Bulgaria · Guide
Owning a Bulgarian company from abroad is simple for anyone: one owner, one manager, no Bulgarian partner, EUR 1 of capital, registration through a lawyer. Where nationality starts to matter is the next step most founders have in mind: living in Bulgaria and running the company from there.
For an EU citizen that is a formality. For everyone else it runs through a visa and a residence permit, and owning a company is not, by itself, a reason to get one.
Four situations, four rules
| Your situation | What you need | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| You own and manage the company from abroad | Nothing from immigration | Use a qualified electronic signature and a Bulgarian accountant |
| You are an EU citizen moving to Bulgaria | EU free movement | A registration certificate after three months of stay |
| You are a non-EU citizen moving to run your company | A D visa, then a residence permit | Ownership alone is not a ground |
| You are a non-EU freelancer without Bulgarian clients | Possibly the digital nomad visa | No Bulgarian company needed |
Owning and managing from abroad
- Registration: a Bulgarian lawyer files with your notarised, apostilled power of attorney; see how to register a company in Bulgaria.
- Manager: you can be the manager yourself, from abroad.
- Filings: a qualified electronic signature lets you or your accountant file with the revenue agency and the Commercial Register online.
- Bank: the step most likely to need a visit; see the business bank account guide.
What remote management does not settle is tax. A company run day to day from Germany or France may be treated as resident there. That is a home-country question, covered in the tax guide for non-residents.
3 questions
Which jurisdiction fits you?Answer three questions and get the three jurisdictions that match your situation.
EU citizens: the easy case
An EU citizen can set up and run a Bulgarian company and live in Bulgaria under EU free movement rules. After three months, the usual step is a registration certificate from the migration authorities. No work permit, no visa.
Non-EU citizens: the routes advisers describe
Advisers state that, under Article 24 of the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act, simply being an owner or shareholder is not a ground for residence. The routes they describe are these:
| Route | Who | Reported conditions |
|---|---|---|
| D visa as company manager | Founder managing their own EOOD | Genuine business, business plan, funds, health insurance, clean record; one-year permit, renewable |
| Company employing Bulgarians | Owner of a larger operation | Reported at ten or more Bulgarian employees |
| Trade representative office | Manager of a foreign parent | Parent at least two years old, turnover from about EUR 51,000 in each of two years |
| Start-up visa | Founder of an innovative project | Project scored by the ministry, funds of three minimum wages for 30 days |
| Investment route | Investor | Under the Investment Promotion Act; thresholds to confirm |
| Digital nomad visa | Remote worker or freelancer | Prior-year income reported at EUR 27,533 or more, no Bulgarian clients |
- 1Will you live in Bulgaria?If not, no immigration step is needed
- 2Do you have Bulgarian clients or staff?If not, consider the digital nomad visa instead of a company route
- 3Will you manage your own Bulgarian company?D visa as manager, with a genuine business plan
- 4Is the project innovative?The start-up visa may apply
- 5Large operation or investment?Employment or investment routes
The D visa as manager, step by step
- Register the EOOD and appoint yourself manager.
- Apply for a long-stay D visa at a Bulgarian consulate in your country; advisers report 30 to 90 days of consular processing.
- Enter Bulgaria and apply for the residence permit within 30 days, at the Migration Directorate.
- Renew yearly, showing the business is real and active.
Advisers estimate three to six months and EUR 2,000 to 5,000 in total, and stress that consulates check that the business is genuine.
- Week 1 to 2EOOD registered, manager appointed
- Month 1D visa application at the consulate
- Month 2 to 4Consular decision, 30 to 90 days
- Within 30 days of entryResidence permit application
- Year 2Renewal, with proof of activity
Where the routes disagree
- Start-up visa for managers. Some advisers present it as open to founders managing their company, others do not. Check before you plan on it.
- The ten-employee route. Reported by one adviser under Article 24(1)(4); we could not open the law to confirm the wording.
- Work permit for an owner-manager. Advisers describe a work permit for freelancers and employees; whether an owner-manager needs one in addition to the D visa route should be confirmed for your case.
Practical set-ups that work
- Owner and manager abroad. No immigration step. Watch where the company is really managed for tax.
- Bulgarian resident manager. A local manager handles day-to-day matters; give clear mandates and limited bank powers.
- EU founder relocating. Register the company, move, take the registration certificate.
- Non-EU founder relocating. Plan the D visa as manager before the move, with a real business plan and funds.
The bottom line
A Bulgarian company can be owned and managed from anywhere. Living in Bulgaria is free for EU citizens and conditional for everyone else: a non-EU founder needs a D visa and a residence permit, and the company must be a genuine business. Immigration details here are reported by advisers; confirm them before you commit.
corpsec registers the EOOD with a foreign owner and manager and provides the registered address. Visa and residence filings are outside a formation mandate. See the Bulgaria formation service, or read how Bulgarian company profit is taxed.
Frequently asked questions
Can a non-resident own 100% of a Bulgarian company?
Yes. An EOOD can have a single foreign owner, individual or company, with no Bulgarian partner and EUR 1 of capital.
Can the manager of a Bulgarian EOOD live abroad?
Yes. The manager can be foreign and abroad, and filings can be made online with a qualified electronic signature.
Does owning a Bulgarian company give me residence?
No. Advisers state that ownership alone is not a ground under the Foreigners Act. Non-EU founders usually apply for a D visa as the company's manager.
Do EU citizens need a visa to live in Bulgaria and run a company?
No. EU citizens move freely and take a registration certificate after three months of stay.
Is there a digital nomad visa in Bulgaria?
Yes, reported for remote workers and freelancers without Bulgarian clients, with prior-year income of at least EUR 27,533 for the 2026 filing. It does not require a Bulgarian company.
How long does a D visa through a Bulgarian company take?
Advisers report three to six months in total, with 30 to 90 days at the consulate, followed by a residence permit application within 30 days of entry.
Sources
- Innovires, Non-EU citizen company in Bulgaria (8 April 2026): ownership is not a residence ground under Article 24 of the Foreigners Act, the D visa as company manager, hiring ten Bulgarian citizens, start-up and digital nomad routes
- Innovires, Work permit in Bulgaria for non-EU citizens (2026): timelines and costs of the work permit route
- Chambers Corporate Governance 2026, Bulgaria: a single owner and one or more managers, who may be foreign
- Registry Agency, Tariff of state fees (January 2026): registration fees for an EOOD and for a branch of a foreign trader
Company law points read on 26 October 2026 in the Chambers guide and the Registry Agency tariff. Immigration rules are reported by Bulgarian advisers (Innovires, April and March 2026) because the consolidated Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act and the Interior Ministry's service sheets could not be opened on the day of writing; article references, thresholds and timelines must be confirmed with the Migration Directorate or a Bulgarian lawyer before acting. EU citizens' rights rest on EU free movement law and are summarised, not read for this page. Sources disagree on whether a company manager can use the start-up visa. This is not legal advice.