Student residence permits in Bulgaria

Visas and residence · Last reviewed: 2026-08-23

What the permit is attached to

The Aliens Act sets out a distinct ground for foreigners admitted to full-time study at a higher education institution, for pupils admitted to secondary education under an exchange programme, and for unpaid trainees. The practical consequence is that the permit is granted to a status, not to a person. The type of programme — bachelor, master, doctorate, preparatory year, exchange semester — determines both the term granted and the document demanded at renewal.

The line between full-time and distance study matters here. Student residence rests on the full-time form; distance or open learning is generally not accepted as a ground. Ask the international office for written confirmation of the programme's category before you enrol, not after.

The visa stage and what it buys you

The long-stay D visa makes entry for settlement purposes possible. According to Foreign Ministry material, this visa is as a rule valid for up to six months and confers a right of stay of up to 180 days, while in defined cases it may be valid for up to one year with a stay of up to 360 days. It is that second case which lies behind students on programmes of up to one academic year being granted up to 360 days. The published fee is 100 € for applications under section 15(1) and 200 € under section 15(2).

After you arrive

1. 1

   Complete enrolment

   Without final enrolment there is no ground for the residence application. The enrolment certificate sits at the centre of the file.
2. 2

   Apply at the Migration unit

   The application goes to the unit for your city of study. Fourteen days are foreseen for the decision, extendable by one month in complex cases.
3. 3

   Document housing and insurance

   A dormitory certificate or notarised tenancy agreement, plus health insurance valid in the country.
4. 4

   Register your address

   Entering your address in the municipal register is a separate act, and every later administration consults it.
5. 5

   Collect the card

   Production and collection close the process; keep the application receipt until the card is in your hand.

Fees

We do not print a tuition figure, because fees at state higher education institutions are set by act of the Council of Ministers on the institution's own proposal and vary by field, programme and language of instruction. They are higher for international students. Take the figure for your own programme only from the university's official fees page.

Means of subsistence

The student file also asks for means, and here too there is no fixed number. The rule is that the applicant show they can support themselves throughout the stay without recourse to social assistance; the threshold cannot fall below the minimum monthly wage, the minimum stipend or the minimum pension. The minimum monthly wage was set at 620.20 € by Council of Ministers Decree No. 243 of 13 November 2025.

Renewal runs on the academic calendar

The student permit is typically granted for one year and follows the rhythm of the academic year. The core of a renewal file is a current certificate from the institution together with proof that tuition has been paid. Interruption, repeating a year or withdrawing weakens the ground; if such changes are not reported in time, the problem surfaces not at renewal but later and more expensively.

• •Prepare the renewal before the academic year closes; certificates take longer to issue over the summer.
• •Plan the gap between graduating and enrolling on a new programme — the permit does not stretch across it by itself.
• •If your diploma needs recognition, open the NACID file early; recognition runs on its own timetable.
• •If you intend to work, check in advance what your particular ground allows.
• •Report every change of address to the municipality; the address register is checked at renewal too.

Frequently asked questions

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