Bulgaria’s government approves procedure for ‘digital nomad’ residence permit
Bulgaria’s Cabinet has approved a procedure for granting a “digital nomad” residence permit, which will allow residence without a local employer, according to a statement posted by the government information service on December 11.
The statement said that at its meeting on December 10, the Cabinet adopted a decree approving amendments to regulations arising from the Foreigners Act and the regulations on the issuance of Bulgarian personal documents.
The main objective is to create clarity and predictability for foreigners who wish to obtain a long-term residence permit, as well as for the state authorities responsible for the procedures for issuing permits, by regulating the documents required under the Foreigners Act, the statement said.
It said that the “digital nomad” residence permit aims at economic benefits for the country, providing high-speed internet and good infrastructure for work for people engaged in innovation, high technology and creative industries.
As The Sofia Globe reported at the time, provision for “digital nomad” residence permits was made when Bulgaria’s Parliament approved in June 2025 the second and final reading of amendments to the Foreigners Act.
Changes to the Personal Data Protection Act introduce fully centralised personalisation of all Bulgarian personal documents, which will be carried out by the Bulgarian Identity Documents Directorate at the Interior Ministry.
The procedure and conditions for issuing motor vehicle driving licences, temporary identity cards and seafarers’ passports are optimised, the statement said.
An amendment to the application for the issuance of personal documents provides that adult citizens will be able to choose a validity period of five or 10 years, as well as the processing of e-mail and telephone data for contacting the applicant in accordance with the regulatory framework in the field of personal data protection.
The adoption of the changes to the regulations does not lead to the need for additional financial resources, the government information service said.
(Photo: channah/freeimages.com)
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