Bulgaria · Business / Startup
Bulgaria Business with 10 jobs
Long-term residence for commercial activity creating 10 jobs (Art. 24(1)(2))
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Business with 10 jobs is a business / startup route for Bulgaria. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Processing
- Up to 14 days
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable
Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence
Long-term resident status is granted after 5 years of lawful continuous residence; half of study time counts, and seasonal, au pair, posted and formally limited permits do not.
CitizenshipAfter 5 years as a permanent resident
Naturalisation requires holding a permanent or long-term residence permit for at least 5 years, plus income, no intentional-crime conviction and Bulgarian language.
ProcessingUp to 14 days
Applications for prolonged residence permits are examined within 14 days; complex cases can be extended by one more month.
Where to applyFrom abroad
Obtain the long-stay Visa D at a Bulgarian consulate, then apply for the residence permit from the Migration Directorate in Bulgaria.
Presence rulesAbsence limits
For long-term status, absences must stay under 6 consecutive months and 10 months in total over the 5 years.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Applications are made from outside Bulgaria, not after arriving
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply3
- Applicants run a commercial activity under the statutory procedure.
- At least ten full-time jobs for Bulgarian citizens are created and maintained during the stay.
- The job requirement applies separately to each partner and to each manager.
Documents2
- A National Revenue Agency certificate for 10 employed Bulgarian citizens is submitted with the Visa D application.
- Company status documents and a tax-liability certificate are submitted with it.
What happens at day 183
How Bulgaria decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
- More than 183 days in each 12-month periodResiding in Bulgaria more than 183 days makes a person a resident for tax purposes.
- Foreign-source income
Total annual tax base of residents on worldwide income; Bulgarian-source income of non-residents.
All tax rules for Bulgaria Tax records checked
Full official text
Foreigners who carry on commercial activity in Bulgaria that creates and keeps at least ten full-time jobs for Bulgarian citizens; the condition applies to each partner and manager separately. 1 2 3 4
Requirements
- Applicants run a commercial activity under the statutory procedure. 1 3
- At least ten full-time jobs for Bulgarian citizens are created and maintained during the stay. 1 3
- The job requirement applies separately to each partner and to each manager. 1 3
- A National Revenue Agency certificate for 10 employed Bulgarian citizens is submitted with the Visa D application. 2 3
- Company status documents and a tax-liability certificate are submitted with it. 2 3
Stay
- Visa D up to 6 months, then a long-term residence permit.
- Visa validity: 6 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Nationality
Third-country nationals. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Work
Commercial activity in the company; no access to the Bulgarian labour market as an employee (Labour Migration and Labour Mobility Act Art. 8(1)(2)).
Family
Spouse and unmarried children under 18 living in the same household can get one-year renewable prolonged-stay permits, not beyond the holder's authorised stay; after 5 years the spouse and adult children can get their own permit.
Official sources
- Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act (English translation, consolidation of 2022) · Ministry of Innovation and Growth · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2022-11
- Visa D (long term): documents and Art. 24 categories (June 2023) · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2023-06
- Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act, consolidated text (amended to State Gazette 52/2025) · Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (consolidated text, printed 13 February 2026) · checked 2026-10-11
- Labour Migration and Labour Mobility Act (Bulgarian text, as amended to 2021) · Ministry of Labour and Social Policy · checked 2026-10-11
- Bulgarian Citizenship Act (Zakon za balgarskoto grazhdanstvo), Art. 12-13 · Ministry of Justice, Bulgaria · checked 2026-10-11
Business with 10 jobs and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business with 10 jobs | – | – | – |
| Freelancer permit | Needs income of €620+ a month ≈ $690 | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Certified investor PR | Needs an investment from BGN 1M ≈ $571k | – | – |
| Startup visa | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| Startup Visa Portugal | Needs savings of €6,446+ ≈ $7,200 | 2 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Business with 10 jobs?
Visa D up to 6 months, then a long-term residence permit.
How long does the Business with 10 jobs take to process?
Applications for prolonged residence permits are examined within 14 days; complex cases can be extended by one more month.
Can I work on the Business with 10 jobs?
Commercial activity in the company; no access to the Bulgarian labour market as an employee (Labour Migration and Labour Mobility Act Art.
Can I bring my family on the Business with 10 jobs?
Spouse and unmarried children under 18 living in the same household can get one-year renewable prolonged-stay permits, not beyond the holder's authorised stay; after 5 years the spouse and adult children can get their own permit.
Who can apply for the Business with 10 jobs?
Third-country nationals. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Does the Business with 10 jobs lead to permanent residence in Bulgaria?
Time on the Business with 10 jobs counts toward permanent residence in Bulgaria, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Business with 10 jobs counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 5 years as a permanent resident.
How are Business with 10 jobs holders taxed in Bulgaria?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Business with 10 jobs. The standard rules apply: Bulgarian tax residents pay a flat 10% on the total annual tax base; dividends are taxed at a final 5%.
More in Bulgaria
Business / startup visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 5 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act (English translation, consolidation of 2022) · Ministry of Innovation and Growth · checked 2026-10-10
- Visa D (long term): documents and Art. 24 categories (June 2023) · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria · checked 2026-10-10
- Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act, consolidated text (amended to State Gazette 52/2025) · Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (consolidated text, printed 13 February 2026) · checked 2026-10-11
- Labour Migration and Labour Mobility Act (Bulgarian text, as amended to 2021) · Ministry of Labour and Social Policy · checked 2026-10-11
- Bulgarian Citizenship Act (Zakon za balgarskoto grazhdanstvo), Art. 12-13 · Ministry of Justice, Bulgaria · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.