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Home > Visas and Relocation > Useful info

Changes to residence requirements for members of EU citizens' families (in case the family members are not EU citizens)

Bulgaria imposes some restrictions on the members of an EU citizen's family who are not EU citizens.

Such family members enter and leave Bulgaria with their passports and visa, when visa is required. The Council of Ministers determines the conditions and procedures for visa issuing. No taxes for paper processing and visa issuing are required.

No visa is required if the member of the family has a stay permit issued from an EU member state.

Such people can stay in Bulgaria with their passports for up to three months.

Members of an EU citizen's family who are not EU citizens can stay longer or permanently in Bulgaria, but they need a stay permit.

The period for which such people are allowed to stay in Bulgaria depends on the period of stay of their relative who is an EU citizen.

Temporary absence for up to six months each year, longer absence to serve military service, leave for up to 12 consecutive months resulting from cogent reasons and business trips are considered stay in Bulgaria.

Long-term stay conditions
Members of an EU citizen's family who are not EU citizens have to apply for stay permit in Directorate Migration of Interior Ministry in the first three months after entering Bulgaria. The applier will receive a temporary license. The applier has to attach to the long-terms stay application:

- passport and copy of it
- a document proving relation to the EU citizen
- a bill for paid state tax*
- stay permit of the relative EU citizen may also be required

Long-term stay permit will be issued in a three-month period. If the application documents are not in order, the applier will have 14 days to present accurate documents.

In case of death of the EU citizen, family members who are not EU citizens are allowed to stay in Bulgaria if they have lived in the country for one year before the death of their relative.

People married or living together with an EU citizen can stay in Bulgaria after a divorce or separation with the EU citizen if they:

- work or are self-employed in Bulgaria.
- have health insurance and sufficient financial means to make a living without relying on Bulgaria's social aid system.

and in case of any of the below mentioned reasons:

- marriage or co-habitation lasted at least three years, one of which they lived in Bulgaria
- are victims of violence at home before divorcing or separating with the EU citizen
- have custody over children
- have the right to visit their underage child.

Permanent stay conditions
Family members of a worker or self-employed person who has permanent stay permit, if they all live in Bulgaria, also have the right of permanent stay permit, no matter their citizenship.

Members of an EU citizen's family who are not EU citizens receive a permanent stay permit if they have lived in Bulgaria continuously for five years with the EU citizen.

Permanent stay permit application has to be presented to Directorate Migration of Interior Ministry two months before the long-term stay permit's expiry date.

Permanent stay permit is re-issued every 10 years.

EU citizens and they families have to carry their ID or passports and stay permit or card always.

*The state tax amount has not been determined yet!

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Friday, May 16 2008

Expat of the Week

anglachanka

I like motorcycles, driving, rambling in the countryside, going to bazaars, relaxing in the sunshine ... read more

What`s on in Bulgaria

Theatre

  • Short Play for a Child’s Room
    What: The play resulted from a fortunate – and unlikely – encounter between director Galin Stoev and playwright Yana Borissova’s debut text.
    When: May 24 and 29
    Where: Theatre 199
  • Valentine’s Day
    What: One of the most popular contemporary Russian playwrights, Ivan Vyrypaev has chosen for his play’s motto the words of an Arabian philosopher: “There are only two things – love and love.”
    When: May 22
    Where: Little City Theatre off the Channel
  • Three Sisters
    What: Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters is a play about the things that never happen and the sophisticated sadness and despair of the characters.
    When: May 21 and 30
    Where: Nikolai Binev Youth Theatre
  • Lazarus and Jesus
    What: Based on Emilian Stanev’s apocrypha, Lazarus and Jesus aims to excite interest in the “damned questions” raised by the author and to argue against the assertion that Bulgarian literature is limited mostly to the regional and the untranslatably Bulgarian.
    When: May 18
    Where: Sfumato Theatre-Workshop
  • 16th International Istanbul Theatre Festival
    What: two weeks of theatre and dance performances from around the globe
    When: May 15 to June 4
    Where: Istanbul
  • The Taming of the Shrew (premiere)
    What: Director Marius Kurkinski returns to the stage of the Satirical Theatre with this Shakespearean comedy, which was one of the master’s earlier plays.
    When: May 10, 19 and 26
    Where: Aleko Konstantinov Satirical Theatre, Sofia

Cultural Institutes

  • Salon of the Arts
    What: The annual Salon of the Arts features tens of exhibitions, concerts and performances. For a complete programme, stop by the Ticket centre at the National Palace of Culture (NDK)
    When: May 11 to June 30
    Where: National Palace of Culture, Sofia

Art

  • Sofia, Paris, Strasbourg
    What: A joint project by the National Academy of Arts in Sofia, the Ecole Superieure d’arts graphiques – Penninghen and the Ecole superieure des arts decoratifs, Strasbourg, focusing on the Cyrillic alphabet with a newspaper theme.
    When: Opens May 8
    Where: Akademia, 1 Shipka Str, Sofia
  • ART POSITIVE 2008: FRAGMENT
    What: exhibition with the participation of 14 Plovdiv artists
    When: Until May 25
    Where: Centre for Contemporary Art - Plovdiv arttoday.org

Live Music

  • KYLIE MINOGUE
    What: Indisputably, one of the major concerts in Bulgaria in 2008 will be that of pop icon Kylie Minogue. Ticket prices vary from 40 to 50 leva.
    When: May 18
    Where: Lokomotiv Stadium
  • JAZZ PLUS FESTIVAL 2008
    What: Jan Garbarek Group featuring Manu Katche, Alboran Trio, Roberto Fonseca, Luisito Quintero. Tickets at 20 and 25 leva, available from Dyukyan Meloman, Bulgaria Hall, NDK box office, eventim.bg and ticketstream.bg.
    When: May 15, 17, 18 and 29
    Where: NDK, Bulgaria Hall and 4km Party Center
  • After Business Club
    What: weekly mixers
    When: Wednesdays, 8pm
    Where: Chillout Bar & Dinner, 5 Triaditsa Str
  • RONI SIZE DJ SET
    What: The Sofia gig of the world-famous drum ’n’ bass DJ Roni Size will be the first in a series of events presenting legendary performers from the global drum ’n’ bass scene.
    When: May 17
    Where: Hristo Botev Hall in Studentski Grad
  • WORLD BEAT NIGHTS – DANCING AROUND THE GLOBE
    What: Three more World Beat Nights – Dancing Around The Globe parties will be held in May.
    When: May 16, 23 and 30. May 16: African Night, May 23: The Latino Friday and May 30: Arabian Night.
    Where: Club Pulse