Bulgaria · Temporary Residence
Bulgaria Long-Term Residence for Founders
The certificate on its own grants no residence. Founders use it to obtain a long-term residence permit under Article 24p, which depends on keeping the certificate valid and holding at least half of a Bulgarian company.
- Startup route
- Startup Visa (certificate for a high-tech and/or innovative project)
- Minimum capital
- No fixed capital; personal funds of 3 minimum wages
- Permanent residence
- 5 years of legal residence
- Citizenship
- Varies; confirm with the Ministry of Justice
Long-term residence permit for Startup Visa holders (Article 24p)
A Startup Visa certificate is one of the mandatory documents for a long-term residence permit under Article 24p, paragraph 1 of the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act. The certificate runs for one year; within the month before it expires, the founder reports progress, including participation as a partner or shareholder owning at least 50 percent of a Bulgarian company whose activity matches the certified project. The expert council reviews the report and the minister may extend the certificate by two more years. Changes in the project must be reported within seven days, and revocation of the certificate is grounds for withdrawing the right of residence.
- Certificate term
- 1 year, then a 2-year extension
- Ownership
- At least 50% of a Bulgarian company with the certified activity
- Change reporting
- Within 7 days of any change
- Extension filing
- Within the month before the certificate expires
- Government fee
- Varies; confirm with the Migration Directorate
- Leads to
- Long-term or permanent residence after 5 years
Requirements
- A valid Startup Visa certificate from the Ministry of Innovation and Growth.
- Ownership of at least 50 percent of the capital of a Bulgarian company carrying out the certified activity.
- Notification to the ministry of any change in the declared data within seven days.
- A progress report filed within the month before the certificate expires, to obtain the two-year extension.
How to apply
- Complete the long-stay visa and residence permit procedures with a Bulgarian consulate and the Migration Directorate.
- Register, or buy into, a Bulgarian company with the certified activity and hold at least half its capital.
- Report any change in the project to the ministry within seven days.
- File the progress report in the last month of the certificate's term to seek the two-year extension.
What can end the permit
The minister revokes the certificate if the founder declared false data or failed to report changes within seven days, if new circumstances block the project or the ownership condition of Article 24p, or if a competent authority reports violations of Bulgarian law that prevent the project. The ministry informs the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Agency for National Security of such decisions, because a lapse in the certificate's conditions is grounds for revoking the right of residence. Decisions can be appealed under the Administrative Procedure Code.
Questions and answers
Do I need a Bulgarian company before applying for the certificate?
Not necessarily. The application asks for company details only where applicable. The ownership condition matters later: when seeking the two-year extension, the founder reports on participation as a partner or shareholder holding at least 50 percent of a Bulgarian company that carries out the certified activity.
Can co-founders be covered by the same certificate?
The certificate is issued in the applicant's name and may also name up to two more people from the project development and implementation team. Their participation must be justified in the business plan and presentation, and their identity documents are filed with the application along with the plan.
How long can a founder stay on this route?
The certificate covers one year at first and two more after a successful extension, three years in total under the ordinance. Long-term or permanent residence becomes available after five years of legal residence, so reaching that mark requires another residence ground for the remaining time.
Official sources
- Ordinance on the terms and conditions for issuing, extending and revoking a certificate for a high-tech and/or innovative project called a Startup Visawww.mig.government.bg
- 3263 Issuance of a sertificate for a high-tech and/or innovative project, StartUp Visa - Ministry of Innovation and Growthwww.mig.government.bg
- Self-employed worker in Bulgaria - EU Immigration Portalhome-affairs.ec.europa.eu
Reviewed October 2026. Immigration rules change often. Confirm the current requirements with the official authority or a licensed adviser before applying.
Your path in Bulgaria.
Startup visa
Ministry certificate once an expert council scores the project 8 of 14 or more
02Temporary residence
Long-term permit tied to a 1-year certificate, extendable by 2 years
03Permanent residence
Long-term or permanent residence after 5 years of legal residence
04Citizenship
Naturalization under the Bulgarian Citizenship Act via the Ministry of Justice