Bulgaria abolished citizenship by investment in 2022, but residence by investment remains. Advisers cite BGN 600,000 in property, about €306,775, for a renewable long-term permit. What the route does and does not give a buyer.
Searches for a Bulgaria golden visa still turn up pages that mix two different things: a citizenship programme that no longer exists and a residence-by-investment route that does. Here is what is actually available in 2026, drawn from adviser and press sources that agree with one another, and what a buyer should not assume.
The citizenship route is closed
Bulgaria's citizenship-by-investment programme was abolished by amendments to the Law on Bulgarian Citizenship that parliament adopted in March 2022, after pressure over applicants who took the passport and then withdrew their money. The repeal ended pending applications and told the security agency to review existing naturalisations. Advisers writing in March 2026 report no sign of it coming back. If an agent offers a Bulgarian passport for an investment, treat it as a red flag.
What remains: long-term residence through property
Bulgaria kept residence permits for investors. The core route, as described by Bulgarian advisers, works like this:
- the investment must be in real estate worth at least BGN 600,000, which at the fixed conversion rate is about €306,775; thresholds are now quoted in euro since the euro was adopted on 1 January 2026, so confirm the euro figure on the day you apply
- it can be one property or several, residential or commercial
- advisers report that the money must be new funds transferred from abroad and that at least 75% must be your own funds rather than a Bulgarian bank loan
- the permit is a long-term residence permit issued for one year and renewed annually while the investment is held
- advisers report that investors are exempt from the usual physical-presence requirement for long-term residents
- buying the property does not give you residence by itself: you still need a D visa and a formal permit application, with proof of means, clean record, accommodation and medical insurance
Other investment routes
Adviser sources describe several higher-value routes that are not property-based. Treat these as indicative and confirm them with the Migration Directorate of the Ministry of Interior:
- investment fund units of around BGN 1,000,000, about €512,000, which one adviser says can open a direct right to permanent residence without the five years on a long-term permit
- government or listed securities of around BGN 2,000,000
- larger company, concession or priority-project investments at BGN 1,000,000 to BGN 6,000,000 depending on the form
- one adviser lists a lower BGN 250,000 route tied to a Bulgarian company in an economically disadvantaged region with five or more jobs, which we could not confirm elsewhere
From permit to passport
Residence is not citizenship. One adviser describes the usual path as five years on a long-term permit, then permanent residence, then naturalisation, roughly ten years in all, with a Bulgarian-language requirement at the end. Another source quotes a shorter five-year horizon. The two do not agree, so do not plan around a date until a Bulgarian lawyer confirms the current naturalisation rules for your case.
How this fits the rest of the Bulgarian picture
A property investor should read the route alongside the purchase rules. Non-EU citizens cannot own land in their own name and normally buy it through a Bulgarian company, which matters if you were hoping to count land towards the threshold. If you were planning to finance the purchase with a Bulgarian mortgage, the reported 75% own-funds condition is a direct conflict, so check it before you sign; our guide to Bulgarian mortgages for foreigners covers lending separately. For remote workers who do not want to commit to a property, Bulgaria also introduced a remote-work residence permit in December 2025, with a minimum annual income of €31,000 earned outside Bulgaria. See our digital nomad guide for that route.
What to check before you buy
- the exact euro threshold and the accepted forms of investment on the Migration Directorate's current page
- that the property will be recognised as qualifying, including title, building permit and Act 16 commissioning status
- how the funds will be moved in and documented, since the route reportedly requires new funds from abroad
- how many years of residence you can realistically document before you count on permanent status
- the annual renewal paperwork, and what happens to the permit if you sell
FAQ
Is there a Bulgaria golden visa? Not in the sense of a passport: citizenship by investment was abolished in 2022. A residence-by-investment route still exists. How much property do I need to buy? Advisers cite BGN 600,000, about €306,775, with the euro figure to be confirmed. Does buying property give me residence? No, you must also apply for a D visa and a long-term residence permit. Must I live in Bulgaria? Advisers say investors on the property route are exempt from the usual presence requirement. Can I get a passport later? Only through years of legal residence and a separate naturalisation process, not through the purchase.
How we help
We help you check whether a specific property is likely to qualify, review title and permits, and plan the purchase and the transfer of funds around the residence route. This is general information only, not legal, tax, investment or immigration advice. Bulgarian rules and euro thresholds change, so confirm the current position with a Bulgarian lawyer and the Migration Directorate before you commit.