Your first steps after arriving in Bulgaria

Visas and residence · Last reviewed: 2026-10-10

The logic of the chain

The early tasks are a sequence rather than a list, and the sequence is set by what each institution demands of the previous one. That is why „which should I do first“ has no personal answer: the chain runs in the same direction for nearly everyone, and only the counters differ by status.

The steps in order

1. 1

   Housing and address registration

   Nothing moves without a housing document — title deed, rental contract or the owner's consent. Registration is filed with the municipality.
2. 2

   Residence registration and personal number

   Depending on your ground, the procedure runs through the migration authority or the relevant unit, and your personal number follows from it.
3. 3

   Bank account

   Banks ask for identity, address and a personal number. Salary, rent and utilities can only be arranged after this step.
4. 4

   Employment and insurance registration

   Under an employment contract, declaration and insurance are handled by the employer; if you are self-insured, registration starts with you.
5. 5

   Joining the health system

   Once your insurance status is settled you choose a general practitioner. This is an administrative registration and carries no medical guidance.

Worth arranging in the same period

• •A mobile number and internet connection — many institutions communicate by message.
• •Transferring electricity, water and heating accounts into your name.
• •Nursery or school enrolment for children.
• •Setting up an accepted means of electronic identification.
• •Scanning and organising documents, since the same paper is asked for in many places.

The three costliest mistakes

First, postponing address registration: it starts the chain, so any delay travels down it. Second, inconsistent spelling of names across documents — once records fail to match, registrations do not open. Third, carrying a single copy of a document, because in many procedures the original stays in the file.

Official deadlines tied to the calendar

Preparing documents in the first month

• •If the applicant is not the owner, address registration needs the owner's written consent — a declaration made in person before the municipal officer or with a notarised signature (ЗГР Art. 92(3)).
• •For the residence card, extended-residence holders aged 6 or over appear in person and bring a copy of the passport pages with personal data and validity, plus a document showing their current address (service 320).
• •If you will pay health contributions on your own account, file declaration form 7 with НАП before the first payment; if more than 3 contributions are unpaid within 36 months, health insurance rights are suspended.
• •A first choice of GP can be made at any time; according to НЗОК, a permanent choice can be changed every year from 1 to 30 June and from 1 to 31 December.

Frequently asked questions

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