EU long-term residence status in Bulgaria
EU long-term residence (Bulgarian: “дългосрочно пребиваване”) is the status a non-EU national can seek after five years of continuous legal residence in the EU, and Bulgaria publishes a separate application form for it. The status is not automatic, and this is not legal advice.
Visas and residence · Last reviewed: 2026-10-07
This is not legal or financial advice
Conditions at EU level
According to the European Commission's page, Directive 2003/109/EC grants long-term resident status to someone who has lived legally in an EU country for five uninterrupted years. The person needs a stable, regular income and health insurance, must have complied with integration measures where the country requires them, and must not be a threat to public security or public policy.
- Aim: rights close to those of EU citizens in work, education, social security and access to goods and services.
- The status eases moving to another EU country to work or study; the details depend on that country's rules.
- The Commission notes that a 2022 proposal to recast the Directive is under negotiation, so the rules may change.
What the Bulgarian side shows
The Migration Directorate's “Residence permits” page lists three separate application forms: prolonged (продължително), permanent (постоянно) and long-term (дългосрочно) residence. The EU Immigration Portal's Bulgaria page (dated 1 April 2025) says long-term status can be obtained after five years of legal residence, with no more than six consecutive months or ten months in total spent outside Bulgaria in that period. The application goes to the Migration Directorate of the Ministry of Interior. A holder needs no work permit and has equal access to health insurance and social security.
| Status | What the official source says | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Prolonged residence | A permit on a specific ground; up to 5 years per the service description. | See our article on permit types. |
| Permanent residence | Separate form; the EU portal links it to 5 years of legal residence. | See our permanent residence article. |
| Long-term (EU) residence | Separate form; based on Directive 2003/109/EC. | The Directive's recast is still under way. |
What can break the clock
Frequently asked questions
Are EU long-term and permanent residence the same thing?
In Bulgaria the Migration Directorate publishes separate forms for each, while the EU portal uses the terms in close wording. Ask the Directorate in writing what the difference means for you.
Does everyone with five years get it?
No. The Commission also lists regular income, health insurance and no threat to public security. The authority examining the application decides.
Sources
The information on this page is based on the official sources listed below. Legislation changes — open the links and verify the current position.
- Avrupa Komisyonu — Uzun süreli ikamet eden üçüncü ülke vatandaşları — https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/legal-migration-and-resettlement/long-term-residents_en · 2026-10-07
- Avrupa Komisyonu — AB Göç Portalı: Bulgaristan'da çalışan işçi ve tek izin (sayfa tarihi 1 Nisan 2025) — https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/eu-immigration-portal/employed-worker-bulgaria_en · 2026-10-07
- Дирекция „Миграция“ — МВР: Разрешения за пребиваване — https://www.mvr.bg/migration/%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D1%83%D1%81%D0%BB%D1%83%D0%B3%D0%B8/%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D1%83%D1%81%D0%BB%D1%83%D0%B3%D0%B8-%D0%B7%D0%B0-%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B6%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8/%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B7%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%88%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B7%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B1%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B5 · 2026-10-07
- ИИСДА — Разрешаване на продължително пребиваване на чужденци (МВР) — https://iisda.government.bg/adm_services/services/service_provision/21815 · 2026-10-07
Related topics
Bulgarian permanent residence: the conditions
Permanent residence is an open-ended status, but the card is not. Who qualifies, what it gives you, and how it can be lost.
Bulgarian permanent residence: the procedure
Permanent residence is proved by the five years behind you, not by the form itself. How the period is counted and how the file is built.
Types of Bulgarian residence permit and how they differ
What separates continued, EU long-term and permanent residence? Who decides, how each status is acquired, and the ways it can be lost.
Renewing a Bulgarian residence permit
Renewal is a calendar exercise, not a formality: the request is due at least 14 days before expiry and is decided within 14 days.
How long does a Bulgarian residence permit take
Statutory decision periods at the visa and migration stages, when the clock stops, and why the card has its own calendar; periods taken from official institution pages.