Paperwork for moving to Bulgaria: a step-by-step guide

Paperwork is the first thing every family deals with. What you need depends on your citizenship. There are three paths below: find yours and follow the steps.

1. Address registration: where everyone starts

Everyone living in Bulgaria has two addresses:

• Permanent address (postoyanen adres): your main registered address in the population register. There is only one, and it is in Bulgaria.
• Current address (nastoyasht adres): where you actually live now.

The law requires everyone to declare both in writing. Registration is done by the municipality: the mayor or an official they appoint.

Documents for address registration

• A title document if the home is yours; or
• if it is not yours, the owner's written consent: either the owner signs a declaration in person at the municipality, or gives consent with a notarised signature.
• If you live with a direct relative (parents, children) or your spouse, ownership documents are not needed: the official checks the registers.

2. If you are a Bulgarian citizen

You do not need a residence permit. Your tasks:

1. Register your permanent and current address with the municipality (section 1).
2. Check your ID card (lichna karta). If it has expired or shows an old address, apply for a new one at the "Bulgarian identity documents" office of the regional police directorate for your permanent address.
3. Children with Bulgarian citizenship born abroad must be entered in the Bulgarian register and have an EGN (personal number). If they do not have one yet, first obtain a Bulgarian birth certificate via the consulate or a municipality in Bulgaria.

3. If you are a citizen of another EU country

You can stay for three months without formalities. If you stay longer, apply in person within 3 months of entry for a long-term residence certificate (udostoverenie za prodalzhitelno prebivavane).

Where: the Migration Directorate of the Ministry of Interior in Sofia, or the migration office of a regional police directorate.

Documents:

• a copy of your valid passport or ID card;
• proof of your basis for residence: an employment contract or employer certificate; for the self-employed, proof of registration; if not working, health insurance and proof of sufficient funds;
• proof of paying the state fee;
• proof of address: a title deed or a lease, with a notarised declaration from the owner if you rent.

Validity: up to 5 years. After 5 years of continuous legal residence you can apply for permanent residence.

4. Non-EU spouse and children

This is the hardest case. There are two routes, and it matters which one applies to you.

Route A: family of an EU citizen (simpler)

Applies if your spouse or parent is a citizen of another EU country living in Bulgaria, or a Bulgarian citizen who has exercised free movement (for example, lived and worked in another EU country). The EU citizens' act explicitly covers the families of such Bulgarian citizens.

• When to apply: within 3 months of entry.
• What you get immediately: a temporary certificate on the day you apply.
• Card issued within: up to 3 months.
• Documents: passport copy; marriage or birth certificate (with apostille and translation); proof of the EU family member's residence; state fee receipt; proof of address (as in section 3).

Route B: spouse of a Bulgarian citizen under general rules

If the Bulgarian spouse has never lived in another EU country, the Foreigners Act applies:

1. First, a long-stay visa D from the Bulgarian consulate in your country of residence (an interview is mandatory).
2. After arrival, while the visa is valid, apply for long-term residence at the Migration Directorate.
3. Usually needed: marriage certificate with apostille and translation, accommodation, health insurance, proof of means of support, criminal record certificate (adults, first application).

As a practical benchmark, income should be at least the Bulgarian minimum wage: €620.20 a month in 2026. Confirm the exact requirement for your case with the consulate.

Children

For children under 14, a parent files and signs the application and the child comes along. From 14 to 17, both the parent and the child sign. Children under 16 are exempt from the fee for their first document.

5. Apostille and translation of foreign documents

Foreign marriage and birth certificates are only accepted in the right form:

1. An apostille in the country that issued the document (for Hague Convention countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Moldova or Finland).
2. A translation into Bulgarian by an agency contracted with the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or by a Bulgarian consul in the issuing country.
3. Certification of the translation by the Ministry's legalisation department.

For countries outside the Hague Convention, consular legalisation is needed instead: the issuing country's foreign ministry plus the Bulgarian embassy there.

6. Checklist: what to bring

• Passports for the whole family (with plenty of validity left)
• Bulgarian ID cards (if any) and children's EGN numbers
• Marriage certificate with apostille
• Children's birth certificates with apostille
• Criminal record certificates for non-EU adults, with apostille
• Proof of living in another EU country (registration, employment), if you use route A
• Health insurance for the first weeks
• Bank statement or proof of income
• A lease and a landlord willing to consent to registration

7. Common mistakes

• Renting without the landlord's consent to registration. Residence permits and benefits then stall.
• Missing the 3-month deadline for EU citizens and their families.
• Bringing documents without an apostille. A translation alone will not be accepted.
• Relying on pre-2026 articles. Since 1 January 2026 all amounts are in euro, and old prices in leva mislead.

Sources

1. Bulgarian Ministry of Interior — documents for EU citizens and their families: mvr.bg
2. Act on the Entry, Residence and Exit of EU Citizens and Their Family Members (English, Ministry of Interior): mvr.bg
3. Civil Registration Act, Art. 90–92 (address registration): cik.bg
4. Ministry of Foreign Affairs — visa D: mfa.bg
5. Minimum wage €620.20 from 1 January 2026: BTA

For information only; not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the Migration Directorate or your municipality before applying.