The importance of securing your residence now that the UK has left the EU
What is Brexit?
Brexit has been high up on the agenda of politicians across Europe since the referendum in 2016, but what does it actually mean for UK nationals?
On 31 January 2020, the UK left the European Union (EU). This means that the UK is no longer a member of the EU and UK nationals are no longer EU citizens.
However, on that date – 31 January 2020 – a transition period started which will last until 31 December 2020. During this period, UK nationals are treated as though they were EU citizens for free movement purposes and are still able to move to, live in, work in or retire to EU Member States as before.
However in 2021 this will change. The UK leaving the EU means that UK nationals will require a permit if they wish to spend more than 90 days in any 180 day period in the Schengen area (made up of 26 European countries) and other European countries like Bulgaria that are not part of the Schengen area.
It will also be more difficult to move to another EU country.
What are the residence rights of Brits living in Bulgaria?
UK nationals currently living in or who move to Bulgaria before the end of the transition period will hold onto the right to reside in Bulgaria they had when the UK was in the EU.
This means that as long as you are a worker, self-employed, a business owner or a student with comprehensive health insurance or you have sufficient means to support yourself and comprehensive health insurance you have the right to reside in Bulgaria. Going forward, UK nationals will hold on to this right for as long as they fall into one of those categories and remain in Bulgaria for at least 6 months in every 12 month period.
After living in Bulgaria legally and continuously for 5 years UK nationals acquire the right of permanent residence. Those with permanent resident status are able to leave Bulgaria for up to 5 consecutive years and still hold onto their right to reside.
Bulgarian law has always required all EU citizens who wish to reside in Bulgaria for more than 3 months to register with the authorities and to obtain a document showing that they have done so.
It is very important that all UK nationals in Bulgaria ensure they have correctly registered their residence as this can affect their ability to access a number of public services, as well as potentially resulting in a fine!
What is the new permit that the Bulgarian government has introduced?
In July 2020, a new law was passed by the Bulgarian Parliament making the Withdrawal Agreement part of Bulgarian law.
This new law did not change UK nationals’ obligation to register their residence but it created a new document specifically for those UK nationals who move to Bulgaria before 31 December 2020.
It is now compulsory for UK nationals living in Bulgaria before the end of 2020 to obtain a long-term residence permit of a national of the United Kingdom, Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Razreshenie za produlzhitelno prebivavane na grazhdanin na Obedinenoto kralstvo, Velikobritania I Severna Irlandia – Разрешение за продължително пребиваване на гражданин на Обединеното кралство Великобритания и Северна Ирландия (Обединеното кралство)
All UK nationals who moved to Bulgaria before 1 January 2021 must apply for this special long-term residence permit for UK nationals. This includes those UK nationals who moved before 31 January 2020 and previously obtained a Residence Certificate for Long-term residence (Udostoverenie za produlzhitelno prebivavane – ‘Удостоверение за продължително пребиваване’).
Residence document holders can only continue to use their existing residence documents for a limited period – either up to one year after 31 December 2020 (the end of the transition period) or until their expiry date, whichever comes first. Within this period, they must either apply for the renewal of their document or apply for a new document.
Where can you get help with applying for the new permit?
It can be challenging applying for official documents in a new country in a foreign language and it is important to know where you can receive reliable information and assistance. The AIRE Centre is being supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office as part of the UK National Support Fund to provide assistance to UK nationals and their family members in Bulgaria who are have difficulty in obtaining residence permits on their own.
This covers people who are geographically or socially isolated, those who are experiencing problems with their Regional Directorate of Migration, those without access to the internet – the list goes on and on!
The AIRE Centre’s lawyers offer free confidential personalized assistance with the application process. You can contact them at eurobrits@airecentre.org or call them on +359 2906 0713.
Please keep this service in mind for any UK nationals and their family members you may know who are struggling with this process.
The AIRE Centre wants to ensure that all UK nationals in Bulgaria are able to continue enjoying life in Bulgaria without worrying about whether they hold the correct permit or whether their residence status is secure.
For more information on the application process for the new long term residence permits for UK nationals see
