Bulgaria joined Schengen – what foreigners owning Bulgarian real estate should expect

It happened – on April 1, 2024, Bulgaria finally became part of the Schengen Agreement. For now, it only applies when crossing the border by air and sea.
Irrespective of the short period of time since changes have come into effect, Apart Estate experts can already identify a number of points that will have a great impact on owners of property in Bulgaria and those who plan to buy an apartment by the sea in this sunny country.

Innovations that will affect citizens of other countries

Initially, citizens of countries that needed a visa to enter the Schengen area had real euphoria. Of course it sounds great – receiving a visa to visit Bulgaria, they will be able to travel to other countries.

However, clarification of the conditions for issuing visas has cooled emotions, and many owners of property in Bulgaria from Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan now say that their situation has sharply worsened.

The fact is that, according to preliminary information, Bulgaria will no longer issue visas to foreigners – owners of Bulgarian apartments for a period of 1-3 years, as it was before. Now the maximum period during which they can stay in this country or in another Schengen state will be 30-35 days.

The visa can be multiple, but in reality this will only be of interest to tourists, since, despite the opportunity to come to Bulgaria several times, the total period of stay will be limited.

All this does not suit people who are used to spending the whole summer on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Let us remind you that one of the main goals of foreigners buying real estate in Sunny Beach, Sveti Vlas, Ravda, or Sozopol was a summer holiday with children. Whole families used to come to the sea for vacations.

Restrictions on the validity of a visa to Bulgaria after entering the Schengen area also apply to the issue of receiving an invitation from property owners. For instance, even if a grandmother owning an apartment in Burgas wants to invite her grandchildren for the summer, the visa for the kids will be issued for a maximum of a month.

Requesting and obtaining permission to visit Bulgaria will be associated with other unpleasant moments:

• The cost of a visa is expected to increase to 80 euros.
• The minimum period for reviewing documents is 15 days. The deadline is not identified.
• The list of documents is standard for a Schengen visa and must include tickets, proof that you have where to live, confirmation of income, international passport and health insurance.

A nice thing is that a good visa history will help you get a visa to Bulgaria and reduce the risk of refusals.

Changes that affect citizens of Schengen countries

Citizens of Schengen countries will be able to easily and quickly cross the borders of Bulgaria when traveling by sea and air. They will no longer need to stand in queues at passport control at airports and sea terminals.

Thanks to this, the opportunities for purchasing real estate in Bulgaria will significantly expand. You can come to your apartment by the sea for vacation at any time. It will become easier to check rental apartments and monitor their condition. It will be more comfortable to live in two places – In Bulgaria and another Schengen country.

As a result, an increase in demand for real estate in Bulgaria by the sea is expected from citizens of Schengen countries. Experts believe that we also can expect higher interest in renting and purchasing apartments from tourists from countries that do not need a visa to visit the Schengen countries.

Despite significant changes in the visa policy of Bulgaria, the Apart Estate real estate agency will help you sell or buy studio apartments, flats and houses in Burgas, Nessebar, Sozopol, Pomorie and other resorts of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. We will also assist in resolving all the related issues. In our catalogs, you will find expensive premium real estate, budget apartments and flats in residential complexes.