🇧🇬 Bulgaria Digital Nomad Visa: Your Dream Life Starts with the New Art. 24s Permit

How the Bulgaria digital nomad visa works

Your dream of working remotely from Bulgaria just got closer, with two big changes for remote workers in 2026. Since 1 January 2026 the country has used the euro, and for a few months it has offered, for the first time, a real digital nomad residence permit for non-EU nationals. Hold an EU, EEA or Swiss passport? You can skip the permit: free movement already lets you live and work in Bulgaria.

The legal basis: Art. 24s, your next chapter, built step by step

That life you’ve imagined in Bulgaria? There’s now a legal pathway to make it real, but the dates matter. The program unfolded in three stages, which explains why practical experience is still limited. In June 2025 the Bulgarian parliament amended the Foreigners Act and created a dedicated residence permit for digital nomads in Article 24s; the rule took effect on 30 June 2025. Your next chapter had a place in law, but applications were still out of reach: there was no procedure. Then came a crucial breakthrough: the Council of Ministers adopted the implementing regulation on 11 December 2025. Since 20 December 2025, the authorities have actually accepted applications. What once existed only on paper became a real step towards the life you want.

As of August 2026, the program is about seven months old. The requirements and procedure are clearly defined, giving your plans something solid to build on. But your future deserves honesty, not empty promises: reliable material on how the authorities apply them in practice is still limited. Dream big, with your eyes open.

Who can get the visa

Your remote work could unlock a new life in Bulgaria. Article 24s is aimed at non-EU nationals who work remotely, with three groups of eligible applicants:

• employees of an employer registered outside the EU
• owners or partners (with a stake of at least 25%) of a company registered outside the EU that provides its services remotely
• self-employed service providers with at least one year of proven professional experience and clients outside the EU

Before you picture your move, know this firm boundary: work for Bulgarian companies or clients in Bulgaria is excluded. This visa does not open the local job market. It offers a right of residence for people whose income comes from outside.

Make your dream a plan by knowing the income requirement. You need annual income of at least 50 times the Bulgarian monthly minimum wage, shown for the previous calendar year. With the 2026 minimum wage of €620.20, that is about €31,000 a year, or roughly €2,580 a month. The threshold rises with every minimum wage increase, so build your plans around the ratio, not today's figure.

Then get your essentials ready: health insurance with at least €30,000 of cover for Bulgaria, a clean criminal record and proof of accommodation, typically a rental contract. Ready to move forward with greater confidence? Our overview of health insurance for digital nomads explains which policies work for life across several countries.

Where to apply: consulate first, then the Migration Directorate

Your new life deserves better than bad forum advice. Can you simply apply in Sofia? No. Don’t let that mistake stop your dream before it starts. Your journey must begin outside Bulgaria, with a national Type D visa from the Bulgarian embassy or consulate in your home country or the country where you legally reside. The Type D visa is Bulgaria's long-stay visa, the essential first step that makes your later residence permit possible. There is no in-country application option for this visa. Turn your plans into action, in this order:

1. Gather your documents: employment contract, company documents or client contracts, proof of income for the previous year, health insurance, criminal record certificate, proof of accommodation.
2. Apply for the Type D visa at the consulate. Make your first real move: processing takes about 30-45 days according to current information, longer at some missions; the visa fee is about €100-120.
3. Enter Bulgaria on the Type D visa and bring your new chapter closer: apply for the residence permit itself at the Migration Directorate of the Ministry of Interior. Further administrative fees apply, roughly €230-620 depending on your situation, according to the overviews published so far.
4. Collect your residence card. That moment you’ve been working towards is close: the decision and card production take a few more days to a few weeks.

Chase this chapter with your whole heart, and your eyes wide open. The permit is issued for one year and can be renewed once for another year, as long as you keep proving your income and remote work. After that, under current rules, it ends or you need to switch to a different permit: nomad time does not currently count toward permanent residence. Protect your plans by knowing that from the start. This visa is a stopover, not an immigration path. But this chapter needn’t mean leaving your loved ones behind: Family members can join you through family reunification.

Taxes: 10% is real, but residence unlocks it

Keep more of what you earn: Bulgaria's flat 10% income tax is one of the lowest rates in the EU. But there’s a condition you cannot ignore. You become tax resident if you spend more than 183 days within twelve months in the country or your center of vital interests is there. Only that residence, documented by a certificate of tax residence, makes the Bulgarian rate apply to you. An address and a tax number alone won’t do it while your life carries on elsewhere.

Don’t let an attractive headline derail your plans. Social security contributions push the real burden above 10% for most people, so factor them in from the start. Get the details on tax liability, dividends, treaties and company setups in the Bulgaria tax guide on our sister site.

Before you make your move, know where you stand: your home country decides whether you stay taxable there. If you are a US citizen, you remain subject to US income tax on your worldwide income wherever you live (IRS). Start with the basics in our guide on where digital nomads pay taxes.

What is still open: because your dream deserves the truth

Your next chapter should fill you with excitement, not leave you blindsided. A program running since December 2025 naturally still has gaps between law and practice:

• Processing times in practice: don’t put your dream on a deadline built on promises. Current figures come from the regulation and the first law firm overviews, not broad experience. How long consulates and the Migration Directorate really take will only become clear over 2026.
• How rejections are handled: you deserve confidence, not guesswork. There is no reliable data yet on rejection rates, typical stumbling blocks or how individual documents are read. Forum stories are isolated cases from the first months, not the full picture your future deserves.
• How renewals are handled: your new life deserves a plan beyond that first approval. The first renewals are due at the end of 2026 at the earliest. Nobody knows yet how strictly the renewed proof of income will be checked.
• Inconsistent consulates: protect your excitement from avoidable stress. Bulgarian missions abroad have traditionally kept their own document lists and appointment schedules for Type D visas. Confirm the requirements directly with your consulate before your appointment.

None of this speaks against the program, or the life you’re longing to build. The conditions are clear, the threshold of about €31,000 is within reach for established remote workers, and Bulgaria brings together the euro, fast fiber internet and the community in Bansko. That’s a package worth getting excited about. Just protect your dream with preparation: applying in the first year of a new procedure makes you an early adopter. Give yourself time buffers and a fallback.

Your next chapter starts with clarity: compare programs in our digital nomad visa overview, and build your foundation with our guide What is a digital nomad visa?.

Frequently asked questions

Does Bulgaria have a digital nomad visa?

Yes, your dream of living in Bulgaria just got real. Article 24s of the Foreigners Act created a digital nomad residence permit, and applications have been accepted since 20 December 2025.

How much income do I need for the Bulgaria digital nomad visa?

Your Bulgaria dream starts here: you’ll need at least 50 times the Bulgarian monthly minimum wage for the previous calendar year. With the 2026 minimum wage of €620.20, that is about €31,000 a year.

Can I apply for the Bulgaria digital nomad visa inside Bulgaria?

No, but knowing where to start helps you move forward with confidence. First, get a Type D visa from a Bulgarian consulate in your home country or country of legal residence. Then apply for your residence permit at the Migration Directorate in Bulgaria.

Do EU citizens need the Bulgaria digital nomad visa?

No. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, you’re free to live and work in Bulgaria under free movement, no visa needed. The visa is for non-EU nationals.