🪪 How does an EU citizen register to live in Bulgaria?

Yes

Quick answer

You apply at the Migration Directorate — within 3 months of entering the country. An EU citizen files an application for a long-term or permanent residence document with the Migration Directorate, or the migration section of the regional police, according to their address of residence. The deadline for filing is within 3 months of arriving in Bulgaria. The certificate is issued the very next day after filing, while the card takes up to 3 months, or 3 working days on the express service. After 5 years of continuous lawful residence on a long-term certificate, EU citizens and their family members obtain a permanent residence certificate. The ordinary fees are BGN 7 for the certificate and BGN 18 for the card.

📋 The rules

Apply at the Migration Directorate of the interior ministry
Deadline to file: within 3 months of arriving
The certificate is issued the next day
The card: up to 3 months, or 3 working days express
After 5 years: permanent residence

🔓 Exceptions

Ordinary fees: BGN 7 for the certificate and BGN 18 for the card
Non-EU nationals follow a different regime — a D visa and a permit
Family members of an EU citizen hold a derived status

⚠️ Penalties & fines

Missing the 3-month deadline brings a penalty under the entry and residence act, and having no proper status creates knock-on problems: without a residence document it is hard to complete an address registration, open a bank account, sign an employment contract, register with a GP, or enrol a child at nursery. For permanent residence you need continuous lawful residence over five years — long absences from the country can interrupt the period and send you back to the start, so keep evidence of your stay.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

What is the deadline to apply?

Within 3 months of entering Bulgaria, at the Migration Directorate or the migration section of the regional police covering your address of residence.

When do I get the document?

The certificate is issued the very next day after filing. The card takes up to 3 months, or 3 working days on the express service.

When can I get permanent residence?

After 5 years of continuous lawful residence on a long-term certificate. Long absences from the country can interrupt the period.

What does it cost?

On the ordinary service the fees are BGN 7 for the temporary certificate and BGN 18 for the residence card. The express service costs more.

What if I am not an EU citizen?

A different regime applies — a D visa and a long-term residence permit on the basis of work, study, business or family reasons.

🔎 Common searches

What people search to land here:

“eu citizen residence bulgaria registration”
“migration directorate application deadline”
“permanent residence 5 years bulgaria”
“residence card fee bulgaria”
“long term residence certificate bulgaria”
“d visa non eu bulgaria”