Original document : https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-bulgaria
Change description : 2019-04-11 16:14:00: EU Exit update: Updated information in visas and residency, working, passports and travel, driving, healthcare and voting. [Brexit]
Showing diff : ..2019-04-11 15:22:28 +00:00
Guidance
Official information British people moving to and living in Bulgaria need to know, including EU Exit guidance, residency, healthcare and driving.
See our travel advice for entry requirements for Bulgaria.
Read our guidance on moving or retiring abroad.
If you are staying more than 3 months, you must apply to your nearest police department for residency.
You will need to provide documentation proving that:
or
You will also need to show your passport.
You must check with Migration Directorate of the Ministry of Interior or with your nearest police department what further documentation you may need to apply for residency.
Once you have been resident in Bulgaria for 5 years, you can apply to Migration Directorate for a permanent residency certificate.
See the Ministry of Interior’s Migration Directorate website for how to get long-term and permanent residence permits or contact your local migration office or call +359 (2) 982 4808, email: migration@mvr.bg.
The UK and EU have agreed the full legal text of the draft Withdrawal Agreement in principle. The agreement on citizens’ rights will allow UK nationals to stay in their Member State of residence after the UK leaves the EU.
There will be no change to the rights and status of UK nationals living in Bulgaria while the UK remains in the EU.
In a deal scenario and in the event of changes to residency rules or registration processes after the UK leaves the EU, we will update this page as soon as information is available.
In a no deal scenario, the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior have published guidance on residency and the proposed re-registration scheme for UK nationals lawfully residing in Bulgaria by exit date.
Read our travel advice for Bulgaria and sign up for up-to-date information on local laws and customs, safety and emergencies.
You can apply for your British passport from Bulgaria. If you cannot get a passport in time for your trip, you may need to get an emergency travel document (sometimes called an ´emergency passport´).
The rules for travel to most countries in Europe will change if the UK leaves the EU with no deal. You should check your passport for travel to Europe.
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, there will be new travel rules.
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the European Commission has said you may not need visas for short stays elsewhere in the Schengen area or the EU. You may be able to stay up to 90 days in any EU country, within a 180 day period.
If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, nothing will change until the end of 2020. In this time you can continue to travel freely in the Schengen area with your UK passport. What happens after 2020 will form the next part of negotiations.
Once you have been a permanent resident in Bulgaria for 5 years, you can apply for Bulgarian citizenship.
For your Bulgarian citizenship application, you may need to order a birth, marriage or death certificate from the UK. You may also need a UK criminal records certificate in the UK.
You may also be required to have these and other UK documents officially translated and legalised (apostilled).
After EU Exit, UK nationals applying for Bulgarian citizenship will have to renounce their UK citizenship, in both a deal and no deal scenario.
You can read our travel advice for Bulgaria.
The NHS has more information about healthcare for UK nationals living in and visiting Bulgaria.
You can find English-speaking doctors in Bulgaria.
You should also check your prescriptions are legal in Bulgaria.
If you are a long-term or permanent resident, you should register with the Bulgarian National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) through your regional office.
If you live in Bulgaria and receive an exportable UK pension, contribution-based Employment Support Allowance or another exportable benefit, you may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK. You will need to apply for a certificate of entitlement known as an S1 certificate. To apply, call +44 (0)191 218 1999. When you get your form, register with your Regional Health Insurance Fund office before registering with a GP.
If you are resident in Bulgaria, you should not be using a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from the UK to access healthcare in Bulgaria.
You can read the NHS guidance on healthcare and studying abroad.
If you plan to visit Bulgaria after the UK leaves the EU, you should continue to buy travel insurance for the health treatment you may need, as you would for a non-EU country. If you have a UK-issued EHIC, it will still be valid until the day the UK leaves the EU.
If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, your current rights on access to healthcare in Bulgaria will remain the same until 31 December 2020, as long as you remain a resident in Bulgaria.
