In recent years, more and more pensioners from Russia and the CIS turn to a real estate Agency in Bulgaria with the desire to buy a house by the sea for seasonal or permanent residence.
What motivates elderly people to leave their homes and move to a foreign country?
What property in Bulgaria for retirees can be found in the company directory BolgarskiyDom?
How to get a Bulgarian visa "D" and then to issue a residence permit? What to consider before you make the buying decision? And whether the Russian pension to live with dignity in Bulgaria? Let's discuss everything in order!
What kind of housing retirees buy in Bulgaria?
Retirees wanting to buy Bulgarian housing, can be divided into 4 groups:
- Military pensioners;
- Wealthy retired civil servants;
- Couples of retirement age from the Russian heartland;
- Retirees seeking to relocate;
Depending on the preferences and financial capabilities of the representatives of these categories are purchased fundamentally different residential properties from rural houses at a cost of €18 000 to gentrification by the sea for €90 000.
| Turnkey solutions | The number of objects in the directory |
| Cheap apartments (studios) up to €20,000 | 600 objects |
| Cheap property by the sea to 30 000 € | 600 objects |
| Houses on the beach | 250 |
| Luxury homes and apartments from 30 000 € | 150 objects |
| Real estate in the mountains | 90 objects |
The Agency BolgarskiyDom for 11 years successfully performed more than 700 transactions of purchase and sale Bulgarian property. We quickly and inexpensively will help you buy a pensioner's apartment in Bulgaria. You just need to come on free orientation tour and view the selected on-site objects. Will accompany and support you at all stages of the transaction.
Why Bulgaria?
Tens of thousands of pensioners of Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belarus bought property in Bulgaria for permanent residence for a number of reasons:
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Mild climate, clean environment, beautiful nature, warm sea, clean sandy beaches, a large number of Sunny days. -
Close culture, no language barrier, the friendly locals to the Russian. -
Reasonable prices for food and utilities. -
A large number of Wellness centers, mud baths, Spa centres and mineral springs.
If these advantages of buying property in Bulgaria to add low housing prices and a simplified procedure of obtaining residence permits for retirees, it becomes clear why Russian pensioners decide to move to Bulgaria.
Visa "D"
To obtain a residence permit in Bulgaria must obtain a visa "D" issued for six months and allows 180 days to stay in the country. You will need the following documents:
- Passport and copies of the main pages
- Application form with colour photo 3,5 x 4,5 cm;
- Certificate of retirement for the last three months (translated into Bulgarian and notarized);
- A housing rental agreement or proof of ownership;
- An extract from the Bank account to confirm the availability of funds for accommodation;
- Certificate of good conduct;
- Medical insurance with a minimum coverage of 30 000 Euro.
To see the latest changes in the requirements for submitted documents for a visa "D" on the official website of the Embassy of Bulgaria in Moscow!
Obtaining a residence permit in Bulgaria for retirees
If you have a visa "D" can be submitted to the migration service the application for a residence permit by preparing the following documents:
- Statement;
- A copy of the passport (the main page spread and the page with the visa "D");
- A notarial act or copy of tenancy agreement (its validity shall coincide with the term for which you are requesting permit);
- The Bank statement on availability of funds;
- Simple copy of address card;
- Certificate of good conduct;
- Medical insurance;
- Certificate of retirement for 3 months (translated and certified);
- The certificate on statement on the account in tax inspection;
- Receipt about payment of 10 levs for an application for a residence permit.
Optionally, the migration service may require other documents for issuing a residence permit, so better to check information on the official website of the Ministry of interior(http://www.mvr.bg)!
Recommendations to retirees for the purchase of housing
Before buying a property in Bulgaria on the coast, consider the following recommendations:
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Carefully choose the location of the object.
If You want to buy seasonal housing near the sea, then better look for a house or apartment in Varna and Burgas, or at the resorts Sveti Vlas, Sozopol and Golden Sands. In the holiday season here everything is fine, but off-season life to a standstill, although some facilities are still prepared for living.
Read our article: Where to buy property in Bulgaria
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Better to see once than hear a hundred times.
Before buying a house or apartment is worth to visit them personally, to spend some time and it is good to ask the locals. So you can see the full picture and do not regret the decision.>
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Keep in mind the legal niceties.
Buying a home in Bulgaria foreign citizens is difficult, given the ban on registration of property in land. Land acquisition is possible only in case of registration of the company with the subsequent registration of land the legal entity. Therefore, the buyer would well in advance to consult with an experienced lawyer to identify all the possible pitfalls.
The specialists of "BolgarskiyDom" will select for You the best accommodation options for a comfortable stay and rest (in a quiet location, with clean climate, good infrastructure, wide opportunities for rehabilitation and recreation), organizing a trip to Bulgaria to select the appropriate option and will help with the registration permit.
The cost of living in Bulgaria
Planning to move to permanent residence in Bulgaria, of course, You have to ask how much money you need for a decent life in this country?
The main expenditure items of the Russian pensioner may be:
- Annual costs for extension of residence permit;
- Real estate taxes;
- Purchase of food;
- The payment of medical insurance
Extension of residence permit
When obtaining a residence permit in Bulgaria by the applicant (including minors) are charged with the following duties:
| Type of payment | A residence permit for 6 months. | A residence permit for 12 months. |
| The fee for consideration of the application | 10 BGN + 5 BGN (Bank transfer) | 10 BGN + 5 BGN (Bank transfer) |
| The fee for a permit (permit) | 200 BGN + 5 BGN (Bank transfer) | 500 BGN + 5 BGN (Bank transfer) |
| The equivalent in euros | €114 | €267 |
More information about the possibility of obtaining a residence permit and the associated costs can be found in the article "a residence permit in Bulgaria for retirees"!
Real estate taxes
The owners of property in Bulgaria pays:
- the real estate tax of 0.15% of the tax evaluation of the property;
- utility tax - from 0.2 to 0.3% of book value.
It is important to consider the fact that the amount of the annual payment depends on where is located the property (the individual municipalities set the tax rates) and of its value.
More about the maintenance costs of Bulgarian real estate, read the article "Costs of housing"!
Utilities
Will quote rates for basic utilities:
| Water (by meter) | €0,75-€1,25/m3 |
| Electricity (by meter) | day - €0.10 per kWh night - €0,065 per kWh. |
| TV (cable/satellite) | from €13 to €30 |
| Phone | from €3 to €13 |
| Internet | from €8 to €15 |
More on pricing and paying for municipal services in Bulgaria read the article "Prices for utilities"!
Prices on food
The prices of goods and food in Bulgaria differ, depending on locality, but on average a third less than in Russia. However, their quality is much better than domestic products.
See the prices for basic foods, read our article "the Cost of food in Bulgaria"!
Medical insurance
The cost of the policy depends on the company, the amount of insurance coverage, scope of services, health status and age of the person. The average medical insurance policy for foreign citizens costs from €90 to €200 depending on the amount of insurance coverage.
More on health insurance read the article "Medicine and insurance in Bulgaria"!
