Bulgaria · Business / Startup
Bulgaria Startup visa
First stay: 1 yr
StartUp Visa certificate and long-term residence for innovative or high-tech projects
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Startup visa is a business / startup route for Bulgaria. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Processing
- Up to 30 days
- First stay
- 1 yr
Cost, time and long term
Shown, not spent€1,861+ ≈ $2,080
- EUR 1,860.6 (≈ $2,080)Personal funds of at least three minimum wages (3 x EUR 620.20 (≈ $690) = EUR 1,860.60 (≈ $2,080) at the 2026 minimum wage), held for 30 consecutive days before the application.
RenewalRenewable
The startup certificate is valid 1 year; a long-term residence permit follows.
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 30 days
The ministry decides on the startup certificate within 30 days.
Where to applyFrom abroad
Get the innovation certificate first, then the long-term visa and residence permit.
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
What you must show2
- Personal funds cover at least three minimum wages, EUR 1,860.60 (≈ $2,080) at the 2026 rate.
- The funds are held for at least 30 consecutive days before the application.
Documents6
- A bank document shows the personal funds.
- A business plan is submitted.
- A project presentation is submitted.
- Optional supporting evidence: an investment contract with a venture fund of at least BGN 100,000 (≈ $57,100).
- Optional supporting evidence: a Seal of Excellence, patents or awards.
- Optional supporting evidence: prior sales of at least BGN 100,000 (≈ $57,100) in two years.
Steps1
- The founder holds a long-stay Visa D for the permit application.
After you arrive1
- After entry the founder becomes a partner or shareholder holding at least 50% of a Bulgarian company whose activity is the one declared in the certificate.
What happens at day 183
How Bulgaria decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
1 year at first, renewable
- 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
Ministry of Innovation and Growth certificate (valid 1 year, free, 30-day decision) enabling a long-term residence permit for non-EU founders. 1 2
What you must show
- Savings of at least EUR 1,860.6 (≈ $2,080) · Personal funds of at least three minimum wages (3 x EUR 620.20 (≈ $690) = EUR 1,860.60 (≈ $2,080) at the 2026 minimum wage), held for 30 consecutive days before the application. 1 3
Requirements
- Personal funds cover at least three minimum wages, EUR 1,860.60 (≈ $2,080) at the 2026 rate. 1 3
- The funds are held for at least 30 consecutive days before the application. 1
- A bank document shows the personal funds. 1
- A business plan is submitted. 1
- A project presentation is submitted. 1
- Optional supporting evidence: an investment contract with a venture fund of at least BGN 100,000 (≈ $57,100). 1
- Optional supporting evidence: a Seal of Excellence, patents or awards. 1
- Optional supporting evidence: prior sales of at least BGN 100,000 (≈ $57,100) in two years. 1
- The founder holds a long-stay Visa D for the permit application. 2
- After entry the founder becomes a partner or shareholder holding at least 50% of a Bulgarian company whose activity is the one declared in the certificate. 2
Stay
- Certificate valid for 1 year.
- Initial permitted stay: 12 months.
- 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
Develop the innovative project.
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
- Service 3263: certificate for a high-tech/innovative project (StartUp Visa) · Ministry of Innovation and Growth · 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
Startup visa and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Startup visa | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| Freelancer permit | Needs income of €620+ a month ≈ $690 | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Business with 10 jobs | – | – | – |
| Certified investor PR | Needs an investment from BGN 1M ≈ $571k | – | – |
| Startup Visa Portugal | Needs savings of €6,446+ ≈ $7,200 | 2 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Startup visa?
Savings of at least EUR 1,860.6 (≈ $2,080). Personal funds of at least three minimum wages (3 x EUR 620.20 (≈ $690) = EUR 1,860.60 (≈ $2,080) at the 2026 minimum wage), held for 30 consecutive days before the application.
How long can I stay on the Startup visa?
Certificate valid for 1 year.
How long does the Startup visa take to process?
The ministry decides on the startup certificate within 30 days.
Can I work on the Startup visa?
Develop the innovative project.
Can I bring my family on the Startup visa?
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 Startup visa?
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 Startup visa lead to permanent residence in Bulgaria?
Time on the Startup visa counts toward permanent residence in Bulgaria, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Startup visa counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 5 years as a permanent resident.
How are Startup visa holders taxed in Bulgaria?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Startup visa. 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 4 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.
- Service 3263: certificate for a high-tech/innovative project (StartUp Visa) · Ministry of Innovation and Growth · 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.