Employment Brief: Bulgaria defines residence rules for digital nomads

As result of the targeted efforts of local entrepreneurial and start-up associations, Bulgaria passed an amendment to the Foreigners Act, setting out the residence rules for digital nomads.

The amendments introduce a legal definition of digital nomads in Bulgarian legislation. A digital nomad is defined as an individual (only) who is a foreign resident falling under one of the categories below:

• An employee of a non-EU company working remotely from Bulgaria, where the terms of such employment do not prohibit performing work from within Bulgaria.
• A statutory representative, board member or shareholder (holding more than 25 % of the capital) of a non-EU company, working remotely from Bulgaria for the benefit of that company.
• A self-employed person providing remote services in personal capacity using IT technologies. Under this category, the individual must provide evidence of self-employment or freelance activity for at least one year prior to applying for a digital nomad permit.

For all the categories above, a general requirement is that digital nomads must not work for or provide services to Bulgarian entities. They must also prove an annual income of at least 50 times the minimum wage, as per the minimum wage standards set in Bulgaria.

Individuals meeting the above criteria can apply for a residence permit for an initial period of one year.

The rules take effect as of 30 June 2025.