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Migration and Home Affairs
  • 1 April 2025

Family member in Bulgaria

Are you a non-EU citizen living in Bulgaria and would you like to bring your non-EU family members to live with you there? You can find information below on the conditions, procedures and rights your family members can enjoy during their stay.

Conditions

If you hold a residence permit that is valid for at least one year, you are entitled to apply for family reunification.

You can reunite with the following family members:

  • your spouse;
  • your minor children and those of your spouse.

Your family members must obtain a visa and after that a residence permit.

Procedures

Where and how to apply

You must submit an application for family reunification to the Migration Directorate in your home country.

As soon as the application is approved, your family members must obtain a visa "type D" at the Bulgarian embassy or consulate in their country of origin.

Family members who plan to stay in Bulgaria for more than six months must also obtain a residence permit from the Migration Directorate after arrival in Bulgaria.

Documents required

To be eligible for family reunification, your family members must show:

  • copy of a regular document for travelling abroad;
  • document for a paid state fee under Tariff N 4;
  • accommodation;
  • sufficient financial resources;
  • medical insurance coverage for the duration of their stay;
  • certificate showing no previous convictions;
  • marriage certificate or birth certificate.
Duration of validity of permitsYour family members’ residence permits will be valid for the duration of your residence permit, but not more than 1 year.
Further requirementsThe application shall be submitted not later than 14 days before expiry of the permitted term of residence of the third-country national on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.
AppealsDecisions related to your family reunification can be challenged before the administrative courts.
Further informationN/A

Rights

Access to employment

If you have a permanent or long-term residence status and can prove sufficient financial resources, your family members will not need a work permit to access the labour market.

Family members who themselves have permanent or long-term residence status can also access the labour market without a work permit.

The following family members are immediately eligible for permanent residence:

  • spouse;
  • children of the third-country national and of his/her spouse, including the adopted children, who have not reached the age of 18 years and are not in matrimony;
  • children of the third-country national, including adopted children, who are under the age of 18 years and unmarried, in the cases where he/she is entitled to the parental rights and the children are on alimony provided by him/her;
  • children of his/her spouse, including the adopted children, who are under the age of 18 years and are unmarried. Permanent residents can access the labour market without a work permit and enjoy equal access to social security.
Access to permanent residence

Otherwise, your family members will be eligible for a permanent residence status:

  • after five years of civil marriage with you, if they are a third-country national permanently residing in the country, and where they have resided legally and uninterruptedly for a period of 5 years on the territory of the country;
  • if they are unmarried minor children of a Bulgarian citizen or of a third-country national permanently residing in the country;
  • if they are parents of Bulgarian citizens when they provide the due legally established support and have resided legally and continuously for a period of three years within the territory of the country.

Applications for permanent residence must be submitted to the Migration Directorate of the Ministry of Interior.