Entry Visas
If you are from Canada, USA or Israel you do not need a visa to enter the country. You may stay in the country for up to 30 days within a six-month period, counting from the first date of entry. It doesn’t matter whether you leave and re-enter the country within that period, as the total number of days is what matters.

Travellers who are not citizens of the US or the countries listed above should obtain an entry visa in advance from the Bulgarian Embassy or Consulate in their country. For this they will need to provide a letter of invitation from a Bulgarian host, on a standard form, provided by the municipality, or a business partner, as well as a letter from their company or institution if they are travelling on business. Applicants for visas should note that incomplete forms, absence of photographs or inadequate payment usually result in the return of the application to the applicant without further action, and that turnover in the embassies is quite slow.

Staying On
For those wishing to stay longer than the permitted period the situation is difficult, even if their reasons for being here are quite genuine (such as owning a house!). In order to obtain a residence permit (1 or 5 years) one should either own a company which employs at least 10 Bulgarian staff and/or invest at least $500,000 in the country. Oh yes, and to get a 5 year residence permit you will soon have to sit a test in Bulgarian language proficiency!

You can get more information by visiting the Directorate Migration of Interior Ministry at 48 Maria Luiza Blvd. in Sofia, where the treatment could be less than friendly and the waiting long, but these are really the only people who can give you a straight story.

Transit Visas
Transit visas allow a stay in Bulgaria of 24 hours or less. Airline tickets and evidence of right of entry into the next country of travel will be required. Possession of airline tickets does not guarantee the granting of an entry visa.

Medical Insurance
Although citizens of the countries listed above do not require visas for stays of up to a certain period, depending on their countries, they should be able, on request, to show evidence of medical insurance valid for Bulgaria.
The travel/medical insurance should be for at least $5000 and should cover emergency medical expenses, repatriation, transport of mortal remains, funeral and hospitalisation.

If the visitor has insurance of this type, a copy of the policy, with legible policy number, company name, duration of validity and sum of coverage or a letter from the insurance company including these data, should be submitted with the visa application.

If the traveller does not have such insurance, a visa application can be made without it, but the insurance must be obtained after the consulate has informed the applicant that the visa is approved. The visa will be issued only after proof of insurance is submitted.

EU, EEC and Swiss citizen
A new law determines the conditions under which citizens of European Union (EU) countries, Switzerland and the European Economic Community (EEC) countries get to enter and stay in Bulgaria. The law is in force since January 1 2007.

EU citizens need ID card or international passport to enter and leave Bulgaria. They are allowed to stay in the country for up to three months without the issuing of additional documents. If EU citizens decide to stay for a longer period, or permanently in Bulgaria, a police certificate is needed.

Long-term stay conditions
Long-term stay is considered stay for up to five years.

Police issues a long-term permit for an EU citizen who:
- works or is self-employed in Bulgaria.
- has health insurance and sufficient financial means to make a living without relying on Bulgaria's social aid system. Bulgaria's Cabinet determines which amount is considered 'sufficient financial means.'
- is a student in Bulgaria and has sufficient financial means to make a living.

An EU citizen who is no longer working or self-employed in Bulgaria still has the right to stay in the country for up to six months:
- in case of temporary inability to work, resulting from illness or accident.
- if the citizen is registered in Bureau of Labour Statistics after working for more than an year in Bulgaria.
- if the EU citizen had work contract for up to one year but the contract was suspended, or in case the citizen had a longer-term work contract but lost the job in the first 12 months of working and is registered in Bureau of Labour Statistics.
- if the EU citizen had started professional qualification training. In that case the EU citizen is allowed to stay in Bulgaria for the whole period of the training.

An EU citizen has to present an application for a long-term stay permit to Directorate Migration of Interior Ministry, 48, Maria Louisa Blvd, Sofia. The application should be presented up to three months after the EU citizen's arrival in Bulgaria. The documents needed include:
- ID card or passport
- documents proving that the EU citizen is working, self-employed, has a health insurance and sufficient financial means to make a living or is a student in Bulgaria.
- bill for paid state tax

Long-term stay certificate is issued in the same day of application. If the application documents are not in order, the applier will have seven days to present accurate documents.

Permanent stay conditions
EU citizens receive a permanent stay permit after living for five years in Bulgaria and:
- have lived continuously in Bulgaria for three years and are working or are self-employed in Bulgaria or another EU member state but return to Bulgaria every week.
- are workers or self-employed but suffer long-term incapability of working and have lived in Bulgaria for two years
- are workers or self-employed but suffer long-term incapability of working resulting from an labour incident or a professional disease
- no longer work because of labour contract suspension but had worked for an year before the suspension; are of age or have reasons to retire and have lived in Bulgaria for more than three years.

Absence for up to six months each year, longer absence to serve military service, one leaving for up to 12 consecutive months resulting from cogent reasons or business trip are considered part of the EU citizen's stay in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria will deprive the EU citizen of permanent stay permit in case of absence exceeding two years.

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

For more information you can visit www.expatinbulgaria.com