Bulgaria Pensioner residence visa requirements
Bulgaria pensioner residence goes to foreigners with the right to a pension and means of at least the national minimum, such as the €620 minimum monthly wage in 2026, after a D visa.
What the law asks for, what the government charges, and how the application runs. Checked against Bulgaria's official sources on Oct 8, 2026.
- Minimum income
- National minimum level The law sets no separate pension amount. You need the right to a pension and stable, regular means to live on without social assistance, of at least Bulgaria's minimum monthly wage, minimum scholarship or minimum pension, for the length of your stay. The minimum monthly wage is €620 in 2026. Administrative Register; Eurostat. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
- Residency
- Up to one year, renewable Administrative Register. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
- Lawyer
- Not required Administrative Register. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
Who qualifies for the Pensioner residence visa
Bulgaria gives long-term residence to foreigners who have the right to a pension from Bulgaria, their home country or another country and enough money to live on. You first get a long-stay D visa at a Bulgarian embassy, then a permit of up to one year from the Interior Ministry's migration office, renewed before it runs out.
The law sets no separate pension amount. You need the right to a pension and stable, regular means to live on without social assistance, of at least Bulgaria's minimum monthly wage, minimum scholarship or minimum pension, for the length of your stay. The minimum monthly wage is €620 in 2026.
The Interior Ministry's service card, last updated in November 2025, still lists the permit fees in leva: 10 leva for the application, and 200 leva for a permit of up to 6 months or 500 leva for up to one year. The euro replaced the lev on 1 January 2026, and public fees are now paid in euro.
The amount you must show is tied to national minimums rather than set for pensioners: the law names the minimum monthly wage, the minimum scholarship or the minimum pension. The minimum monthly wage is €620 in 2026, up from €551 in 2025.
Every long-term permit needs housing, compulsory health insurance and means to live on without social assistance, under article 24 of the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act.
Pensioner residence visa documents
Every residence permit
- A long-stay D visa from a Bulgarian embassy or consulate, applied for in person with a passport valid 3 months beyond your planned departure, issued within the last 10 years and with 2 blank pages, a photo, fingerprints, the visa fee, travel medical insurance and proof of your reason to stay, means and housing
- Copy of your passport pages with the photo, personal data, D visa and last entry stamp, with the original to compare
- Proof that you paid the state fee, unless you paid online
- Proof of housing in Bulgaria
- Compulsory medical insurance valid in Bulgaria, if you are not insured under the Health Insurance Act
- Proof of stable, regular means to live on, of at least the national minimum monthly wage, minimum scholarship or minimum pension, for the length of your stay
- Criminal record certificate from your country of nationality or of usual residence, at the first application
Administrative Register. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
This visa
- A document from the competent authority of the paying country confirming your right to a pension
- A certificate from a bank in Bulgaria that you hold an account where your pension transfers will arrive
Administrative Register. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
Pensioner residence visa fees
| Residence permit card, standard service (up to 30 days) | €20 (about $20) |
| Residence permit card, fast service (up to 10 working days), instead of the standard card | €41 (about $50) |
Administrative Register. Checked Oct 8, 2026. Lawyer and agency fees are not set by law; ask for a fixed written quote.
How the application runs
- Get a D visaApply in person at the Bulgarian embassy or consulate for your place of residence, no earlier than 3 months before you travel. The interview is compulsory; a decision takes 15 calendar days to 35 working days.
- Set up a bank account and gather documentsOpen an account at a bank in Bulgaria to receive your pension, and gather proof of your pension right, housing, medical insurance and means, plus a criminal record certificate.
- Apply for the permitApply in person at the Migration Directorate in Sofia or the migration unit of your regional police directorate, no later than 14 days before your D visa expires. The decision is due within 14 days, extendable by a month.
- Collect your residence cardOnce approved, apply for the residence permit card with proof of your current address: €20.45 for the standard service, ready within 30 days.
- Renew before it runs outA long-term permit lasts up to one year. Apply to extend it no later than 14 days before it expires.
Spouses and children
Your spouse and other family members can get their own long-term residence as family members of a foreigner with a long-term permit, once the documents proving the family link and the right to support are recognised under Bulgarian law. They meet the same conditions on housing, insurance and means. The service card lists a fee of 150 leva for this permit of up to one year.
Administrative Register. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
Pensioner residence visa questions
Can Americans retire in Bulgaria?
Yes, on long-term residence for pensioners. You get a D visa at a Bulgarian embassy or consulate, then a permit of up to one year with proof of your pension right, housing, insurance and means of at least the national minimum.
How much income do I need to retire in Bulgaria?
The law sets no separate pension amount: your means must be at least Bulgaria's minimum monthly wage, minimum scholarship or minimum pension. The minimum monthly wage is €620 in 2026.
What documents do retirees need for a Bulgarian residence permit?
A D visa, a passport copy, proof of the fee, proof of housing, medical insurance valid in Bulgaria, proof of means, a criminal record certificate, a document confirming your pension right and a certificate from a Bulgarian bank account that receives the pension.
