This article relates only for applicants who wish to obtain residence status for their family members before the citizenship has been granted. This is extraordinary case and differs greatly from the standard procedure when the family residency/citizenship status is applied for after the main applicant’s citizenship is approved. Please note that arranging the residency permit through this route is not included in our standard CIP package.
FAMILY OF THE APPLICANT
When the Applicant obtains his Permanent residency permit, he/she can apply for the so called “Family Visa”, in order his family members to have Long-term residence permit and to reside legally on the territory of Republic of Bulgaria.
By Law, as Family members are considered people, who share one household and are:
- Wife/Husband;
- Children, including adopted, who are under 18 years age and are not married, when the Applicant has the parental rights and the children are dependent on him/her;
- The children, including adopted, of the spouse, who are under 18 years age and are not married, when the Applicant has the parental rights and the children are dependent on him/her;
- Children over 18 years old of the Applicant or his / her spouse and who are not married, but serious health reasons necessitate personal care for them or for such reasons are objectively unable to provide for their own maintenance.
!!! When the Applicant has his/her spouse residing with him in Bulgaria, applying for Family visa for another spouse is strictly prohibited.
The Long term residency permit is for up to 1 /one/ year, as the Migration authorities decide how long the permission will be.
The Applicant have to apply in person for each Family member in Bulgaria and to inform the Migration agency in which Embassy his Family will apply for Visa D in order to come to Bulgaria.
The application will be reviewed by the Authorities in 30 days term from its deposition, as the term can be extended if some issues or additional questions appear. When the application is approved, the Applicant will be informed and his family members will have to make an appointment in the Bulgarian consulate, and will apply for Visa D under a facilitated procedure – only with passport and application form. This should be done in 6 months term of the Family application approval. Please note that there are some requirements of the passport as follows:
- the period of validity shall expire at least three months after the planned date of departure from the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria or, in the case of repeated visits, after the last planned date of departure from the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria; in duly justified emergencies this condition may not be respected;
- contains at least two blank pages;
- has been issued within the previous 10 years.
After the Visa D application, the family members will have printed Visa D on a blank page in each family member passport. The Visa D is valid for 6 months and residency in Bulgaria up to 180 days. During this time, the Family members must come to Bulgaria in person, and in not more than 14 days before the end of the Visa D valid term, must apply in Migration agency of Bulgaria for Long-term residency. Each family member has to provide copy of his passport and Medical health insurance, covering his stay in Bulgaria for not less than 1 year.
The Long term residence application will be reviewed in 3 days term and the Applicant will be informed for the approval and instructed to pay the state fee for each family member. The Migration agency defines the period of residence for family members and inform for the state fee that has to be paid.
Family members can renew their Long term residence and after 5 years, they can apply for Permanent residency in Bulgaria.
Once the citizenship of the main applicant has been approved and the relevant certificate issued, his/her dependents can immediately apply for Bulgarian citizenship.
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