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We have been living here for 1,5 years now and have to extend our residence permit in September.聽 I am not sure if we will again get two years or five.聽 聽
We are EU citizens, permanently living here and not employed.聽 You don麓t necessarily need a regular income from an employser, but we had and will have to show proof that we have enough money to support ourselves.

Hi聽 Christiane,

thank聽 you聽 for聽 reply,

when聽 the authorities聽 look聽 for proof of finances of聽 support, have聽 you聽 any聽 idea what聽 that聽 figure聽 would聽 be?聽 [we聽 are聽 a聽 married couple, no聽 kids]

I take聽 it聽 you聽 are聽 living聽 in Malko Tranovo, what聽 is聽 that聽 like? is聽 there聽 much聽 of聽 an聽 expat community聽 there?

Hi notreve2,

usually it is required that per month and per person you have the equivalent of the country麓s minimum wage, which at this moment is approx. 520 leva (+/- 260 Euro).

As for Malko Tranovo.聽 Well...聽 聽we bought our house from a British couple who moved to another place in Bulgaria.聽 They told us there is another British couple living here and Canadians had bought two houses which needed lots of renovations, so they would come to live here in mid/long term.聽 By the time we came to live here, the British couple was gone and we haven麓t seen any trace of Canadians yet.聽 In other words, we are the only expats in this village of circa 240 inhabitants, quite some of which are gypsies.聽 People in the village - also the gypsies -聽 are really friendly to us, but there is the language barrier, Bulgarian is not easy.
Generally there is not much going on in the village, but I think most villages are rather quiet.聽 We have two pubs though and on Sveti Georgi day is a village festivity with food and live music.
Not unimportant: we feel safe in the village.

Building up a social life proves not to be so easy, but we are progressing.聽 By now we know some people who are living in villages in a range of 40 kms from here and we have just learnt that in Chirpan (closest town 15 kms away) is an expat meeting on Friday afternoons.聽 We plan to have a look at that too.聽 There must be quite some expats living in the Chirpan region, but finding them is a bit difficult.

For the rest we are 25 kms away from Stara Zagora (132.000 inhabitants) which offers everything you can expect of a town that size.

I hope this information is helpful for you.

Best regards.

Hi Christiane
I would be interested in getting more detail of the expat group meeting in Chirpan on Fridays location, times etc.
Best Regards
Nigel

Hi Nigel,
OK, we will keep you informed.聽 We may have a look next Friday.聽 We were told the group meets after the weekly market in Chirpan has closed, which would mean around 1PM.聽 聽Will come back to you with more details soon.
Best regards
Christiane

Christiane,

Thank聽 you聽 very聽 much聽 for聽 that聽 info

do聽 you speak聽 or聽 understand聽 Bulgarian?聽
do聽 you聽 think聽 it聽 would聽 be聽 impossible or聽 unbearable to聽 try聽 live聽 everyday life聽 without聽 knowing聽 the聽 Bulgarian聽 language?

Wonder if any one can help? I am asking for a friend who has just bought a house in Bulgaria well over 3 month ago and has not come back yet she also did not know about the 90 day stay... What will happen and what shall she do?

Hi Notreve,

I speak basic Bulgarian, which means that eg. I can get along on the market or in the shop, as long as it concerns daily purchases.聽 Contrary to most other people, I have big difficulties understanding the language.聽 Somehow I seem to hear mostly sounds and can hardly make a meaning out of it.

It is probably neither impossible nor unbearable to live here without speaking Bulgarian.聽 Nevertheless, I would like to speak and understand the language better because it makes life easier and completer.聽 First of all it makes community life with the local people easier, you can get a better insight in the country麓s culture, but you are also much more independent when it comes to shopping, doctor visits and most of all administrative issues. You can find a translator to accompany and translate for you; it doesn麓t even cost a lot, but it is more satisfying when you can stand on your own feet.

My husband and I tried already a couple of courses, but unfortunately they were not really satisfying.聽 I have decided now for self-study at home with a book.聽 Definitely also not the best way, but until I may find another good opportunity better than nothing.聽 Every little step forward helps.聽 My husband is not doing much on it anymore, but somehow manages to get along everywhere.聽 聽Fact is also that we are not 20 anymore, which doesn麓t mean we are not willing or capable to learn something, but it is certainly easier to learn a new language when you are younger.

Hi Cockney,
Sorry, I don麓t exactly understand what you mean by the 90 days stay.聽 I know that if you want to stay at least three months within a period of half a year you have to apply for the residence permit.聽
Could you please clarify?

Hi Christians,

It鈥檚 not easy with just a book as you won鈥檛 get the right pronunciation, there is an online course you can google - BULGARIAN language for foreigners which might help you.

Good luck !

As for overstaying the 90 days, they are technically supposed to pay a fine and then either exit and reenter and apply for a permit or simply apply for a permit. However, I have had friends accidentally overstay and just exit and reenter without paying a fine. Then apply for the permit. If their passport is flagged on exit, they will need to pay the fine to re-enter. Similarly, they may have to pay the fine before they can apply for residence. The fine is a maximum of 5000bgn, I believe.

She went out in April around the 6th with her dog they drove there and bought a house she has not left and I informed her after reading a post somewhere about the 3 month stay ... she said she can go over to Romania and re enter, Her husband has come back to the UK by flight twice so he will be ok but he left her In Bulgaria so now she is concerned.. Hope she is not pulled at crossing.聽 Thank you all for your messages

Christiane,

you聽 are聽 brilliant,聽 thank聽 you聽 so聽 much聽 for聽 that聽 great聽 information

Hi Sue,
Thanks for that info.聽 Do you have a name of that website or will I find it if I type in Bulgarian for Foreigners?

Hi Christiene,

If you just google - bulgarian language for foreigners there are several options that come up inc. one on U Tube which is with videos I haven鈥檛 looked at them all yet .

do you have to have some sort of health insurance when applying for residency?

many thanks

mark

Hi Mark,聽 yes you need to show that you have a health insurance.

can聽 it be Bulgarian health insurance or does it have to be UK?
would my EHIC card suffice?

Many Thanks.

mark

Hi wildboy,
Bulgarian health insurance is OK, but we also know an expat who got the residence permit with the EHIC card.

Hi, I got my residence by using my EHIC card and as the card was new, i.e. with 5 years validity.聽 My residence was granted for 5 years

There are a number of private Bulgarian teachers there who will give you lessons for about 30lev an hour max.聽 I was going to a group lesson for 10 lev an hour and the teacher was fantastic (near VT).聽 I've now left the country and have a self-study book with CD's, the Youtube podcast Learn Bulgarian, and will try to find a native speaker here that I can talk to.聽 The main thing is to USE the language you learn, by whatever method.聽 I just used it all the time I could when I was there, and that really helped.聽 If you learn something and then don't use it, you will most certainly lose it, and that is at whatever age or language-learning ability.
Good luck!

...in reply to Sue.....I am in Australia, and wanting desperately to move to Sofia. I am using an Online Bulgarian Language site called Mondly.....It is fantastic, and includes Audio as well and general written/typed words, sentences and phrases!

Mondly is great - so is UTalkGo -