Bulgaria · Work
Bulgaria Trade representative permit
Income needed: BGN 100k+ a year ≈ $57k
Long-term residence for representatives of a foreign company's trade representative office (Art. 24(1)(6))
First checked against official sources on Record corrected 11 Oct 2026Change log
Key facts
Trade representative permit is a work route for Bulgaria. Applicants need income of BGN 100k+ a year ≈ $57k. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Money needed
- BGN 100k+ a year ≈ $57k
- Processing
- Up to 14 days
Cost, time and long term
To apply: income to show BGN 100k+/yr ≈ $57k; decision: up to 14 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Shown, not spentBGN 100k+/yr ≈ $57k
- BGN 100,000 a year (≈ $57,100)Annual turnover of the foreign company (not personal income) in each of the two consecutive years before registration of the office, or the equivalent in foreign currency at the Bulgarian National Bank rate on the day the registration documents are accepted. Statute amount in leva; the euro replaced the lev on 1 January 2026 at EUR 1 (≈ $1) = BGN 1.95583 (≈ $1).
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 apply3
- The foreign company has a trade representative office registered with the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
- The Chamber certifies the company's tax compliance and the circumstances of its registration.
- A residence permit on this ground can be given to at most two representatives of the foreign company.
What you must show1
- The foreign company's annual turnover is at least BGN 100,000 (≈ $57,100) in each of the two consecutive years before registration.
Documents2
- A certificate of current status of the foreign company, issued within the last 6 months, is submitted.
- Evidence of an office is submitted.
Steps1
- The applicant holds a long-stay Visa D.
After you arrive2
- For an extension the Chamber issues a new certificate after the representative declares the activity of the previous stay.
- An extension needs evidence of the office, representative actions or relations with Bulgarian partners.
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
Up to two representatives of a foreign company that has a trade representative office registered with the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 1 2 3 4 5
What you must show
- Income of at least BGN 100,000 a year (≈ $57,100) · Annual turnover of the foreign company (not personal income) in each of the two consecutive years before registration of the office, or the equivalent in foreign currency at the Bulgarian National Bank rate on the day the registration documents are accepted. Statute amount in leva; the euro replaced the lev on 1 January 2026 at EUR 1 (≈ $1) = BGN 1.95583 (≈ $1). 3 5
Requirements
- The foreign company has a trade representative office registered with the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 3
- The Chamber certifies the company's tax compliance and the circumstances of its registration. 3
- A residence permit on this ground can be given to at most two representatives of the foreign company. 3
- The foreign company's annual turnover is at least BGN 100,000 (≈ $57,100) in each of the two consecutive years before registration. 3
- A certificate of current status of the foreign company, issued within the last 6 months, is submitted. 3
- Evidence of an office is submitted. 3
- The applicant holds a long-stay Visa D. 3
- For an extension the Chamber issues a new certificate after the representative declares the activity of the previous stay. 3
- An extension needs evidence of the office, representative actions or relations with Bulgarian partners. 3
Stay
- Visa D, 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
Representation of the foreign 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
- Bulgaria adopts euro as of 1 January 2026 (fixed rate EUR 1 = BGN 1.95583) · European Commission, Access2Markets · checked 2026-10-10
- Bulgarian Citizenship Act (Zakon za balgarskoto grazhdanstvo), Art. 12-13 · Ministry of Justice, Bulgaria · checked 2026-10-11
Trade representative permit and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade representative permit | Needs income of BGN 100k+ a year ≈ $57k | – | – |
| Blue Card | – | 5 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Intra-company transfer | – | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Seasonal worker permit | – | 9 mo, renewable | – |
| Researcher permit | Needs income of €620+ a month ≈ $690 | – | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Trade representative permit?
Income of at least BGN 100,000 a year (≈ $57,100). Annual turnover of the foreign company (not personal income) in each of the two consecutive years before registration of the office, or the equivalent in foreign currency at the Bulgarian National Bank rate on the day the registration documents are accepted.
How long can I stay on the Trade representative permit?
Visa D, then a long-term residence permit.
How long does the Trade representative 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 Trade representative permit?
Representation of the foreign 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 Trade representative permit?
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 Trade representative 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 Trade representative permit lead to permanent residence in Bulgaria?
Time on the Trade representative permit counts toward permanent residence in Bulgaria, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Trade representative permit counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 5 years as a permanent resident.
How are Trade representative permit holders taxed in Bulgaria?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Trade representative 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 6 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
- Bulgaria adopts euro as of 1 January 2026 (fixed rate EUR 1 = BGN 1.95583) · European Commission, Access2Markets · checked 2026-10-10
- 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.