--- title: "Bulgaria Student residence requirements 2026: 18-month stay" url: https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bulgaria/study/ lang: en updated: 2026-10-11 --- Bulgaria · Student # Bulgaria Student residence **First stay:** 1 yr 6 mo Long-term residence for full-time university students (Art. 24c) with Visa D First checked against official sources on 11 Oct 2026 [Record corrected 11 Oct 2026](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/corrections/#change-bg-study) [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/) - **First stay:** 1 yr 6 mo (Prolonged residence permit valid up to one year (18 months for the last year of study); Visa D up to 6 months, or up to one year with a 360-day stay for programmes of up to one year; up to 9 months more after graduation.) - **Who can apply:** Most passports (Third-country nationals.) ## Key facts Student residence is a student route for Bulgaria. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source. - **Processing:** Up to 14 days - **First stay:** 1 yr 6 mo ## Time and long term **Renewal: Renewable** The permit is valid up to one year and extended for each year of study. [Ministry of Labour and Social Policy](https://www.mlsp.government.bg/uploads/78/sdrmi/za-chuzhdentsite-v-republika-blgariya.pdf) **Permanent residence: After 5 years of residence** Half of study time counts toward the 5 years for long-term resident status. [Ministry of Labour and Social Policy](https://www.mlsp.government.bg/uploads/78/sdrmi/za-chuzhdentsite-v-republika-blgariya.pdf) **Citizenship: After 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. [Ministry of Justice, Bulgaria](https://justice.government.bg/home/normdoc/2134446592) **Processing: Up to 14 days** Applications for prolonged residence permits are examined within 14 days; complex cases can be extended by one more month. [Ministry of Labour and Social Policy](https://www.mlsp.government.bg/uploads/78/sdrmi/za-chuzhdentsite-v-republika-blgariya.pdf) **Where to apply: From abroad** Obtain the long-stay Visa D at a Bulgarian consulate, then apply for the residence permit from the Migration Directorate in Bulgaria. [Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria](https://www.mfa.bg/upload/99380/2_Visa_D.pdf) **Presence rules: Absence limits** For long-term status, absences must stay under 6 consecutive months and 10 months in total over the 5 years. [Ministry of Labour and Social Policy](https://www.mlsp.government.bg/uploads/78/sdrmi/za-chuzhdentsite-v-republika-blgariya.pdf) ## Why this route may not fit Check this before you apply. - Applications are made from outside Bulgaria, not after arriving - Needs a place at a school or university in Bulgaria - Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports ### What you'll need #### Who can apply - Applicants are accepted as full-time students at a Bulgarian higher-education institution. #### What you must show - 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. - The consular leaflet asks for evidence of subsistence means of at least 6 monthly wages in Bulgaria. #### Documents - A certificate of acceptance from the Ministry of Education and Science is submitted. - A certificate from the institution that the student studies in the year is submitted. - Secured housing, mandatory health insurance and a criminal record certificate are submitted. #### Steps 1. Applicants obtain a long-stay Visa D. 2. Proof of paid enrolment fee is shown after entry. #### After you arrive - The permit is valid up to one year, and 18 months for the last year of study. - After graduation a permit of up to 9 months is possible if the graduate registers with the Employment Agency as a job seeker within 7 working days. ## What happens at day 183 How Bulgaria decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records. - **Stay on this route:** **Up to 18 months at first, renewable** - **Tax residence:** - **More than 183 days in each 12-month period** Residing 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](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bulgaria/tax/) Tax records checked 10 Oct 2026 ## What you need to arrange - **Health insurance** Secured housing, mandatory health insurance and a criminal record certificate are submitted - **Accommodation** Secured housing, mandatory health insurance and a criminal record certificate are submitted - **Police certificate and civil documents** Secured housing, mandatory 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** Full-time students enrolled at a Bulgarian higher-education institution can receive a long-term residence permit valid up to one year. (sources 1, 2, 3, 4) #### Requirements - Applicants are accepted as full-time students at a Bulgarian higher-education institution. (source 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. (sources 3, 4) - The consular leaflet asks for evidence of subsistence means of at least 6 monthly wages in Bulgaria. (source 2) - A certificate of acceptance from the Ministry of Education and Science is submitted. (sources 3, 2) - A certificate from the institution that the student studies in the year is submitted. (sources 3, 2) - Secured housing, mandatory health insurance and a criminal record certificate are submitted. (source 3) - Applicants obtain a long-stay Visa D. (source 3) - Proof of paid enrolment fee is shown after entry. (source 3) - The permit is valid up to one year, and 18 months for the last year of study. (source 3) - After graduation a permit of up to 9 months is possible if the graduate registers with the Employment Agency as a job seeker within 7 working days. (source 3) #### Stay - Prolonged residence permit valid up to one year (18 months for the last year of study); Visa D up to 6 months, or up to one year with a 360-day stay for programmes of up to one year; up to 9 months more after graduation. - First stay: up to 18 months, decided case by case. - 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. Checked 2026-10-11 ## Official sources 1. [Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act (English translation, consolidation of 2022)](https://www.mig.government.bg/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/foreigners_in_the_republic_of_bulgaria_act.pdf) · Ministry of Innovation and Growth · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2022-11 2. [Visa D (long term): documents and Art. 24 categories (June 2023)](https://www.mfa.bg/upload/99380/2_Visa_D.pdf) · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2023-06 3. [Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act, consolidated text (amended to State Gazette 52/2025)](https://www.mlsp.government.bg/uploads/78/sdrmi/za-chuzhdentsite-v-republika-blgariya.pdf) · Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (consolidated text, printed 13 February 2026) · checked 2026-10-11 4. [Decree setting the minimum monthly wage from 1 January 2026 (BGN 1,213; EUR 620.20)](https://dv.parliament.bg/DVWeb/showMaterialDV.jsp?amp=&idMat=238961) · State Gazette of Bulgaria · checked 2026-10-11 5. [Bulgarian Citizenship Act (Zakon za balgarskoto grazhdanstvo), Art. 12-13](https://justice.government.bg/home/normdoc/2134446592) · Ministry of Justice, Bulgaria · checked 2026-10-11 ## Student residence and its alternatives | Route | Money needed | Stay | Work | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Student residence | – | 1.5 yr, renewable | – | | [Student permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/portugal/student-higher-ed-91/) Portugal | Needs income of €920+ a month ≈ $1,030 | 3 yr, renewable | Yes | | [Internship permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/spain/internship-residence/) Spain | – | 1 yr, renewable | – | | [D3 study visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/georgia/d3-study-research/) Georgia | – | 1 yr, renewable | No | | [Student visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/italy/study-visa/) Italy | Needs savings of €10k+ a year ≈ $11k | – | Yes | ## Questions people ask ### How long can I stay on the Student residence? Prolonged residence permit valid up to one year (18 months for the last year of study); Visa D up to 6 months, or up to one year with a 360-day stay for programmes of up to one year; up to 9 months more after graduation. ### How long does the Student residence take to process? Applications for prolonged residence permits are examined within 14 days; complex cases can be extended by one more month. ### Who can apply for the Student residence? 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 Student residence lead to permanent residence in Bulgaria? Time on the Student residence counts toward permanent residence in Bulgaria, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Student residence counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 5 years as a permanent resident. ### How are Student residence holders taxed in Bulgaria? No special regime in our records is tied to the Student residence. 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 [Digital nomad permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bulgaria/digital-nomad/) [Freelancer permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bulgaria/freelance/) [Business with 10 jobs](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bulgaria/commercial-activity/) [Certified investor PR](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bulgaria/investor-pr-certified-business-class-ab/) [Startup visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bulgaria/startup-visa/) [Blue Card](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bulgaria/blue-card/) [Trade representative permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bulgaria/trade-representative/) [Intra-company transfer](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bulgaria/intra-corporate-transfer/) ## Study visas elsewhere [🇩🇪 Student permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/germany/student-16b/) [🇫🇷 Student permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/france/student-residence/) [🇬🇧 Student visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/united-kingdom/student-visa/) [🇳🇱 Student permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/netherlands/student-residence/) [🇦🇱 Student permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/albania/student/) [🇲🇪 Student permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/montenegro/student/) ≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated. ## 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. 1. [Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act (English translation, consolidation of 2022)](https://www.mig.government.bg/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/foreigners_in_the_republic_of_bulgaria_act.pdf) · Ministry of Innovation and Growth · checked 2026-10-10 2. [Visa D (long term): documents and Art. 24 categories (June 2023)](https://www.mfa.bg/upload/99380/2_Visa_D.pdf) · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria · checked 2026-10-10 3. [Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act, consolidated text (amended to State Gazette 52/2025)](https://www.mlsp.government.bg/uploads/78/sdrmi/za-chuzhdentsite-v-republika-blgariya.pdf) · Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (consolidated text, printed 13 February 2026) · checked 2026-10-11 4. [Decree setting the minimum monthly wage from 1 January 2026 (BGN 1,213; EUR 620.20)](https://dv.parliament.bg/DVWeb/showMaterialDV.jsp?amp=&idMat=238961) · State Gazette of Bulgaria · checked 2026-10-11 5. [Bulgarian Citizenship Act (Zakon za balgarskoto grazhdanstvo), Art. 12-13](https://justice.government.bg/home/normdoc/2134446592) · Ministry of Justice, Bulgaria · checked 2026-10-11 Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the [changes page](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/), and the [methodology page](https://settleanywhere.com/methodology/) explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email [contact@stayglobe.app](mailto:contact@stayglobe.app?subject=Correction) with a link to the official source.