Long stay permit.

[SheilaP]

Hi and please excuse me if this has been asked before. Does anyone know where in Plovdiv you go to obtain your long stay permit? What documents will be needed and is there a charge? Many thanks,
S.

[johndoe3]

SWMBO and I have our permit to stay for over 3 months in Bulgaria.
I would suggest you take an English speaking Bulgarian with you to show you the ropes.
I cannot advise about Plovdiv, as our dealings were in Dobrich at the main police station initially.

Documents to take : Passport, European Health Card, I took my Local Municipality Tax Bill,(to
save translating my address).
At the police station you will be given a form and have a photograph taken.
We then went to 3 different Notaries to collect more forms, one of which is not to become a burden on Bulgarian Social System.
It will be advantageous, if you can get your passport(s) and EHIC card(s) to expire at the same date,
else you may end up having to go there about once every 3 years, according to which of these expires first.
Next day the permit is ready.
There have been posts previously, so I stand to be corrected.

[ChrisF]

OK It's not the police station you want, but the immigration office. This can be at the police station but sometimes elsewhere - here in VT, for example, it is at KAT (the traffic police) which is a fair way from the police station.
About 18 months ago all migration offices were issued with handbooks which spell out the requirements for longstay visas so there can be no dispute, unlike previously when every area put their own interpretation on the rules.
You need:
A completed application form (available from the migration office, or download from http://migration.mvr.bg
A valid ID document - your passport (take a photocopy of the ID page with you)
Proof of valid health insurance (EHIC or medical health insurance) again take a photocopy - both sides of the EHIC
Proof of sufficient financial means equivalent to one minimum monthly wage per family member (a photocopy of a credit or debit card is fine - copy both sides - or a pension/benefit statement. Minimum monthly wage at the moment is 460 leva
A rental contract or proof of address
Your previous long-term residence permit if you are reapplying
A payment receipt

[SheilaP]

Excellent, thank you both. Thought it might require a fair amount of copied documents. Will try and locate the immigration department in Plovdiv when I get there,

Blagodaria,
Sheila

[ChrisF]

I meant to emphasise the point that JohnDoe3 made - your visa will expire at the same time as your passport or EHIC, whichever is the earlier, so try to apply with newly issued documents to make sure your visa will be issued for the maximum length of time.
Also note that none of the documents ned to be notarised, nor do you have to pay for a bankletter stating your balance, however if for any reason you need to produce a birth or marriage certificate it will have to be translated into Bulgarian.

[troyan]

ChrisF
I wonder if you can answer.......does the same rule apply to a permanent card application that your passport must have ten years to run?
It does state on the five year application the expiry thing at the very bottom http://migration.mvr.bg/NR/rdonlyres/FE ... aflet2.pdf


but not on the ten year info sheet on the website.....http://migration.mvr.bg/NR/rdonlyres/32 ... aflet5.pdf

I doubt that can be the case because a passport only starts at ten years.......but there may be a min required ?

I am about to go and renew my passport in UK which in hindsight I should have done from here but it slipped my mind that my five year card was synchronised with my passport expiry so I may lose the permanent residence application......not the end of the end of the world I can get another five year one when I come back but was quite looking forward to getting a permanent card before the ensuing unknown........one way to find out I am going to the Lovech immigration office, they may hold the application pending my new passport if indeed it is required to have ten years before expiry.

as they say Ne e Lesno

[SheilaP]

So is there a difference in process in obtaining a long stay permit as opposed to a permanent residency permit? I'm probably being a bit thick but it is somewhat confusing..

[troyan]

The process is first you need to get a long term residency which is five years...........then you are elligible to apply for a permanent residency which is permanent but must be renewed every ten years.
You must apply for the ten year BEFORE your 5 year expires....between 60 and 3 days before it expires.

This is for EU citizens so anything can happen and will probably be influenced by the deal the UK offers to existing and new arrivals from BG,I think existing EU nationals will not be thrown out of the UK

Failing the above they would probably go back to the Visa system which still operates for non EU citizens which is only slightly more complicated.

After the referendum the Government here assured British that they would be welcome here whatever........and rather enjoyed it.I think Bulgaria secretly admires Brexit but would'nt say so outright, they are very Patriotic but know being in the EU is very beneficial at present.Their Media is obsessed with Veliko Britannia

[ChrisF]

Much easier to get your permanent (ten year visa) visa, you ned:
A cmpleted application form
A valid ID document as above
Your valid long-term residence permit
A payment receipt

As Troyan said, submit your application at least three days before your previous visa expires.

Although the second visa is called a 'permanent' visa, it is actually only valid for ten years, then you have to go through the last process again.

[troyan]

Thanks chrisf
It doesnt say you need a certain number of years on your passport for the permanent card like the five year, i hope not because I will miss the timeframe........soon find out