Preparing for the move – budget and language concerns

Hi Kris!

The change to the euro shouldn't affect things too much for you as the BGN has been tied in value to the EUR for years. But the drop in the value of the USD is likely to have an effect, and due to inflation the cost of living in Bulgaria is higher than it used to be. I'm paid in USD and much of my savings are in USD and the difference in the conversion rate is noticeable.

You can check prices for many things using online sites like Numbeo for general figures and the supermarket websites for everyday prices. The price of property has risen steeply but I think probably levelled off now, and Bulgaria still remains affordable.

Which areas in Bulgaria have you visited? It's a very different country, people either love it or hate it. It's not somewhere to make plans to move to without visiting first.

We're still in the UK waiting to qualify for a D visa and residency, but spend as much time as we can at our Bulgarian house.

Thanks for the reply

Please tell me you've not been waiting over a year.... I was about to jump over there, only just now learning that US can't apply for a D visa in the country. Everything else on the net said the opposite.

Kris

Bulgaria is still one of the easiest EU countries to get a visa for, but getting tougher these days.  Requirements in others seem to range from stricter to close to ridiculous, and taxes elsewhere can be onerous if you're on a pendion or other fixed income.  The days of upping sticks and relocating more or less on a whim are long gone, unless you're a citizen of another EU country.

@JimJ

thanks for the post..... though really disheartening... I was planning to be there in a couple months, get a place, turn in papers, and voila!

Kris, my wait is to get my retirement pension and then actually apply, not how long it takes after applying! This site (an immigration lawyer) details the requirements and the process a bit more clearly than the Bulgarian Embassy website does: https://visaforbulgaria.com/bulgarian-d-visa

If you receive a retirement pension of more than 6,500 EUR per year, and have enough in the bank to support yourself (same amount again) you should qualify for the retirement visa. It's not age based, purely on having a pension. Next easiest is the new digital nomad visa, but that requires earnings of 31,500 EUR per year and is only good for 1 or 2 years, not a route to staying permanently.

You do need to apply at the Bulgarian Embassy in your country of residence. Getting the visa approved and being called to get the stamp in your passport typically takes about 6 weeks, and you need to go back to the Embassy to get that done. As long as you haven't already used up your 90 days per 180, you can stay in Bulgaria while waiting for the email.

Once you have the D visa stamp, you then apply for residency at the Migration Office in your region of Bulgaria -- usually simple and low-cost, as you'll already have all the paperwork. But they don't handle D visa applications.