Hi all,
This is a little bit of a stream of conscious/questions about potential move to Bulgaria. I have spent a lot of time searching on this forum and researching elsewhere and these are the questions I have that remain!
1. We are looking to rent a large apartment or house happy to spend up to 3000eur a month (we are aware that is a lot of money, we are very fortunate but prefer renting for ourselves). Are there any agents or specific recommendations to find what we are looking for?
2. With regard to the rental process, what docs are needed to sort out a rental. Passport and money (currently live in Thailand but have lived in Aus and Uk where we needed a bit more) or more needed?
3. Are we best hitting the ground and looking for places or contacting agents beforehand? If simply looking when we get there how long will the process take?
4. Internet is important for us, how are the speeds internationally and how easy is it to set up and how reliable is it? Can we set up our own internet add extra lines with a rental?
5. We are planning on a week long recce, before hopping to the UK for a family visit then returning, would it be possible to open a bank account on the week long visit despite not having a permanent address?
6. Our Bulgarian is non existent, we will be actively trying to remedy this. We learnt Thai whilst we lived there and want to learn Bulgarian as well. Any recommendations of language schools or teachers? We find formal teaching mixed with conversational use works best.
7. Prior to learning we understand it would be useful in some instances to have a native speaker to assist. What is the best way to find someone to be a translator/assistant when needed?
Finally!!!
8. I am a non-eea spouse, we have found in the past that immigration is easier when someone else deals with it. Any recommendations for expat/immigration services?
Thank you for reading my incredibly long list of questions, I sincerely appreciate any help anyone can give!
Have a great internet day. :-)
Renting, Internet and Basic Questions.
Your questions will be easier to answer if you share where you are planning to live. The best realtors in Sofia are not the same as the best realtors in Varna, or in more rural areas, for example.
1. Depends where you are looking.
2. All I've ever needed here was an ID card and money. (I waited until I had my Bulgarian ID to rent, but passport should work as well)
3. This depends on how picky you are about your place and where you're looking. Finding a place you like with that budget in a big city should not be a problem. A weekend of viewing and you're done. But in a rural area it may take longer to find something suitable.
4. Internet in the cities (big and small) is fast and reliable. We pay 25bgn a month for 100mbps fiber in Gabrovo. In varna it was more like 30 for 50mbps, but still reliable. When you get out of the cities and have to rely on satellite connections it can slow down considerably and get spotty in bad weather.
5. Not sure about bank account.
6. There are several online schools that offer bulgarian (I teach English at one that offers Bulgarian lessons online) and several great in-person schools and teachers, too. Again, it depends on where you want to live and how you want to study.
7 and 8 unsure of these/ no personal experience.
Hi Kojidae,
Thanks for the response, much appreciated. I did forget to mention where we were planning to go, we intend to head to Sofia as we are city people and feel it is a good place to start.
Good news about the internet as well, it can be ropey at times over in Thailand the infrastructure is improving though which is good but the advertised speeds can be misleading because they restrict international bandwidth so heavily, great speeds to Bangkok not so good to the US!
Recommendations on face to face schools/teachers in Sofia definitely appreciated as well.
Thanks again and also thanks to Emanuela who replied via PM. Response incoming.
:-)
I don't have tons of info on Sofia (I am a Varna/Plovdiv/Gabrovo girl).
As for the internet, it is one of the things Bulgaria prides itself on- cheap, fast, reliable internet. One of the main work opportunities here is in web development, so the internet makes sense. I haven't run into throttling issues, either.
In Sofia, check out Step To Bulgaria for language lessons. They mix together language and cultural lessons, with teachers with extensive experience. (I learned from their programs, before they were actually called Step to Bulgaria, when I came to Bulgaria 8 years ago).
Here's an example of the textbooks they are creating/using: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Step-Bulgarian … amp;sr=1-2
They helped create the language curriculum used by Peace Corps volunteers and Fullbright recipients in Bulgaria.
Articles to help you in your expat project in Bulgaria
Wondering how to keep yourself busy after work and during week-ends? Here is an overview of leisure activities ...
Getting bored in Sofia? No way! Find out in this article what you can do during your leisure time in the Bulgarian ...
Would you like your pet to accompany you during your trip to Bulgaria? Find out how to proceed in this article.
If you find yourself pregnant in Bulgaria, you may be wondering if you will have to head home to have your baby ...
Educational Structures and Background:
Do you wish to open a bank account in Bulgaria? Find out how to proceed in this article.
