---
title: "Family Reunification in Bulgaria"
url: https://yeniversiyon.pages.dev/en/services/family-reunification/
lang: en
updated: 2026-10-02
description: "We manage the family reunification and D visa process for you to live with your Bulgarian spouse or a family member who holds residence in Bulgaria."
source: BulgaristanVatandas.com (https://bulgaristanvatandas.com)
---
# Family Reunification in Bulgaria
**A foreign spouse of a Bulgarian citizen receives an "EU citizen family member residence card": continuous residence is granted for up to 5 years and the card is issued within about 3 months. The spouse and children of a foreigner who holds residence in Bulgaria can also apply for family reunification. A Bulgarian marriage certificate is required for the application.**
If your family lives in different countries, **family reunification in Bulgaria** allows you to live together with your spouse and children in Bulgaria. We manage every stage of the application for you, from preparing complete and consistent documents to the consulate appointment.
## What is family reunification in Bulgaria?
Family reunification is the residence route that lets a Bulgarian citizen, or a person legally living in Bulgaria, live there with a foreign spouse and children. There are two different situations and the rules differ in each, so we explain them separately below. For other residence options, see our [residence permit service](/en/services/residence-permit/) and [how to get a residence permit in Bulgaria](/en/how-to-get-a-bulgarian-residence-permit/).
## Two routes to family reunification
1. **Through a spouse who is a Bulgarian citizen:** a Turkish citizen married to a Bulgarian citizen can request a residence permit as the spouse's family member.
2. **Through a Turkish citizen resident in Bulgaria:** a person holding a residence permit in Bulgaria can bring their spouse and children to join them.
To request a residence permit, the couple must have obtained a **Bulgarian marriage certificate**. A marriage concluded abroad is valid from the date it was made, but it still has to be entered into the Bulgarian civil records. We explain this in [registering a foreign marriage in Bulgaria](/en/registering-a-foreign-marriage-in-bulgaria/) and [how to get a Bulgarian marriage certificate](/en/bulgarian-marriage-certificate/); we also carry it out as a service on our [birth and marriage registration](/en/services/birth-and-marriage-registration/) page.
## EU family member residence card for the spouse of a Bulgarian citizen
The foreign spouse of a Bulgarian citizen counts as an "EU citizen family member". The benefits of this status:
- Continuous residence is granted for **up to 5 years**.
- The card is issued **within 3 months** of the application.
- The residence depends on the spouse being a Bulgarian citizen and remains valid while the marriage continues.
- After 5 years of uninterrupted lawful residence, the right to permanent residence arises.
Our detailed guide to this route is [residence permit through a Bulgarian spouse](/en/residence-permit-through-bulgarian-spouse/). If you want to acquire citizenship yourself, see [can I get Bulgarian citizenship through my spouse?](/en/bulgarian-citizenship-through-a-spouse/) and our [citizenship services](/en/services/citizenship/).
## Family of a foreigner who holds residence in Bulgaria
A Turkish citizen holding a residence permit in Bulgaria can apply for family reunification to bring a spouse and children. On this route the family member first enters Bulgaria on a D visa (long-stay visa), and then the residence procedures follow. The conditions for a foreign resident are stricter than for the spouse of a Bulgarian citizen. That is why we review your own situation together in the preliminary assessment. The rules for children matter in their own right: [family reunification for children](/en/family-reunification-for-children-bulgaria/).
## Family reunification visa and required documents
To enter Bulgaria you obtain a **D visa** from the consulate. You can find the details in:
- [Family reunification visa and documents](/en/bulgaria-family-reunification-visa-documents/)
- [What is a Bulgarian type D visa?](/en/what-is-the-bulgarian-type-d-visa/)
- [Documents required for a residence permit](/en/documents-required-for-a-bulgarian-residence-permit/)
In general the following documents are asked for:
**From your home country (e.g. Türkiye):**
- International marriage certificate
- Criminal record certificate
- Certificate of residence
- Travel document (passport)
- Application photographs
- Civil registry record
**From Bulgaria:**
- Bank reference letter in the name of the foreign spouse
- Declaration that the marriage is not fictitious
- Rental contract
- Passport of the Bulgarian spouse
Foreign documents are apostilled and submitted with an official Bulgarian translation. For translation, see our [sworn translation service](/en/services/translation/). For other help with the visa stage, see our [visa service](/en/services/visa/).
## Declarations required in the application
- Documents showing that you will live in prosperity in Bulgaria
- An income not below the minimum subsistence level
- The rental contract or title deed of the home you will share
- A declaration signed by both spouses that the marriage is not fictitious
It is critical that the declarations do not contradict each other; we check your file for this as well. For example, the address in the rental contract must match the address in the declaration.
## The process step by step
1. **Preliminary assessment:** we review your situation and documents and determine the right application route.
2. **File preparation:** we take care of obtaining, translating and notarising the documents.
3. **D visa application:** we prepare the file for the consulate appointment and attend it with you.
4. **Entry to Bulgaria and residence application:** after you enter on the visa, we submit the residence application to the Migration Directorate (Дирекция „Миграция“).
5. **Residence card:** for the spouse of a Bulgarian citizen the card is issued within about 3 months.
6. **Follow-up:** we follow the process until it is concluded and keep you informed of every development.
## Which mistakes delay an application?
The most common problems in family reunification files are:
- **The marriage has not been entered into the Bulgarian records.** Without a marriage certificate, a residence application cannot be made.
- **Contradictory addresses.** Different addresses or names in the rental contract, declaration and bank letter.
- **Documents without an apostille or with faulty translation.** Differences in how names are spelt cause particular trouble.
