Drivers License exchange, Really need help =((

Greetings @Ditto_W and welcome to the expat.com board!

When you say "living" do you mean that you are a "Bulgarian resident" (with the appropriate biometric permit)? Non-residents can't exchange their driving license.

I am not sure if the South African one can be exchanged directly, but my guess is yes, because South Africa has signed the "international Convention on Road Traffic". So maybe just head over to your local KAT and try... or send an email to the South African Embassy in Sofia and ask them.

Here's the convention info (there is a link to the list of ratifying countries)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_Co … ad_Traffic

And here's the official page on how to do it
https://www.mvr.bg/opp/en/administrativ … garian-one

Please note the possible requirements for certificates related to education, health/eyesight and psychological fitness.

Hi, thanks for the reply! I am currently holding a visa D for studying at a university here in Bulgaria. Would it still be allowed for a student to purchase a vehicle here? Or are there restrictions because of my Visa type?

Thanks!

OK... that makes it easier! D visa is not a residence permit (It's the long-term visa you have to get before applying for your residence permit).

So, currently, you can't exchange your license anyway, as you're not yet a BG resident.

Separately, did you apply for residence yet? Or are you planning to do so? This might be a very useful step, and shouldn't be very difficult/expensive. Depends on how long your course is... and whether you want to use your residence in Bulgaria as a potential stepping stone to the EU, or if you want to go back to South Africa ASAP.

I don't know for sure about car ownership. But foreigners are allowed to own real estate... so I'd imagine they could own a car too. Again, I'd be tempted to try it and see what happens. Even if you can't own it personally, you could form a Bulgarian company and own it via the company. But this is a bit of a faff, and I'd be surprised if it's necessary. I'd guess your Saffer license will be fine for driving.

With only a visa, I'd personally not want to get too involved in buying stuff, and maybe try rental/lease or walking/busing. :-) Especially as most of the universities are in good-sized cities with decent public transportation. But if you want to buy a car now, and sell it when you finish your studies, I doubt there are big obstacles. My suggestion is to sort your residence permit out first, then look at license exchange and car purchase after.

Thanks for all the help! My course with the university is around 3 and a half years and I'm totally unsure on even how to begin the process for residency as I have heard u need to marry or purchase property as a non-EU foreigner. But getting the car is what I need as I will move in with my fiance to Shumen and would require me to transport myself there and back

But yes, I really appreciate all the help!

D visa is the hard part, so well done you! :-)

If you're hanging out here for nearly 4 years, you should definitely go get your residence permit ASAP.

It should be pretty straightforward.

Student is OK, so you'll need proof of your course registration/student status.

Main proofs they require are: address (long term rental contract), health insurance (local policy is less than 100 euros), and proof of funds (a few thousand in your bank account). You probably already got all/most of these for your D visa application anyway.

If you're really baffled by it all, an attorney will help you for under 1,000 euros (and probably get your card in a few days). But a translator/helper will be even cheaper.

Having your residence permit is not absolutely necessary, but it makes life easier. It also starts the clock to permanent residence (5 years from issue of your temporary residence permit, not your D visa). Permanent residence in an EU country is almost as good as an EU passport, and you can then go live/work anywhere in the EU. You get a biometric card which is a proof of ID and proof of address. With this you can get your Covid shots, get a mobile phone/home internet contract, make social security contributions (so you can get free public healthcare)... and exchange your driving license. :-)

If you're planning to get married, there's probably a way to do this as the spouse of a Bulgarian citizen. But if you can sort it out now, easily, why wait?