The Complete Guide: Free Practice in Bulgaria
How to get a permit from the Ministry of Labor, tax regimes, opening an account and real examples
Migration services in Bulgaria
FREE PRACTICE
Free Practice (Part 24a of the ZCHRB)
Self-employed professionals – freelancers, consultants, creative professionals – can obtain a residence permit with a special permit from the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy of Bulgaria.
📋 Permission from the Ministry of Labor is required. Unlike Digital Nomad, here you work with Bulgarian and foreign clients directly as a self-employed.
Free practice is a status that allows foreigners to legally work in Bulgaria as a self-employed specialist: to provide services to Bulgarian and foreign clients, issue invoices and pay taxes in Bulgaria. This is ideal for consultants, IT professionals, designers, educators, and other professionals.
Unlike company registration (EOOD), free practice is an easier and cheaper way to officially work in Bulgaria. No share capital required, no need to hire employees, minimal bureaucracy. The key difference with Digital Nomad is that you can work with Bulgarian clients.
A prerequisite is to obtain a special permit from the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy. After receiving it, you register with the tax authorities as self-employed and receive a residence permit. The average processing time is 3-4 weeks.
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Who can register a freelance practice
Consultants and experts
Specialists in the field of business, finance, marketing, law and other areas who provide consulting services.
IT specialists and developers
Programmers, web developers, system administrators, data analysts, and other IT professionals.
Creative specialists
Designers, photographers, videographers, translators, writers – everyone who provides creative services to clients.
Trainers and teachers
Coaches, trainers, tutors and teachers conducting educational activities online or offline in Bulgaria.
✅ Benefits of Free Practice
- There are no requirements for the authorized capital – 0 BGN.
- No need to hire employees
- It is possible to work with Bulgarian clients
- Simple tax reporting
- Minimal bureaucracy and low costs
- The annual taxes of the self-employed are about BGN 1,000.
⚠️ Important to know
- Permission from the Ministry of Labor is required
- You cannot hire Bulgarian employees
- Not suitable for trading activities
- A permit is issued for a specific type of activity
- Every year you need to confirm your active work
Important numbers
0 BGN
Requirements for the authorized capital are not needed at all
3-4 weeks
Average time for obtaining a residence permit from the date of submission of documents
~1 000 BGN
Annual taxes of the self-employed in standard activities
The process of obtaining a residence permit
1
Consultation and definition of activities
We discuss your profession and type of activity. We determine whether free practice is suitable for your situation and which OKVED code to use when submitting to the Ministry of Labor.
2
Obtaining permission from the Ministry of Labor
We submit an application to the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy of Bulgaria. This is a key and mandatory step – without this permission, registration of free practice is impossible.
The processing time is 2-3 weeks
3
Registration with the Tax Authorities (NAA)
After obtaining the permit, we register with the National Revenue Agency (NRA) as self-employed. Choose a tax regime and get a UIC (identification number).
A few working days
4
Opening a bank account
We open a current account in a Bulgarian bank to conduct business transactions and receive payments from customers. This is necessary to apply for a residence permit.
1-2 weeks
5
Applying for a residence permit at the migration service
We submit a full package of documents to the Migration Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The basis is the permission of the Ministry of Labor and documents on registration as a self-employed.
Consideration – 2-3 weeks
6
Obtaining a residence permit card
After approval, you receive a residence permit card for 1 year. Upon annual confirmation of activities and tax reporting, the permit is extended. After 5 years - the right to permanent residence.
The card is ready within 7-10 days
Requirements and documents
Authorization from the Ministry of Labor
A special permit from the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy of Bulgaria is a mandatory document for this basis.
Certificate of registration in the National Aviation Agency
Document of registration as self-employed with the National Income Agency with the assigned UIC.
Proof of qualification
Diploma, certificates or portfolio confirming the professional level in the declared field of activity.
Bank statement
A Bulgarian bank account statement confirming the availability of funds for subsistence during the registration period.
Passport and criminal record certificate
A valid passport (at least 6 months) and a certificate of no criminal record with an apostille and translation.
Health Insurance & Housing
A policy with coverage of at least 30,000 EUR and a lease agreement or property documents in Bulgaria.
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