Bulgaria

1 programme · BGN · Bulgarian

Showing Bulgaria's requirements for Chinese citizens. Other passports:🇺🇸 US 🇬🇧 UK 🇿🇦 ZA 🇨🇦 CA 🇦🇺 AU 🇮🇳 IN 🇧🇷 BR All passports

Last updated July 2026Sources:mfa.bg,kinstellar.com,newbalkanslawoffice.com,eurofast.eu

and 73 more

Type D Long-Stay Visa (Remote Work)

Official nomad visa

What this visa gets you

Visa
Entry document
Temporary residency
1 year initially, up to 2 years total
Permanent residency
Not via this programme
Citizenship
Not via this programme

Nomads and expats consistently describe Bulgaria as offering a relaxed, affordable lifestyle that compares favourably to pricier EU countries. Several users who kept remote salaries report feeling like they 'live like a king', and one UK-based remote worker says the move left them significantly happier, citing lower costs and a stronger sense of community than back home.

Nomads and expats consistently describe Bulgaria as offering a relaxed, affordable lifestyle that compares favourably to pricier EU countries. Several users who kept remote salaries report feeling like they 'live like a king', and one UK-based remote worker says the move left them significantly happier, citing lower costs and a stronger sense of community than back home.
r/expats ↗r/IWantOut ↗
Bansko is frequently flagged as a nomad hub, with users noting an active expat/nomad community there and a public Facebook coworking group. Several commenters mention it as a realistic base, with one planning to move there after a ski-season stay.
r/digitalnomad ↗

Anecdotal: what nomads report, not official guidance.

Income requirement: BGN ~53,850/year (50 x previous-year monthly minimum wage of BGN 1,077 for 2026 applications); commonly mis-cited as ~BGN 60,600 / EUR 31,000 using the 2026 minimum wage of BGN 1,213
Application fee: Not stated
Family allowed: Yes

One experienced user strongly recommends spending a full month in Bulgaria before committing to residency, using up the visa-free 90-day allowance first. The process of converting a stay into residency is described as navigable but complex enough that locals and long-timers suggest arriving with 'beginner's mind' and flexibility.

One experienced user strongly recommends spending a full month in Bulgaria before committing to residency, using up the visa-free 90-day allowance first. The process of converting a stay into residency is described as navigable but complex enough that locals and long-timers suggest arriving with 'beginner's mind' and flexibility.
r/IWantOut ↗r/digitalnomad ↗
Nomads report that opening a Bulgarian company bank account as a non-resident can be a real sticking point — one agency told a user the government requires a residence permit for the company director before a business bank account is allowed. Some users report being steered toward 'readymade' shelf companies as a workaround, though concerns about hidden liabilities are raised.
r/digitalnomad ↗

Anecdotal: what nomads report, not official guidance.

How do Chinese citizens apply for the Bulgaria Type D Long-Stay Visa?

Can Chinese citizens apply from inside Bulgaria?

Generally no: most applicants apply from outside Bulgaria before they travel.

The "fly in on a tourist stamp and convert" route is a widespread misconception and does not work for this visa. If you already hold legal residence in Bulgaria on another permit, different rules may apply, so confirm with the authorities.

How long does the Bulgaria Type D Long-Stay Visa really take for Chinese citizens?

10–14 weeks (≈ 2–3 months)

Police clearance (verified)1w
Apostille (typical)1w
Consular appointment (typical)4w
Processing 4–8w official4w
Post-arrival registration (typical)2w

Official processing: 4–8 weeks. The rest is doc gathering + waiting in a queue, none of which the consulate counts.

Avoid these

What do people get wrong about the Bulgaria Type D Long-Stay Visa?

The tourist-stamp convert myth. Flying to Bulgaria on a tourist stamp and converting it into the residence visa from inside the country is not possible for Type D Long-Stay Visa. Almost every application story that goes badly starts with this misconception.
Underestimating timing by a factor of 2–3. The "60-day processing" line is real, but it's only the consulate's processing window. The door-to-door reality includes police clearance, apostille, consular appointment lead, and post-arrival registration, so most applicants land between 4 and 7 months.
Skipping or mis-formatting the apostille. Apostille is the single most cited rejection reason. Every supporting document from your home country needs an apostille from the right authority, and they expire. Don't apostille more than 4 months before submission.

Documents

What Chinese applicants typically submit

Documents needing an apostille (Chinese authorities):

Notarial Certificate of No Criminal Record (无犯罪记录公证书) issued by a Chinese Notary Public Office
Notarial certificates of marriage and birth certificates where a spouse or children are included in the application

Worth knowing: Chinese ordinary passport holders are visa-required for the Schengen area, and Bulgaria has been a full Schengen member since 1 January 2025, so there is no visa-free look-around trip before you commit. The route is the same two steps everyone else takes, a type D long-stay visa first and then the residence permit at the Migration Directorate after arrival, but the D visa has to be issued in China before you travel, which makes the consular stage the whole timeline. Only two places in China take it: the embassy's consular section in Beijing and the Consulate General in Shanghai. Which one is a matter of where you live, not preference, because Shanghai's district is limited to Shanghai plus Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Jiangxi and Fujian, and everything else goes to Beijing. Since 7 November 2023 the document chain ends with a single apostille rather than the old two-step consular legalisation, and Bulgaria is on China's apostille list, so a Chinese notarial certificate of no criminal record needs one MFA or FAO stamp and then a sworn translation into Bulgarian. The programme also bars Bulgarian clients and Bulgarian employers, which for a Chinese applicant is rarely the binding constraint: the harder question is whether a domestic Alipay, WeChat Pay and Chinese bank income history reads as the foreign-sourced freelance trail the rules ask for.

