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Thinking of relocating to Bulgaria?
Relocating to a new city or country can be a big step especially; when you have a new job to face as well. You can only really get a good feel for a country when you have been there, but please keep reading our guide on Bulgaria to give you an overview of this country and what it has to offer, from the essentials to the desirables...
Country
Economy
Renting or Buying a Property
Education
Setting up a Bank Account
Language
Currency
Transport
Climate
Visas
Formalities
Country
Bulgaria joined the EU in January 2007 and has a population of 7.6 million. This beautiful country is located in South Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea to the East, Serbia and Macedonia to the West, Romania to the North, and Greece and Turkey to the South. Bulgaria's capital, Sofia, has a population of 1.5 million and is located in the west of the country.
Bulgaria offers an amazing array of landscapes, forestry and recreational activities. Whilst in Bulgaria make sure you find the time to discover the highly desirable Black Sea beaches, first class ski resorts, quaint villages and magnificent architecture.
Bulgaria is a rapidly growing and modernising country, with significant amounts of foreign investment coming in. The economy has made impressive progress in recent years by maintaining long-term financial stability and sustained growth in a number of sectors. As of 2006 the economy has grown at a steady pace of around 5% a year, with inflation well under control. Sectors of economic growth include financial services, tourism, property investment & construction and FMCG.
There is an abundance of property to rent in Bulgaria, both apartments and detached houses (villas), with ex-pat communities located in the main towns such as Sofia and Varna. Popular areas in Sofia include Iztok, Lozenets, Doctors Garden, Boyana, Dragalevtsi, Simeonovo.
The overall standard of education in Bulgaria is high and Bulgarian's are considered well educated internationally. There are several English and American schools in Bulgaria ranging from kindergartens to universities. Foreign languages are taught from a young age and the academic structure is amongst the top in the world.
Bulgaria has a number of different banks, which have a broad range of international affiliations. To set up a Bulgarian bank account you are required to complete the necessary paperwork, show your passport and deposit money into the account. You will then be issued with your account details. Cheque books are not issued (cheques are not a popular form of payment in Bulgaria), and all major international credit and debit cards are available to bank customers.
Bulgarian is the official language and the Cyrillic alphabet is used. Turkish is the language of the main minority group (spoken by some 10% of the population), while English, German, French and Russian are spoken in major tourist resorts and hotels.
The currency in Bulgaria is the Lev (plural ‘Leva’) and the currency code is BGN. The Lev is divided into 100 stotinki. The Lev is tied to the Euro at a fixed exchange rate of EUR1 = Lv1.955. Bulgaria has strict currency regulations, and only Leva are accepted as means of payment domestically.
Bulgaria has an intricate rail and bus network, comprehensive auto routes with over 500km of motorways. With 5 airports including 3 international ones, mobility into Bulgaria could not be easier.
Bulgaria's climate is temperate continental with a Mediterranean influence and has clearly marked seasons. Summers in Bulgaria are hot and dry and temperatures can reach 35 C°. Temperatures in the mountains are generally 5 -10 C° cooler than the cities. During the summer period there are an average of 1700 sunshine hours from May to October. Winters can be cold in other parts of the country, hence its popularity as a destination for skiers.
For specific visa information relating to your country of origin please contact your local Embassy in your home country.
Since joining the EU new rules have come into force for EU citizens. For all other nationals the restrictions remain unchanged. The new regulation replaced the identity cards with new residence permit cards, or certificates as they are officially called. There are several other changes involved therefore for more specific details we recommend you to contact your local Embassy in your home country.
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