Get a residence permit in Bulgaria not difficult at all – at least compared to other EU states. However, do not forget that in some cases you can lose the right to stay in the country. Let's figure out in what situations you may lose the opportunity to legally live in Bulgaria.
For residence permit holders
A residence permit, or a long-term residence permit, is issued for a period of 6 months or for a year. After that, it must be extended until the moment when it is possible to apply for permanent status.
If the grounds for obtaining a residence permit have disappeared, then the extension will not be possible. This applies to absolutely all the grounds listed in the law. If you do not want to leave Bulgaria, you should worry in advance about getting a new reason for a long stay.
If it is established that a foreigner has provided incorrect data to obtain a residence permit, then he will be denied obtaining or extending a residence permit. This fully applies to deliberate forgery, but even if we are talking about an accidental error, there is still a risk of refusal. Therefore, you should carefully check all documents and data in the application.
Dissolution of marriage with a foreigner, permanently staying in Bulgaria before the expiration of seven years is another reason to refuse the right to stay. If the marriage was concluded with a Bulgarian citizen, then its duration must be at least 5 years.
For holders of permanent residence/residence permit
Having received a long-term or permanent residence permit, many breathe easy: they no longer need to regularly collect documents and prove their right to stay in the country. However, these statuses can also be lost.
For example, the right to long-term residence is lost to foreigners who pose a real and serious threat to the national security and public order of Bulgaria.
If it turns out that the holder of permanent residence or residence permit has not settled and does not stay in the country, or if he has been absent from the territory of the European Union for 12 consecutive months, he loses the right to permanent or long-term residence in Bulgaria. An exception is made only for those who received permanent residence on the basis of an "investment".
The right to long-term or permanent residence is also withdrawn if the foreigner who has received it has been absent from Bulgaria for six years – even if he or she is located in other EU countries.
If a foreigner who has received a residence permit in Bulgaria has received the right to a long-term stay in another EU country, he loses this status in Bulgaria.
In the event that the holder of the EU Blue Card, who has received a long-term residence permit in Bulgaria, has not been in the EU for 24 consecutive months, he is deprived of the status of a residence permit. The same applies to the family members of the blue card holder.
If the grounds for obtaining permanent residence on the grounds of "investment" or "family member of a refugee" have disappeared, then the foreigner is deprived of the right of residence. The status of a residence permit may be lost by persons who received it as foreigners who have the right to reside in other EU countries, in case of loss of this right.
Other grounds for deprivation
In Bulgaria, all marriages with foreigners are carefully controlled. If it is established that the relationship exists only on paper (i.e., are fictitious), then the permit will be denied. This also applies to fictitious adoptions of Bulgarian citizens.
Naturally, you cannot live in Bulgaria if there are grounds for refusing a Bulgarian visa or not allowing you to enter the country at all. A full list of such grounds is given in the law – these are suspicions of terrorism, and a threat to national security, and various violations of Bulgarian laws in the past.
Refugees or those who have been granted asylum in Bulgaria are deprived of the right to stay if the relevant status is taken away.
The holder of the EU Blue Card will also lose the right to stay in Bulgaria if it turns out that he is staying in the country for a purpose other than the one for which the permit was obtained; or that he has violated the conditions of access to the labour market provided for by Bulgarian law.