Bulgaria · Work
Bulgaria Researcher permit
Income needed: €620+ a month ≈ $690
Researcher long-term residence (Art. 24b)
First checked against official sources on Record corrected 11 Oct 2026Change log
Key facts
Researcher permit is a work route for Bulgaria. Applicants need income of €620+ a month ≈ $690. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Money needed
- €620+ a month ≈ $690
- Processing
- Up to 14 days
Cost, time and long term
To apply: income to show €620+/mo ≈ $690; decision: up to 14 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Shown, not spent€620+/mo ≈ $690
- EUR 620.2 a month (≈ $690)Stable, regular means of support not below the minimum monthly wage, minimum scholarship or minimum pension for the stay (Art. 24b(3) item 4); the minimum wage is EUR 620.20 (≈ $690) from 1 January 2026.
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
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Bulgaria
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply1
- Applicants are researchers with a project contract with a Bulgarian research organisation listed in the national research register.
What you must show1
- Means of support are not below the minimum monthly wage, scholarship or pension for the stay; the minimum wage is EUR 620.20 (≈ $690) from 1 January 2026.
Documents2
- A certified copy of the contract with the research organisation is submitted.
- Proof of housing, health insurance and a criminal record certificate are submitted.
Steps2
- Applicants obtain a long-stay Visa D first.
- The permit is decided within 30 days of the application.
After you arrive2
- The permit is issued for at least one year, or for the contract term if shorter.
- After the project ends a permit of up to 9 months is possible for job search if the researcher registers with the Employment Agency within 7 working days.
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
What you need to arrange
- Health insurance
Proof of housing, health insurance and a criminal record certificate are submitted
- Accommodation
Proof of housing, health insurance and a criminal record certificate are submitted
- Police certificate and civil documents
Proof of housing, health insurance and a criminal record certificate are submitted
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Researchers with a research-project contract with a Bulgarian research organisation listed in the register under the Research and Innovation Promotion Act. 1 2 3 4
What you must show
- Income of at least EUR 620.2 a month (≈ $690) · Stable, regular means of support not below the minimum monthly wage, minimum scholarship or minimum pension for the stay (Art. 24b(3) item 4); the minimum wage is EUR 620.20 (≈ $690) from 1 January 2026. 3 4
Requirements
- Applicants are researchers with a project contract with a Bulgarian research organisation listed in the national research register. 3
- Means of support are not below the minimum monthly wage, scholarship or pension for the stay; the minimum wage is EUR 620.20 (≈ $690) from 1 January 2026. 3 4
- A certified copy of the contract with the research organisation is submitted. 3 2
- Proof of housing, health insurance and a criminal record certificate are submitted. 3
- Applicants obtain a long-stay Visa D first. 3 2
- The permit is decided within 30 days of the application. 3
- The permit is issued for at least one year, or for the contract term if shorter. 3
- After the project ends a permit of up to 9 months is possible for job search if the researcher registers with the Employment Agency within 7 working days. 3
Stay
- Visa D up to one year with a 360-day stay possible; permit of at least one year, or the contract term if shorter; up to 9 months more after the project ends.
- Visa validity: 12 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
Research under the project contract with the research organisation.
Family
Family members can get a prolonged-stay permit for the period of the researcher's permit if they meet the general residence conditions (Art. 24(2)).
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
- Decree setting the minimum monthly wage from 1 January 2026 (BGN 1,213; EUR 620.20) · State Gazette of Bulgaria · checked 2026-10-11
- Bulgarian Citizenship Act (Zakon za balgarskoto grazhdanstvo), Art. 12-13 · Ministry of Justice, Bulgaria · checked 2026-10-11
Researcher permit and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Researcher permit | Needs income of €620+ a month ≈ $690 | – | – |
| Blue Card | – | 5 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Trade representative permit | Needs income of BGN 100k+ a year ≈ $57k | – | – |
| Intra-company transfer | – | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Seasonal worker permit | – | 9 mo, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Researcher permit?
Income of at least EUR 620.2 a month (≈ $690). Stable, regular means of support not below the minimum monthly wage, minimum scholarship or minimum pension for the stay (Art.
How long can I stay on the Researcher permit?
Visa D up to one year with a 360-day stay possible; permit of at least one year, or the contract term if shorter; up to 9 months more after the project ends.
How long does the Researcher permit 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 Researcher permit?
Research under the project contract with the research organisation.
Can I bring my family on the Researcher permit?
Family members can get a prolonged-stay permit for the period of the researcher's permit if they meet the general residence conditions (Art.
Who can apply for the Researcher permit?
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 Researcher permit lead to permanent residence in Bulgaria?
Time on the Researcher permit counts toward permanent residence in Bulgaria, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Researcher permit counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 5 years as a permanent resident.
How are Researcher permit holders taxed in Bulgaria?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Researcher permit. 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
Work 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
- Decree setting the minimum monthly wage from 1 January 2026 (BGN 1,213; EUR 620.20) · State Gazette of Bulgaria · 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.