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, your access to healthcare may change. If you are a permanent or temporary resident you should review the status of your healthcare cover.
The UK has proposed maintaining current healthcare cooperation with Bulgaria for S1 form holders until the end of December 2020. If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, and there is no arrangement with Bulgaria to continue reciprocal healthcare, those receiving coverage through the S1 form will not be covered.
Your EHIC may not be valid in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal. The UK has offered to maintain the EHIC scheme, however this is reliant on Bulgaria continuing to accept UK EHICs.
If you plan to stay in Bulgaria long-term, make sure to register with the Bulgarian authorities. Your residency status will make you eligible for access to Bulgarian national healthcare. UK nationals will be able to return to UK for treatment.
You should read the NHS guidance on healthcare for UK nationals in Bulgaria and how it may change after UK leaves the EU.
Read our guidance on working in another EU country.
Some jobs may require a UK criminal records check, known as a DBS check.
You can get a Bulgarian criminal records certificate from the Judicial Records Register from any Bulgarian Regional Court (Районен съд) or from the Ministry of Justice. You can see details and download application forms at the Ministry of Justice website (in Bulgarian language only).
If the UK leaves with a deal, your right to work will not change until the end of implementation period.
If you’re planning to start a business, provide a service, or do a job in a regulated profession after the UK leaves the EU, you should read our further guidance.
You can read our guidance ontax if you leave the UK to live abroad and tax on your UK income if you live abroad.
The UK has a double-taxation agreement with Bulgaria to ensure people do not pay tax on the same income in both countries.
You can read our guidance about paying income tax in Bulgaria.
In Bulgaria, you should expect to pay personal income tax and home owners’ tax. Additional taxes exist, including a vehicle tax and a fee for rubbish collection. See National Revenue Agency.
You may be able to pay National Insurance while abroad in order to protect your State Pension and entitlement to other benefits and allowances.
We recommend you get professional advice on paying tax in Bulgaria.
The UK’s exit from the EU will not change existing double taxation arrangements for UK nationals living in Bulgaria. You should direct individual taxpayer questions about double taxation relief to the relevant tax authority.
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, it may become more expensive to use your bank card, or other financial service from a UK-based firm in the EU. Read more about using a bank card, insurance or other financial service in the EU.
You will need to tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad. See State Pension if you retire abroad and new State Pension.
If you have not worked in Bulgaria, you should claim your UK State Pension by contacting the International Pension Centre.
If you have worked in several EU countries, see State Pensions abroad.
If you get a ‘life certificate’ from the UK Pension Service you need to respond as soon as possible. Your payments may be suspended if you do not.
The UK government will continue to pay state pension, child benefits, and disability benefits to eligible UK nationals in the EU after the UK’s exit from the EU. Read our guidance on benefits and pensions in a no deal scenario.
If the UK leaves the EU with a deal and you work and pay social security contributions in Bulgaria, you will still be able to add your UK social security contributions towards your Bulgarian pension. This will happen even if you claim your pension after the end of the implementation period.
You may still be able to claim some UK benefits like child and disability benefits if you live in Bulgaria. Read our guidance on claiming benefits if you live, move or travel abroad. Find out which UK benefits you might be able to get while you’re abroad and how to claim them.
If you are abroad for more than 4 weeks, many income-related benefits such as Pension Credit and Housing Benefit cannot be paid.
You may be eligible to claim some Bulgarian social security benefits. You can get information about local Bulgarian benefits and pensions from the National Social Security Institute.
You can request proof of the time you’ve worked in the UK from HMRC if you are asked for this.
The UK government will continue to pay child benefits, and disability benefits to eligible people living in the EU after the UK leaves the EU.
If the UK leaves the EU with a deal and you work and pay social security contributions in Bulgaria, your UK social security contributions will be taken into account when applying for Bulgaria contributions-based benefits. This will happen even if you claim contributions-based benefits after the end of the implementation period.
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, you can read our guidance on benefits and pensions in a no deal scenario.
