 1, 2026). U.S. Embassy in Sofia. Official page. Checked .
  83. Road rules for traveling in Bulgaria (page dated August 28, 2026). U.S. Embassy in Sofia. Official page. Checked .
  84. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636: Annex II list of countries (United States of America). EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
  85. Traveling with pets (in Bulgarian). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. Official page. Checked .
  86. Council Regulation (EC) 1186/2009: relief from customs duty (personal property). EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
  87. Bulgaria: organization of single-structure education. Eurydice, European Commission (EACEA). Official page. Checked .
  88. Bulgaria: early childhood education and care (last updated November 27, 2023). Eurydice, European Commission (EACEA). Official page. Checked .
  89. Passports. U.S. Embassy in Sofia. Official page. Checked .
  90. Notarial services. U.S. Embassy in Sofia. Official page. Checked .
  91. Entry/Exit System fully operational from 10 April 2026: who is exempt. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official page. Checked .
  92. ETIAS, the EU travel authorization for visa-free visitors. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official page. Checked .
  93. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1411: ETIAS fee of €20. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
  94. Regulation (EU) 2018/1240 establishing ETIAS. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .

General information, not advice. Quantum Jetset does not give legal, tax, immigration, financial or investment advice. Rules and costs change; check the official sources above and speak to a qualified professional before you act. Items described as current were current as of October 7, 2026.

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