- **Expired documents.** Criminal record certificates and similar documents are valid only for a limited period.
- **Applying late for renewal.** The application must be made at least 14 days before expiry.
Most of these mistakes can be caught before the file is submitted. We check your documents in the [free document review](/en/document-review/).
## What about children?
A child of a Bulgarian citizen is a Bulgarian citizen by birth. If the child is born abroad, the birth is registered at the municipality of the mother's permanent address (the father's, if the mother is a foreigner), and there is a 6-month period for this. A child who is a citizen does not need residence. If there is no citizenship link, the child uses the family reunification route depending on the parent's residence status. Details are in [family reunification for children](/en/family-reunification-for-children-bulgaria/) and [birth registration and Bulgarian citizenship for children](/en/birth-registration-bulgarian-citizenship-for-children/).
## Family reunification or another residence route?
Family reunification is not the best route in every case. If your spouse is not a Bulgarian citizen, if you have your own business, or if you are retired, other routes exist. For example, people who set up a company or open a commercial representation can also get residence; we explain this in [residence permit through commercial representation](/en/residence-permit-through-commercial-representation/). If you are retired, see [Bulgarian retirement residence permit](/en/bulgarian-residence-permit-for-retirees/). We compare which one suits you in the preliminary assessment.
## Renewing the residence card
The renewal application is made before the card expires. It must be submitted to the Migration Directorate **at least 14 days before** the end of the period. The decision takes 14 days; in complex cases 1 month may be added. Being late can cost you your residence right, so write the expiry date in your calendar. See [renewing a Bulgarian residence permit](/en/bulgarian-residence-permit-renewal/) for details.
## Permanent residence
If you have lived in Bulgaria lawfully and without interruption as a family member for 5 years, you can apply for permanent residence. Uninterrupted stay matters; long absences abroad can affect the period. The whole subject is in [permanent residence in Bulgaria](/en/bulgaria-permanent-residence/). If you plan to live in Bulgaria for the long term, a citizenship application can also become an option later.
## The right to work with family reunification
With EU citizen family member status, working in Bulgaria generally does not require a separate work permit; as the spouse of a Bulgarian citizen you can find a job or start a business. For the family of a foreign residence holder the rules may differ. This difference is often misunderstood; for your own situation read [the right to work with family reunification](/en/right-to-work-with-family-residence-bulgaria/) or ask us. If you want to set up a business, see our [company formation](/en/services/company-formation/) service.
## What rights does the residence card give you?
The EU citizen family member residence card lets you live lawfully in Bulgaria. With it you can reside there, use health and other services within the rules and enrol your children in school. As a family member card holder you can work and set up a business. Because the residence is tied to the marriage, events such as divorce can affect your residence right; to protect your position you should consult your adviser beforehand. In the longer term, permanent residence after 5 years and, in later years, citizenship are on the table.
## How do you start?
You need nothing to start. Fill in the form and our specialist will call you. We listen to your marital situation, whether your spouse is a Bulgarian citizen and the documents you hold, and tell you which route suits you. If some documents are ready, you can upload them to the [free document review](/en/document-review/). If you prefer to meet in person, you can book an [online appointment](/en/online-appointment/) for our Lüleburgaz, Kırcaali, Şumnu or Bucharest office.
## Why BulgaristanVatandas.com?
- **Four offices in three countries:** besides our head office in Lüleburgaz, our offices in Kırcaali and Şumnu in Bulgaria and Bucharest in Romania follow your case on the ground.
- **Free preliminary assessment:** we tell you which route suits you before you apply.
- **A consistent file:** we check that declarations and documents do not contradict each other.
- **End-to-end management:** documents, translation, notary, consulate appointment and residence application in one team.
## Related guides
- [Residence permit through a Bulgarian spouse](/en/residence-permit-through-bulgarian-spouse/)
- [Family reunification visa and documents](/en/bulgaria-family-reunification-visa-documents/)
- [Renewing a Bulgarian residence permit](/en/bulgarian-residence-permit-renewal/)
- [Permanent residence in Bulgaria](/en/bulgaria-permanent-residence/)
- [The right to work with family reunification](/en/right-to-work-with-family-residence-bulgaria/)
- [Family reunification for children](/en/family-reunification-for-children-bulgaria/)
## Frequently asked questions
How do you obtain a Bulgarian D visa for family reunification?
A Turkish citizen who marries a Bulgarian citizen has the right to request a family reunification visa. Submitting the required documents to the consulate complete and error-free is essential so that the application is not adversely affected.
What documents are needed for the D visa?
From Turkey: the international marriage certificate, criminal record certificate, certificate of residence, travel document, application photographs and civil registry record. From Bulgaria: a bank reference letter in the name of the Turkish spouse, a declaration that the marriage is not fictitious, a rental contract and the passport of the Bulgarian spouse.
How long does the residence card take and how long is it valid?
For the foreign spouse of a Bulgarian citizen, the "EU citizen family member residence card" is issued within 3 months and continuous residence is granted for up to 5 years. A renewal application must be made at least 14 days before expiry.
Can I apply without a marriage certificate?
No. To request a residence permit, the couple must hold a Bulgarian marriage certificate. If you married abroad, the marriage must first be entered into the Bulgarian civil records.
Can I work in Bulgaria with family reunification?
As the spouse of a Bulgarian citizen you generally do not need a separate work permit. For the family of a foreign residence holder the rules may differ; we clarify your position in the preliminary assessment.
When can I get permanent residence?
After 5 years of uninterrupted lawful residence you can apply for permanent residence. Uninterrupted stay matters, so tell us about long stays abroad in advance.