For a Ukrainian buyer Bulgaria looks like the nearest EU country, and questions about documents come up constantly. Briefly, the position as at October 2026.
There is no fast track citizenship by investment: that route has been suspended since 2022. There is a residence permit on ownership of housing worth at least 600 thousand leva, roughly 307 thousand euros.
Two conditions that often go unmentioned. First, the permit runs for a year and is renewed annually, and the right to apply for permanent residence arises after five consecutive renewals with ownership retained. Second, you must spend at least half of each year in the country, otherwise the period does not count.
Separately, on the form of ownership. A citizen of a country outside the European Union cannot own land in Bulgaria directly. An apartment in a complex can be bought: you own the building. A house with a plot requires a Bulgarian company, a legal entity with accounting and annual costs even when dormant.
For an apartment that is no obstacle. For a house it is a separate structure, built before the transaction rather than after it.
The practical conclusion. If the aim is a residence permit, count not only the 600 thousand leva but also five consecutive years of spending half of each year in the country. If the aim is a home in the EU with no presence requirement, you do not need the permit, and the budget can be far smaller.
We will shortlist options for your budget and guide the deal from the first viewing to signing.
