long-stay residence permit — pension recipients with sufficient means (Foreigners Act, art. 24(1)(10))
Residency route facts
Identity
| Official name (local) | разрешение за продължително пребиваване по чл. 24, ал. 1, т. 10 от ЗЧРБ as of 2026-08-25[1] |
|---|---|
| Official name (English) | long-stay residence permit — pension recipients with sufficient means (Foreigners Act, art. 24(1)(10)) as of 2026-08-25[1] Translation. |
| Legal basis | Закон за чужденците в Република България, чл. 24, ал. 1, т. 10 as of 2026-08-25[1][3] |
| Instrument type | residence permit as of 2026-08-25[1] |
Who can apply
| Nationals not served by this route | EU, EEA as of 2026-08-25[2] |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | Not established from a qualifying source No age condition is attached to this ground; entitlement to a pension is the test. |
| Criminal-record condition | Yes as of 2026-08-25[1] |
Permit terms
| Initial duration | up to 1 year as of 2026-08-25[3] ЗЧРБ чл. 23, ал. 1, т. 2: продължително residence is 'with a permitted term of up to one year, save in the cases provided for in this Act'. The register prices the permit in two bands, up to 6 months and up to 1 year. |
|---|---|
| Renewable | Yes as of 2026-08-25[1] The register's filing rule — 'no later than 14 days before the permitted stay expires' — and its provision for repeat certificates presuppose extension. |
| Work rights | none as of 2026-08-25[4] ЗТМТМ чл. 8, ал. 1, т. 2: a third-country national holding a continuous-residence permit on the ground in ЗЧРБ чл. 24, ал. 1, т. 10 has no right of access to the Bulgarian labour market. The grounds listed there are чл. 24, ал. 1, т. 2, 6 – 8, 10, 14, 16, 19 and 20, and the list is closed. |
Permanent residence and citizenship
| Counts toward permanent residence | Not established from a qualifying source |
|---|
Requirements
| Minimum income | Recorded at the source, but not reducible to a single value as of 2026-08-25[1] |
|---|---|
| Qualifying income types | pension as of 2026-08-25[1][3] The ground is open to foreigners who have acquired a right to a pension under the law of Bulgaria, of their state of origin or of another state, and who have sufficient means of maintenance in the country. Evidence required: a document from the competent authorities of the state concerned certifying the pension entitlement, and a document from a bank in Bulgaria certifying an account into which the pension transfers will be received. |
| Work prohibited | Not established from a qualifying source |
Process
| Where to apply from | in-country only as of 2026-08-25[1][3] ЗЧРБ чл. 23, ал. 5 requires the application for продължително (long-stay) residence to be filed in person at the Migration Directorate or a regional Migration unit; the register states it is filed no later than 14 days before the permitted stay or the type D visa expires. Entry is on a type D visa under чл. 15, ал. 1. |
|---|---|
| Statutory processing time | up to 14 days as of 2026-08-25[1] Register: up to 14 days from filing, extendable by one month where the case is legally or factually complex or additional documents are required. |
| Fees |
|
| Quota |
|
Physical presence
| none stated | to keep the permit as of 2026-08-25[1] |
|---|
Family inclusion
| Family members may be included | Yes as of 2026-08-25[3] |
|---|---|
| Eligible relations | Not established from a qualifying source |
| Family members' work rights | Not established from a qualifying source |
Your next step
Read the requirements above considering your own situation: the income multiple, the absence limits, who you can bring. Check the country record for the reference figure those amounts are calculated from, and for anything that has changed recently.
The next step is your own case. That assessment is legal work. Create profile for our assistance in this.
Profile benefits
- A 30-minute call with our consultant, who reads your profile first.
- An offer for legal support built around your case, covering the whole process.
Verification
| Sources cited | 4 |
|---|---|
| of which official (tier 1) | 4 |
| Oldest as-of date | 2026-08-25 |
| Newest as-of date | 2026-08-25 |
| Reviewed on | 2026-08-26 |
| Schema version | 1.1 |
Sources
- [1] Разрешаване на продължително пребиваване на чужденци — информация за предоставяне на услуга
Администрация на Министерския съвет — Административен регистър (ИИСДА) · official guidance · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-25 - [2] 1077 Разрешаване на постоянно пребиваване на чужденци — информация за предоставяне на услуга
Администрация на Министерския съвет — Административен регистър (ИИСДА) · official guidance · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-25 - [3] Закон за чужденците в Република България (консолидиран текст)
Министерство на иновациите и растежа (публикуван текст на закона) · statute · Tier 1 · Published 2022-03-18 · Accessed 2026-08-25 · Amended by bg-dv-zid-zchrb-52-2025 - [4] Закон за трудовата миграция и трудовата мобилност (консолидиран текст, PDF)
Министерство на труда и социалната политика · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-25