If you want to move to Bulgaria you will need a visa type D
Visa for Bulgaria
Citizens of some countries can enter Bulgaria without visa and stay freely for 90 cumulative days every 6 months starting from first entry. There is 2 basic type of visa for Bulgaria: 1) Bulgarian Visa Type C – short term stay for citizens of countries who are not allowed to enter Bulgaria without a visa. The stay is limited by the visa and they cannot apply for residency after the visa expires. 2) Bulgarian Visa Type D – long term stay. The visa is valid for 180 days and it allows the citizen to apply for residency permit.
Here are some visa tips: a. Applicant MUST apply at the Bulgarian Consulate in the country of his PERMANENT residency (i.e. in his HOME country). b. The Bulgarian Visa Type D will be issued by the Bulgarian Consulate in the applicant’s home country within a period of 45 business days after the application is filed. c. Upon receiving the visa for Bulgaria Type D from the Consulate, the applicant is now free to enter Bulgaria. The visa for Bulgaria Type D will be activated with an immigration entry stamp upon his arrival in Bulgaria.
Note: The visa for Bulgaria Type D is valid for 180 days from the date of issue from the Bulgarian Diplomatic or Consular Mission.
Bulgarian residency permit
The holder of a valid visa for Bulgaria type D can apply for residency permit not later than 14 days before it’s expiration or 14 days before expiration of the visa for Bulgaria type D. The residency permit can be: 1. Continuous (renewed each year):
- up to 6 months; - up to 1 year. 2. Long term – up to 5 years (it is EU residency also) - after accomplishing 5 years of continuous permit 3. Permanent (not limited in time, but is valid for Bulgaria only, not applicable to EU) - after accomplishing 5 years of continuous permit - in other specific cases
Here are some residency tips: a. In order to receive long term residency status, it is required that a person not to have been absent from Bulgaria more than 30 months total during the 5 year period. b. In order to maintain long term or permanent residency status, it is required that a person not to be absent from EU more than 12 consecutive months. c. After 5 years of permanent or long term residency the foreigner is eligible to apply for Bulgarian citizenship. The procedure takes about 2 years.
You can read more useful information at my website: https://www.zacharytsvetkov.com/faq