BULGARIA
BULGARIA
The ideal gateway into the European economy and way of life, Bulgaria is diverse, culturally rich, and perfectly placed for working and travelling in and around the continent.
GDP
POPULATION 6,924,716
Population Growth: -0.83%
14,400 USD
GDP (per capita)
GDP (purchasing power parity)
104.6 billion USD (2013)
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VISA FREE COUNTRIES: 144
LOCATION
Southeastern Europe, bordering the
Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey
CAPITAL
Sofia
TIME DIFFERENCE
UTC+2
TOTAL AREA
110,879 sq. km
AGE DEMOGRAPHICS
0-14: 14.2%, 15-24: 10.1%,
25-54: 42.4%, 55-64: 14.0%,
65+: 19.3%
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LANGUAGES SPOKEN
Bulgarian (official) 76.8%,
Turkish 8.2%, Roma 3.8%,
other 0.7%, unspecified 10.5%
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RELIGIONS PRACTICED
Eastern Orthodox 59.4%, Muslim 7.8%,
other 1.7%, none 3.7%,
unspecified 27.4%
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GOVERNMENT TYPE
Parliamentary democracy
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CURRENCY
Bulgarian Lev (BGN), tied to the euro
EXCHANGE RATE
1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN
Bulgaria
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The Bulgarian Citizenship-by-Investment Program, passed by the Bulgarian Parliament to expand the country’s population, provides foreign investors with an opportunity to obtain permanent residency via various investment channels, ranging from investments in government bonds to investments in a Bulgarian bank. The time required in acquiring citizenship depends on the amount of investment one is willing to make.
Why Bulgaria?
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“The ideal gateway into the European economy and way of life, Bulgaria is diverse, culturally rich, and perfectly placed for working and travelling in and around the continent.”
As one of the youngest EU member states, Bulgaria boasts a rich and diverse culture, temperate climate, and ideal location in Southeast Europe.​
Benefits
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Enjoy EU rights
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EU citizenship for life
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Fast processing procedure
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Visa-free travel with Bulgarian passport to about 150 countries
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Enjoy right of diplomatic protection from EU
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Low taxation (10% flat on both personal and corporate profits)
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Access to social security and healthcare system
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Right to invest in real estate properties in EU
Eligibility
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In addition to making a financial investment, applicants must also meet the following requirements:
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Be a non-EU citizen;
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Possess a valid passport or another foreign travel document;
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Hold no criminal record;
Minimum Investments Requirements
Fast-track Citizenship by Investment
To obtain Bulgarian citizenship, applicants have to go through a two-step application process, first for residency and then for citizenship. An initial amount of €512,000 (BGN 1,000,000) should be invested in one or more of the following instruments:
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Shares of Bulgarian listed companies;
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Bulgarian state bonds (such as Sovereign bonds and Eurobonds), Bulgarian municipal bonds or their derivatives; or
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Trust account with Bulgarian bank
The permanent residency status will usually be granted in 3 months. Family members can then join the application for permanent residency upon approval of the main applicant’s application. 12 months after the permanent residency is granted, the applicant can make another investment of €512,000 (BGN 1,000,000) totalling €1,024,000 (BGN 2,000,000) for the obtainment of Bulgarian citizenship. The citizenship decree will then be granted in 2 months’ time.
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For investments in Bulgarian shares or bonds, the position should be held for at least 2 years after citizenship is granted.
Semi-Fast-Track Citizenship by Investment
Alternatively, for those who made an investment of €512,000 (BGN 1,000,000) and obtain a permanent residency status, they can opt not to make additional investment tranches but rather apply for the Bulgarian citizenship after a period of 5 years.
Investments in government bonds are unconditionally guaranteed by the state, as full amount will be returned back to the investor at the end of the 5-year period.
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Bulgarian citizenship by investment is unconditional unlike many other countries, where the only requirement for the applicant is to hold his investment for 2 more years after the citizenship decree has been issued. The citizenship is then for life and can be passed to the citizen’s children.