Read our guidance on what you need to drive abroad and road travel in Bulgaria.
Holders of UK driving licences who are resident in Bulgaria should exchange their UK licences for a Bulgarian driving licence six months after first registering with Bulgarian authorities.
To exchange your UK driving licence for a local one, contact the traffic police department at your nearest Regional Police Department.
You can still use your Bulgarian licence in the UK for short visits or exchange it for a UK licence without taking a test if you return to live in the UK.
See driving licence renewal and exchange and taking a vehicle out of the UK.
If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, driving licence rules will stay the same during the implementation period. Please read our guidance on driving in the EU after the UK leaves the EU.
In a no deal scenario, the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior has published guidance on driving in Bulgaria after exit date.
You may be able to vote in some UK elections. You can:
If you are resident in Bulgaria, you can vote in local municipal and European Parliamentary Elections.
Once the UK leaves the EU, UK nationals in Bulgaria will no longer be eligible to vote in local and European Parliament elections.
If your child is born in Bulgaria, you will need to register a birth abroad.
If someone dies in Bulgaria you can:
Find out how you can get married abroad.
Find out about notarial and documentary services for UK nationals in Bulgaria.
You can read our guidance on:
While the UK is still a Member State you’ll be able to travel with your pet to the EU under the current pet travel rules using your current EU pet passport. If you’re travelling with your pet for the first time you’ll have to visit your vet to get a pet passport.
When the UK leaves the EU, you will still be able to travel to and from the UK with a cat, dog or ferret but the rules will change. You can read our guidance on pet travel to Europe after the UK leaves the EU.
Read guidance on returning your cat, dog or ferret to the UK. For moving pet horses and other equines read guidance on export horses and ponies: special rules.
As well as the European emergency number 112, Bulgaria also has:
You can also look at emergency numbers in Bulgaria.
If you’re the victim of crime, have been arrested, or are affected by a crisis abroad, contact your nearest British embassy or consulate.
To move your pension to the UK, contact the International Pension Centre.
Check if your tax status will change if you return to the UK.
Read our guidance on bringing your pet to the UK and importing vehicles to the UK.
Please note that this information is provided as a guide only. Definitive information should be obtained from the Bulgarian authorities. The FCO will not be liable for any inaccuracies in this information.
2024-10-29 10:12
The EU has delayed the introduction of its new Entry Exit Scheme (EES) with no new introduced date yet confirmed.
2024-08-02 09:51
Information on EES travel was added
2024-05-22 12:56
Information on travel documents for UK citizens in light of Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen.
2023-08-31 12:17
Changes made to the ‘Exchanging your UK, Gibraltar, Jersey or Guernsey driving licence’ section. Due to changes in Bulgarian legislation, UK nationals can now exchange their driving licences without providing a Certificate of Secondary Education.
2023-07-24 13:00
Information reviewed and updated. July 2023.
2022-01-01 07:00
Visas and residency guidance updated, following the 31 December 2021 residency deadline for people with rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.
2021-03-04 11:36
Coronavirus section updated with a link to guidance on vaccines
2021-01-25 16:06
Information added on driving licence validity and rules on buying property
2020-09-11 14:48
Passports and travel section updated to include information on passport validity and entry requirements when travelling to other European countries from January 2021.
2020-01-23 14:10
Brexit update: includes further details on passport validity, healthcare rights and State Pension updating if the UK leaves the EU with a deal.
2019-09-23 16:50
Brexit update: healthcare section updated to reflect transitional arrangements announcement
2019-09-03 17:04
Brexit update: Pensions section updated to include further details on State Pension uprating.
2019-04-15 15:59
EU Exit updates: new information added to the following sections: “Passports and travel after the UK leaves the EU”; “Pensions after the UK leaves the EU” and “Returning to the UK”
2019-04-11 16:14
EU Exit update: Updated information in visas and residency, working, passports and travel, driving, healthcare and voting.