Moving to Sofia

If you live modestly, as you say, you can manage on your current pension -- I'm reading your message to say that you are currently receiving it, right? There is a retiree visa available in Bulgaria , but as far as I am aware, Bulgaria doesn't grant visas based on savings.  Assuming that you're currently receiving  that, you are most likely eligible for the retiree visa.  The requirements are on the Bulgarian embassy's website, last I checked.  There are several of us on this forum who were granted retiree visas and then residency based on retiree status, if you have specific questions.

@GinnyHench thanks for your response, so $1600 is feasible and a livable amount of money to survive. The only reason why I mentioned the savings because if the 1600 wasn’t enough I could supplement that with savings and that’s kind of what I was trying to figure out, if I could just live off to 1600 or if I would have to supplement that with my savings until I turn 60. Thanks

@D H16 Hello. Price is Bulgaria as skyrocketed compared to just 3 years ago. So, 1600 is really not much in Sofia nowadays and you have to be careful around nuances...I am not trying to say Sofia/Bulgaria is bad...unfortunately, real estate are bad everywhere and other industries that rotate around foreigners are overpriced everywhere as well.

I have recently bought a place in the Pernik Region (2 weeks ago). I'll be happy to help you out with what I know so far. Send me a private message, we can exchange whatsapp if you want.

Cheers

Yuri

Dear Miss/Sir,

My name is Daniel and I am a student at SoftUni Bulgaria.

I am doing research for a mobile application for storing and sharing traditional Bulgarian recipes. Our goal is to understand the challenges and needs of enthusiasts like you, ensuring that our app meets your preferences and requirements.

***

Thank you in advance.

@desilavaatanasova Great idea, but Daniel, you need to start a new post for this. It doesn't have anything to do with the original post.

@D H16 To get an idea of rental costs, check one of the large estate agents handling rentals, like Bulgarian Properties. You can do a search just on rentals, and they tend to have a good range. Renting a house in Sofia could be quite expensive, but apartments should be available in your price range.

Like all big cities, Sofia has one more desirable and less desirable areas. Have a good look around an area before signing a contract.

@D H16

Congrats on the early retirement, and the great pension!

Certainly, when it triples you can live it up a little. :-)

You should bear in the mind that the legal minimum wage is around 400 euros per month, and many Bulgarian retirees might have even smaller pensions. So if you have nearly 4X this number (and later 12X) you are doing very well, comparatively. It should be absolutely no problem to get your D visa with this kind of pension.

Certainly, folks manage on far less than you,  and you too could definitely manage. But with renting, and wanting to be in Sofia (the most expensive city) you probably need to be a bit more frugal.

I like BulgarianProperties (dot com) and I have used them several times. It's a very large and reputable agent, and they have listings (for sale and rent) all over Bulgaria. They work with lots of expats and have English listings and English-speaking agents. They can also deal remotely if you want to rent a place based on their listing, rather than making a trip over just for this. (You should note your D visa application needs your proof of address and proof of health insurance, not just your proof of pension.) Even if you don't want to rent through them, it's a great way to do a bit of research on what's available for your budget.

Sofia is the capital, but I would also consider Plovdiv (2nd city, and former European Capital of Culture), and Varna/Burgas on the Black Sea. But for frequent flying Sofia airport will be the easiest (lots of low cost flights from Wizzair and Ryanair), which means I'd stick with Sofia or Plovdiv. We live in Plovdiv, and we love it. I get Wizzair to Spain, UK, Cyprus, Greece and more. We get a limo service (90 minutes door to door) for 70 euros (or I drive up and park near the airport if it's a short trip).

I think a modern, nicely furnished apartment is now around 400-500 euros for a studio, and more for a 1 bed. I have friends who rented a very nice 1 bedroom apartment in central Plovdiv and that's 700 euros per month (so Sofia would be more, of course). And if you want one that will accept pets that will restrict your options, and cost more. If you want a nice 1 bed in downtown Sofia, that's pet-friendly, I suspect this could easily blow a huge hole in your budget! :-)