The short answer: yes, you can buy an apartment or flat in Bulgaria without a residence permit. However, it’s important to understand the difference between ownership and residency, and to know when purchasing real estate provides additional immigration benefits.
Foreigners (including Ukrainian citizens) can purchase apartments and flats in Bulgaria without a temporary or permanent residence permit. These are most often properties in apartment buildings and complexes (without registering the land ownership).
Restrictions apply to land acquisition. If the issue concerns a house with a plot of land or land, legal solutions (such as a company structure) are typically used; such cases are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Purchasing an apartment alone does not automatically grant a temporary or permanent residence permit. Staying longer than the tourist period always requires a separate basis (pension, employment, entrepreneurship, investment, digital nomad status, etc.).
Если вы приобретаете недвижимость в Болгарии на сумму не менее 300 000 евро, это может быть основанием для получения разрешения на «продолжительное пребывание» (вид на жительство, который обычно выдаётся на ограниченный срок и продлевается при сохранении основания).
Ключевые условия по этому основанию:
– инвестиция должна быть подтверждена и оплачена, как правило, через болгарский банк;
– если недвижимость куплена с использованием кредита, непогашенная часть кредита на момент подачи заявления не должна превышать 25%;
– как правило, процедура начинается с визы D (долгосрочной), после чего оформляется карта пребывания в Болгарии.
Важно: это не «автоматический ВНЖ за любую квартиру», а отдельное основание с конкретным порогом и требованиями к оплате и документам.
There’s a separate option for pensioners: if a person receives a pension (under the laws of their home country or another country) and has sufficient funds to live in Bulgaria, they can apply for an extended stay. In practice, this is one of the most straightforward options for pensioners who want a peaceful life by the sea.
Real estate (owned or rented) most often serves as proof of address/housing, and key evidence is pensioner status, funds, and health insurance.
Since the end of 2025, Bulgaria has launched a separate route for digital nomads (remote professionals). The general process is as follows:
– a D visa is issued;
– an application for a residence permit under the digital nomad program is then submitted in Bulgaria;
– requirements depend on the category (employee of a foreign company, freelance/contract work, etc.) and include financial criteria.
This may be a convenient option for professionals from Ukraine and other countries who work remotely and want to legally reside in Bulgaria while maintaining employment with a foreign employer/client.
– I just need a property for a holiday/backup: purchase is possible without a residence permit.
– Legal residence status is required: we select the basis (pension, digital nomad, investment of 300,000 euros, etc.).
– We need an “investment + status” strategy: we are looking at properties under the 300,000 euro threshold and planning the documentation package and payment in advance.
Наше агентство недвижимости делает полное сопровождение сделки, проводит проверку документов и, при необходимости, берёт апартаменты в управление для последующей аренды.
