Bulgaria
Passport Ranking - 41st
The Bulgarian passport ranks 41st in the Top Passports Index as it is among the well-performing passports. Bulgari’s passport strength is influenced by what the country has achieved in mobility, investment, and quality of life.
40th
Mobility Index
Mobility Index
51st
Investment Index
Investment Index
54th
Quality of Life Index
Quality of Life Index
Mobility Index
score
84.8
The Bulgarian passport strength is strongly influenced by this factor, as it ranks 40th in the Mobility Index.
Bulgaria’s passport allows its holders free access to 168 destinations without a visa or by a visa on arrival or electronic travel authorization (eTA). Thanks to this travel freedom, many people seek to obtain a Bulgarian passport by investment.
Bulgaria
Top Passports Rank: 41
Destinations: 168
108
Visa free
Visa free
42
Visa on arrival
Visa on arrival
6
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
42
Visa required
Visa required
Investment Index
score
58.2
The Bulgarian passport ranks high in the Investment Index with 51st place, as the country is a good investment destination.
Investing in Bulgaria is attractive due to many factors such as the fact that the workforce there is among the least expensive in Europe, taxes in Bulgaria are low and competitive, and the investment climate is welcoming to foreigners. There are some potential investment sectors in Bulgaria such as energy, tourism, and environmental technologies.
GDP
GDP
$69.11 billion
GNI per capita
GNI per capita
$24.900
Personal tax rate
Personal tax rate
10%
Quality of Life Index
score
67.8
Bulgaria’s quality of life is average among other European countries. The country outperforms the average in safety and social connections which is part of Bulgaria’s lifestyle. But it underperforms the average in income, education, and life satisfaction.
Bulgaria ranks 54th in the Quality of Life Index, in which these criteria are considered :
Sustainable Development
Very high
Bulgaria ranks 45th in the Sustainable Development Report 2021 with a score of 73.81.
Freedom
Free
Bulgaria scored 79/100 in Global Freedom Status.
Cost of living
Medium
Bulgaria ranks 88th on the Cost of Living Index.
Environmental performance
High
Bulgaria ranked 41st in the 2020 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) with a score of 57.0.
Happiness
Medium
Bulgaria ranks 85th in the World Happiness Report 2022 with a score of 5.371.
Migrant acceptance
Very low
Bulgaria ranks 130th on Gallup’s Migrant Acceptance Index with a score of 2.42.
About Bulgaria
Bulgaria is a republic located in southeastern Europe bordering the Black Sea. In December 1989 Bulgaria became a democracy and an economic market center. It joined the European Union in January 2007. Bulgaria is a parliamentary republic, in which the president is directly elected every five years.
Capital
Sofia
Sofia
Language
Bulgarian
Bulgarian
Currency
Bulgarian lev
Bulgarian lev
Local Time
UTC+02:00
UTC+02:00
Demographics
Bulgaria has a population of 6.927 million.
The official language is Bulgarian, which is spoken by about 84.8% of the country’s population.
84% of Bulgarians follow the Orthodox Church.
Muslims make up 15% of the population.
Economy and Industry
Bulgaria’s cryptocurrencies are taxable.
The industry is the second largest sector of the Bulgarian economy.
The Bulgarian economy is based on the free market.
Sofia is the center of most Bulgarian and international companies.
Culture and Life
Bulgaria is one of the oldest countries in Europe.
Bulgaria is the only country in Europe whose name has not changed since 681 AD.
Education in Bulgaria is compulsory from the age of 7 to 16 years.
Bulgaria’s healthcare system has public and private sectors.
FAQ
The Bulgarian passport ranks 41st in the Top Passports Index. It’s one of the well-performing passports.
Yes, it is possible to obtain Bulgarian citizenship by investment but through a two-step process that requires you to first apply for the permanent residence program by investing 512,000 euros in the first year and double the investment to 1,024,000 euros in the second year.
Yes, temporary residence in Bulgaria can be obtained by purchasing a property of at least €310,000.
Bulgaria allows dual citizenship for citizens born in the country and spouses of Bulgarian citizens, and citizens of the EU, EEA, and Switzerland. Other than these, they are not allowed to have dual citizenship, and they must renounce other nationalities before obtaining Bulgarian citizenship.
Education in Bulgaria is rather good as it ranks 38th in the Education Index according to UNESCO.
Education in Bulgaria is compulsory from the age of 7 to 16. It is also free in public schools, and it consists of 12 grades.
The personal income tax rate in Bulgaria is 10%
Depending on your tax residency status. For Bulgarian tax residents, their income is taxed worldwide. As for non-residents of Bulgaria, taxes are imposed on their income from a Bulgarian source only.
You can buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies in Bulgaria, although it is not recognized as legal tender by the state.
The healthcare system in Bulgaria is mixed between public and private sectors. Bulgarian healthcare performs below the European average and suffers from infrastructure problems.
Citizens and residents of Bulgaria have to pay small costs for health care services, while emergency health care is free of charge.
Although it performs poorly on the Gallup Immigrant Acceptance Index as it ranks 130th, Bulgaria has everything an expat is looking for in terms of safety, affordable cost of living, and low tax rates.
Yes, Bulgaria is a safe and peaceful country with civil rights, an affordable cost of living, fairly good education system, and charming nature.
Between 2 and 6 years of permanent residence in Bulgaria, depending on the procedure and whether the application is through investment or naturalization.