Tax

How is Type D Long-Stay Visa income taxed for Chinese citizens?

Bulgaria levies a flat 10% personal income tax. Individuals become Bulgarian tax residents if they spend 183+ days in the country in a 12-month period (or have their centre of vital interests in Bulgaria), at which point worldwide income is taxable at 10%, subject to double-taxation treaties. No special or reduced tax regime is attached specifically to the digital nomad permit. Permit income must be foreign-sourced.

Tax treaty with ChineseYes

Social-security totalisationNo

Money, roughly (sourced)

Regime: Flat 10% personal income tax (worldwide income for residents), about 10% effective tax on €60k/yr.

Bulgaria has the EU's lowest flat PIT (10%) and 10% CG, no special nomad regime needed. Main cost driver for a self-employed nomad is capped social/health contributions (fixed-euro ceiling), not income tax. Residents taxed on worldwide income; treaty relief applies.

Capital gains: 10%. Real estate has a 10% statutory cost deduction and primary-residence/holding-period exemptions. Headline individual CG rate is 10%.

Living comfortably to well in Sofia runs about €1,300–€1,800/mo for one person, incl. rent. About what the same living costs in Shanghai (¥10,550/mo).

Estimate your take-home in the tax calculator →

Worth a specialist's time. A short call before you commit usually pays for itself, especially for US citizens (FEIE/FATCA), existing UK ties, or unwinding SA tax residency.

Community members consistently highlight Bulgaria's flat 10% income tax as the primary draw for relocating nomads, particularly those from high-tax countries like Ireland or Belgium. However, users caution that total tax burden including healthcare and social security contributions is higher than the headline rate suggests, and one thread notes a sole-proprietor effective rate (including mandatory social contributions) lands noticeably above 10%. Finding a local lawyer or accountant who specialises in this is described as straightforward, with several knowledgeable firms available in Sofia.

Community members consistently highlight Bulgaria's flat 10% income tax as the primary draw for relocating nomads, particularly those from high-tax countries like Ireland or Belgium. However, users caution that total tax burden including healthcare and social security contributions is higher than the headline rate suggests, and one thread notes a sole-proprietor effective rate (including mandatory social contributions) lands noticeably above 10%. Finding a local lawyer or accountant who specialises in this is described as straightforward, with several knowledgeable firms available in Sofia.
r/digitalnomad ↗r/bulgaria ↗r/digitalnomad ↗

Anecdotal: what nomads report, not official guidance.

Recommended for your move

FAQ

Bulgaria Type D Long-Stay Visa: common questions

Can Chinese citizens get the Bulgaria Type D Long-Stay Visa?

Yes. The Type D Long-Stay Visa is open to Chinese passport holders as non-EU nationals. The main requirement is proof of income of at least €2,294 per month.

Can I apply for the Bulgaria Type D Long-Stay Visa from inside Bulgaria?

Generally no. Chinese applicants normally apply at the Bulgaria consulate responsible for their region before travelling. Note this is about converting a short tourist stay; if you already hold legal residence in Bulgaria on another permit, different rules may apply, so confirm with the authorities.

How long does the Bulgaria Type D Long-Stay Visa take for Chinese applicants?

Official processing is 4–8 weeks. Door-to-door, including police clearance, apostille, consular appointment lead time, and post-arrival registration, most Chinese applicants take about 4–8 weeks (roughly 1–2 months).

Do I need an apostille for the Bulgaria Type D Long-Stay Visa?

Yes. Supporting documents issued in China (such as your police clearance) must be apostilled by the competent China authority before submission. Apostilles can expire, so don't obtain them more than a few months ahead of applying.

How much does the Bulgaria Type D Long-Stay Visa cost?

The consular fee paid in China is approximately 100 EUR. Budget separately for police clearance, apostille (if required), translations, and required health insurance.

Can I bring my family on the Bulgaria Type D Long-Stay Visa?

Yes. Spouses and dependent children can generally be included as dependants, usually with a higher combined income requirement and their own supporting documents.

What's next

Keep going

Compare with another country

See Bulgaria side-by-side with similar programmes.

Where you keep the most

Every country ranked by what's left after tax and living costs.

Re-run the quiz

Different answers may surface a programme you didn't consider.

Track changes

Every dated change we've logged for Bulgaria: income thresholds, fees, consular policy.

Expatlas provides information for orientation only and is not legal advice. Always verify current requirements with official government sources and consult an immigration lawyer for your specific case.