Bulgaria · Digital nomad
Digital Nomad Residence Permit (Article 24k, Foreigners Act)
This is new and live, not merely proposed. It was introduced by amendments promulgated in State Gazette No. 52 of 27 June 2025. The implementing Cabinet decree was approved on 10 December 2025. Applications have been open since 22 December 2025.
At roughly EUR 31,000 a year, this is one of the most accessible nomad permits in the EU. Romania's equivalent demands roughly double that amount. Paired with Bulgaria's 10% flat tax, and now with Schengen and the euro, it is a serious proposition for 24 months. But the two-year cap and the express bar on permanent residence make it a tax-residency anchor, not a structuring tool.
Qualifying routes
The threshold is at least 50x the Bulgarian monthly minimum wage, averaged over the preceding calendar year, gross. That works out to roughly EUR 31,000/year on the 2026 minimum wage. The threshold floats with the minimum wage.
The facts
- Minimum
- €31k
- Total landed cost
- Government and consular fees only, and they are modest. The process has two stages: a Type D long-stay visa, then a residence permit.
- Route type
- Income requirement
- Timeline
- 2–4 months (The Type D visa at a consulate takes roughly 4-8 weeks. The residence permit application must follow within 14 days of entry.)
- Physical presence
- Genuine residence in Bulgaria.
- Family
- Not clarified. No source we could verify addresses whether dependants receive derivative permits
- Permanent residency
- None. The permit expressly does not lead to permanent residence.
- Citizenship
- None through this route.
- Language test
- Not applicable
- Dual citizenship
- Permitted
- Requirements
- non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationalremote employee of a non-EU/EEA/Swiss employer, or owner of over 25% of such a company, or self-employed with at least 1 year of remote-work historyincome of at least 50x the Bulgarian monthly minimum wage, averaged over the preceding calendar yearaccommodation, medical insurance and a criminal record certificate
- There is a hard two-year cap: one year plus a single one-year renewal. It expressly does not lead to permanent residence. This is a dead-end permit by design.
- You may not work for, or provide services to, persons in Bulgaria.
- The income threshold floats with the Bulgarian minimum wage. It was roughly EUR 27,500 on the 2025 wage and roughly EUR 31,000 on the 2026 wage. Re-check the figure when you apply.
- Family eligibility is unclear and unverified. If dependants matter, confirm before filing.
- Company owners must hold over 25% of a non-EU/EEA/Swiss company. The self-employed need at least one year of prior remote-work history.