Bulgaria has launched a digital nomad residence permit open to non-EU/EEA remote workers earning at least €31,000 a year, following its euro adoption on January 1, 2026, and its 2025 entry into the Schengen Zone.

The permit allows successful applicants to live and work in Bulgaria for up to one year. Holders can renew it for a second year, giving remote workers a flexible base in the heart of Europe.

Who is eligible?

Applicants must satisfy one of three professional criteria:

• Work remotely for a foreign company registered outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland
• Own, or hold at least 25% of, a business registered abroad
• Work as a freelancer with at least one year of experience serving non-Bulgarian clients

The income threshold is fixed at €31,000 per year — 50 times Bulgaria's monthly minimum wage of €620, as EuroNews reports. Candidates must also show health insurance valid for Bulgaria and the wider EU/Schengen area, proof of accommodation, and a clean criminal record.

What changes for applicants step by step?

The route runs through Bulgaria's long-stay visa system, and the full process can take more than three months.

1. Apply for a type D long-stay visa at a Bulgarian embassy or consulate. Processing takes between four and eight weeks.
2. Enter Bulgaria and file for the residence permit under the Digital Nomad Visa programme within 14 days of arrival.
3. Submit the document file: proof of accommodation, a clean criminal record certificate, and translations of foreign documents into Bulgarian, apostilled where necessary.
4. Apply for an identification card — the final administrative step for recognised digital nomads.

Can family members join?

The permit may also allow family reunification. Spouses and children can live in Bulgaria alongside the primary applicant, though specific conditions apply. Applicants should verify those conditions against the official programme rules before applying.

Why Bulgaria now?

Bulgaria adopted the euro on January 1, 2026, becoming the 21st member of the eurozone, and joined the Schengen Zone in 2025. Together, the two steps make the country a convenient hub for travel across Europe — nomads resident in Bulgaria can move within Schengen without internal border checks and handle their finances in the common currency.

The new permit positions Bulgaria as an alternative to pricier Western European bases. Cities such as Sofia and Plovdiv offer growing remote-working services, favourable rents and lively cultural scenes, while weekend destinations include the Rila and Pirin mountains, the Bansko ski resort and Black Sea beaches at Varna and Burgas.

What should prospective applicants watch?

The headline numbers are strict. The €31,000 income floor, the 25% business-ownership threshold, the one-year freelance experience rule, the 14-day filing window after arrival and the four-to-eight-week D visa processing time all shape the realistic timeline — over three months from start to finish in many cases.

Eligibility and document rules rest with Bulgarian consular authorities and the official Digital Nomad Visa programme; this summary does not constitute legal advice, and readers should confirm current requirements with the relevant Bulgarian embassy or consulate before applying.