There are a number of ways to get permanent residence in Bulgaria, one being by being a foreign investor – and on February 26 2009, the Cabinet decided to increase the fee for this category from $500 000 to 750 000 euro.

The Cabinet said that it had approved amendments to the Foreigners Act to this effect, in the light of the development of the Bulgarian economy. The Cabinet said that it had agreed that the provision requiring an applicant for permanent residence to have spent six months and one day in the country in the previous year would be scrapped.

Also approved was a change in the term limit of a ban on a foreigner declared persona non grata, reducing this from 10 to five years. The ban may be extended if the person is deemed a serious threat to national security.

The Cabinet said that it would redefine the meaning of "foreigner". Anomalies have arisen among laws, in particular because after Bulgaria’s accession to the European Union, EU citizens were no longer deemed to be foreigners. Not all laws have been redrafted to reflect this.

According to an advisory by the Invest Bulgaria Agency, A permanent residence permit entitles the holder to reside in the country for an indefinite duration.

It may be issued to a person of Bulgarian descent, to to a person who has contracted a civil marriage with a Bulgarian citizen or with a foreigner who has been granted a permanent residence permit, two years after the marriage has been contracted; to children of a Bulgarian citizen or of a permanently resident foreigner, who have not attained the age of 18 years; to persons who have resided within the territory of the country legally and continuously during the past preceding five years (or, if admitted for full-time study at licensed educational establishments, during the last preceding two and a half years).

The final category is the one changed by the February 26 Cabinet decision – upping the fee to 750 000 euro.

Permanent residence permits are issued by the Ministry of Interior.

The required documents are submitted at the foreigners administrative control services with the competent Regional Police Directorate not later than 60 days prior to the expiry of the duration of the authorised residence.

Applicants have to present a completed application form, passport or another substitute foreign-travel document; receipt of stamp duty paid; curriculum vitae; two photographs of the applicant; documents certifying the existence of grounds for permanent residence.

The permit is issued within two months after submission of the documents, according to the advisory statement.

The foreigner must be able at any time to present, when requested to do so by the relevant competent authorities, a valid passport or a residence permit for the Republic of Bulgaria. A driving licence cannot serve for foreigner's identification.

Citizens of the EU, including the nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, may enter Bulgaria if they hold an identity card or a passport.

Their family members, unless citizens of the EU, need a passport and, depending on their nationality, also a visa, unless they hold a residence card entitling them to reside within the territory of a EU member state.

According to the Supplementary Provisions of the European Union Citizens and Members of Their Families Entry and Residence in and Departure from the Republic of Bulgaria Act, the following persons qualify as family members: a person who has married or has an actual cohabitation with a citizen of the EU,  a descendant of a citizen of the European Union who has not fulfilled twenty-one years of age is a person dependent on him, including the direct inheritants of the spouse; ascendants, who are maintained by the citizen of the European Union or by his/her spouse.

European Union citizens, who wish to reside in Bulgaria for more than 90 days, are issued a long-term or permanent residence certificate by the National Police Service. Long-term residence is for a maximum period of five years.