Residence permit as a family member of a Bulgarian citizen

Published On: 06/10/2023

Residence permit as a family member of a Bulgarian citizen is an opportunity which allows the spouse and other relatives of any Bulgarian citizen who are third-country nationals to live in Bulgaria.

The residence permit is issued for a period of up to 1 year and could be renewed on an annual basis giving the right to the applicant to live in Bulgaria.

  1. Definition of a family member

According to the Act on Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria, as a family member of a Bulgarian citizen is considered:

  • The spouse of the Bulgarian citizen;
  • Children of the Bulgarian citizen under 21 years of age if not married;
  • Children of the spouse of the Bulgarian citizen under 21 years of age if not married;
  • Parents of the Bulgarian citizen;
  • Parents of the spouse of the Bulgarian citizen;
  • Other members of the Bulgarian citizen’s household who were fully dependent on him/her in the country of their origin or in the country of their habitual residence or serious health reasons require the Bulgarian citizen to take care of them personally.

The process for obtaining a residence permit as a family member of a Bulgarian citizen could be divided into three main steps.

  1. Application for Visa D

The Non-EU national should apply for Visa D at the Bulgarian Consulate at his/her place of origin or permanent residence. The documents for the Visa D application include among others criminal record, declaration for proof of address, marriage certificate or birth certificate. All documents should be translated and legalized as per the applicable legalization procedure.

Visa D is issued within a period of up to 35 working days.

  1. Submission of an application for a residence permit at the Migration Directorate

Once the foreign national has obtained Visa D, the applicant shall visit Bulgaria in order to apply for residence permit at the Migration Directorate.

The documents are submitted in the district administration of the Migration Directorate in Bulgaria. The list of documents to be presented includes among other standard documents also:

  • Application form for granting the right of a long-term residence status to a foreigner in the Republic of Bulgaria;
  • Copy and original of a passport of the main applicant;
  • Copy and original of a passport of the applicant;
  • Copy and original of a Visa D and the seal for the last entry into the country;
  • Criminal record certificate;
  • Marriage certificate (for the spouse);
  • Birth certificate of children (when the family member is a child);
  • Birth certificate of the Bulgarian citizen (when the family members are parents);
  • Birth certificate of the spouse (when the family members are parents-in-law);
  • Etc.
  1. Positive statement of the Migration Directorate

The application shall be examined by the officials at the Migration Directorate within 14 days.

The state fee paid at the Migration Directorate for granting the residence permit as a family member of Bulgarian citizen is:

  • upon provision of residency for a period up to 1 year – BGN 150.

For more information or legal advice and assistance, please use the contact form or reach out to us at pberg@berglaw.eu

 

Miglena Dimitrova
Polina Berg

 

 

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