Bulgaria Permanent Residency by Investment: A €512,000 Fund Route with Schengen Access

June 3, 2025 · Bulgaria · 8 min read

Bulgaria permanent residency by investment is available from €512,000 (approximately US$573,000) invested in a Bulgarian investment fund, allowing investors to obtain permanent residence and opening a pathway to EU citizenship.

As a growing number of European countries tighten their real estate–based residency programs, Bulgaria — which became a full member of the Schengen Area in 2025 — has emerged as a strategic option worth considering. With an investment starting at €512,000 in a reputable investment fund, investors can obtain Bulgarian permanent residence, with visa-free travel across the Schengen Area, and a long-term pathway to EU citizenship.

Bulgarian permanent residence: a new gateway to Europe for global investors

After more than a decade of preparation and reform, Bulgaria became a full member of the Schengen Area on January 1, 2025. This allows Bulgarian citizens and legal residents to travel freely across all 29 Schengen countries and raises the reputation and value of Bulgaria’s government-authorized residency programs.

• Bulgaria is currently one of the 5 countries with the fastest GDP growth in Eastern Europe, with an open economy and a competitive tax regime.
• Bulgaria’s public debt stands at just 21.5% of GDP, one of the lowest ratios in the EU (Eurostat, 2024), reflecting sound public finances.
• As a strategic bridge between the EU and Asia, Bulgaria is attracting growing foreign direct investment (FDI) from the United States, Germany, the UAE, and China.

Choosing the Bulgaria Golden Visa is not simply a migration solution — it can be the first step in a broader strategy to internationalize your business and assets.

How the Bulgaria Golden Visa fund route works: a regulated, transparent structure

Launched in 2009, the program has been revised several times to ensure transparency and align with EU law. After a pause in 2022 to review its legal framework, it officially resumed in 2023 through investment in funds licensed directly by Bulgaria’s Financial Supervision Commission (FSC).

Key details:

• Minimum investment amount: €512,000, held for at least 5 years.
• Fund type: An investment in a collective investment scheme (which may be a mutual fund or an alternative investment fund, AIF) licensed by Bulgaria’s Financial Supervision Commission (FSC).

Key benefits:

• The whole family can become Bulgarian permanent residents, including your spouse and dependent children, giving your family a stable and secure base in Europe.
• The right to live, study, and work in Bulgaria without time limits, broadening education and career options in an EU country with a reasonable cost of living.
• Visa-free travel within the Schengen Area: short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period across all 29 Schengen countries.
• Favorable personal taxation: Bulgaria applies a flat personal income tax of 10%, among the lowest rates in the European Union.
• A pathway to Bulgarian citizenship once residence and language requirements are met, with the full rights of an EU citizen after naturalization.

IMM Group: a strategic advisory partner for investors worldwide

The global investment migration market is constantly shifting and increasingly complex, and investors need an advisory partner who not only helps build a strong application but also gives their family confidence in the future. For the Bulgarian permanent residence program and all of our global investment migration solutions, IMM Group stands apart as a strategic advisory partner, supporting you with experience and integrity.

As a pioneer with more than 21 years of hands-on experience in Vietnam, IMM Group does not act as a sales agent. We do more than advise — we design investment migration solutions built on:

• Due diligence and risk management: With more than 21 years of experience and hundreds of investment migration cases handled, IMM Group selects only reputable investment funds with clear legal standing and a credible redemption strategy for the return of capital.
• In-depth, fully transparent advice: Our advisors meet the international standards of the Investment Migration Council (IMC). We set out the risks and benefits of each option clearly, so you can make a sound decision based on complete and honest information.
• Integrity and commitment at every stage: Guided by our philosophy, “Serving with Authentic Values,” IMM Group commits to supporting you from the first step until you are settled. Integrity is our foundation, reflected in our readiness to protect client interests and to proactively refund service fees when risks beyond the client’s control arise (as set out in the contract).
• Give and receive: By choosing IMM Group, you join us in supporting the work of the Be Better Foundation, reflecting the social responsibility and human values we pursue.

If you are interested in the Bulgaria Golden Visa, contact IMM Group or leave your details below. Our experienced advisors will provide detailed guidance and help assess your application’s chances of success. We keep your personal data confidential and use the information you provide only to advise on your family’s case.

IMM Group

• Tags:
• European residency by investment
• permanent residence by investment
• Bulgaria Golden Visa
• European citizenship
• Bulgarian permanent residence

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