European Citizenship by Investing in Bulgaria

You might have heard a lot about the famous Cyprus Citizenship Scheme or Montenegro popular European Citizenship program. But, did you know about Bulgaria Investment opportunities for interested applicants of Citizenship?

Well, there is a little-known cost-efficient residency program in Bulgaria as well, which is ultimately leading to a European Citizenship.

Ideal location in Southeast Europe, the rising industries and rapid economic growth have been sources of development in Bulgaria.

Obtain Bulgarian Passport

Bulgaria residence program can lead to Bulgarian citizenship. How? The investors must invest in bonds, obtain a PR, and keep the investment for a while.

The Bulgarian Residency Program was introduced in 2009. The interested applicants can also apply for Bulgarian Citizenship by selecting one of the normal or fast-track options.

• Normal Procedure:

Qualified applicants will get a Permanent Residence (PR) if they invest in a government bond for at least USD 550,000 (1million Bulgarian Lev). They should hold it in a local bank account in their own name for 5 years.

The applicants can apply for Bulgarian citizenship after the five-year waiting period. No actual residency or language test is required.

• Fast-Track Option:

The investors will be eligible to apply for Bulgarian citizenship if they have held a Bulgarian permanent residency card for 12 months and have doubled the initial investment. It means the candidates should increase the investment in bonds to an amount of one million US dollar (2million Bulgarian Lev).

Prospect amendment to Bulgaria residency program

The government has proposed some amendment for fast-track.

The applicant will not be allowed to make the second investment of 1 million Bulgarian Lev in bonds. Instead, they have to invest the same amount in a Bulgarian certified project. Bulgarian certified investment projects will include large-scale projects, mostly real estate.

If you are interested in having a European Residence Permit, you can take a look at other programs.

The Popular European Citizenship Schemes

If you are fascinated by the green continent and would like to obtain a European residency or citizenship, there are several popular options including:

1-  Montenegro Citizenship by Investment Program

Although Montenegro’s CIP is a young program, it is popular among applicants from Middle East. The investment options follow:

• Invest in projects approved by the Government:
  • 250,000 Euro in an undeveloped region (north),
  • 450,000 Euro in a developed region (South).
• Invest in primary agricultural production € 2 million + create at least 10 jobs.
• Invest in wood processing €4 million + employ at least 20 people.
• Invest in Fisheries €3.5 million in fisheries and processing products + employ 20 people.

2-  Cyprus Citizenship by Investment Program

This program consists of several investment options. The investor must keep/purchase a Residential Property for a minimum of 500,000 Euro and make an investment for a minimum of 2M Euro in one of below options:

• Invest in Real Estate,
• Purchase, Establishment or Participation in any Cypriot Businesses or company,
• Investment in Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs),
• Investment in the shipping industry.

For more information, about the available citizenship by investment programs in Europe, please contact one of our advisors in UAE, Denmark or Canada, and we will do our utmost to guide you through your CIP process and achievement of a European second passport.

Please feel free to relay your comments below, if you have any questions about Citizenship or Residency programs.