Bulgarian is a difficult language, made more difficult by the fact that it uses the Cyrillic alphabet. Looking good always trumps feeling comfortable here. Although Bulgaria is a member of the EU, they still have their own currency, Leva. The coolest neighborhoods in the city are the area around Lions Bridge (Lavov Most) near where the Kvartal festival is held, the neighborhood of Oborishte, and the neighborhood of Lozonets. Plovdiv is considered Bulgarias cultural capital and carried the award for European Capital of Culture for 2019. A former journalist at Sky News and editor-in-chief for Yahoo, her work has appeared in various publications including Red Bull, The National newspaper in the United Arab Emirates and Expatra. If you need anything, all you have to do is ask the neighbours. To be considered financially independent, your monthly income should at least be equal to the national minimum wage per month. It is not until students reach the 10th grade that they can slightly personalise their educational curriculum. However, like any other place on earth, Bulgaria has its drawbacks. Thats for a 40 hour week. My business partner and I had to go to seven banks to even find one that would open a business bank account for a foreigner and the only one that actually would open bank accounts for us had a manger who refused to give us information at first, likely because he thought two women couldnt possibly be opening a business. The law is strict when it comes to drink-driving, with almost zero tolerance (0.05 percent blood-alcohol limit) and you could face losing your licence and even jail time. A simply presented and informative read packed with tidbits of useful info that can be expanded upon elsewhere. Bulgarias appeal was on the rise prior to and immediately following EU accession, and this resulted in a small wave of immigration particularly from the UK and Ireland. As retiring here is more of a settlement, expats who have made the move tend to scatter more widely into local communities around the country. Bulgarias second city and Europes 2019 capital of culture. 11- Bulgarians are a very proud nation. To retire in Bulgaria, you'll need to apply for a Type D visa and a long-term residence permit, renewable every year. a) Muslims - between the end of the 14th century and the end of the 19th century, Bulgaria was under rule of the Ottoman Empire (Islamic State) and she used the enslaved peoples (Bulgarians, Serbs, Greeks, Albanians, etc.) You can either join Facebook groups or look on Airbnb. If you are the kind of person who takes a considered approach to relocation, who has spent time getting to know Bulgaria before moving permanently, you have good chances to adjust well to what is an undoubtedly very beautiful country. One of the factors behind the outsourcing success. I dont see myself living in Bulgaria forever. There were a lot of tears and several meltdowns along the way, but eventually we registered our company in Bulgaria. You need to speak the language 2. 12- Bulgarian people was described as outrageously beautiful. 6- Traveling inside the country is relatively easy because everything is close together, trip Sofia- Varna (one of the longer distances to travel is only 450 km.) I hope this story helps, good luck with your move! I first came to Sofia, Bulgaria in August of 2017. Read more in our full article, The Pros And Cons Of Living In Bulgaria. Healthcare in Bulgaria is universal and financed by compulsory health insurance contributions. Im in a long-distance relationship with my boyfriend who works in Sofia, Bulgaria. Late EastEnders actor Leslie Grantham had to learn Bulgarian to star in Bulgarian TV series The English Neighbour in 2010, about a retired British chemist who sets up home in the fictional village of Plodorodno. Required fields are marked *. You can live a pretty luxurious life without checking your budget too frequently without thinking too much about it. She spends her time running travel websites: Eternal Arrival, Sofia Adventures, and California Crossroads and co-hosting a weekly podcast about anxiety, Im Anxious About. A monthly budget of 1,200 lv ($722/530) for a family or two will offer a perfect way of living, rent excluded. And young Bulgarians are friendly and open, happy to chat with someone and always a bit curious why a foreigner is living in Bulgaria. Its located on the banks of the Maritsa river in the Thrace region, southeast of Sofia. Moving to a new country is like entering a new world where different rules apply, and it takes a while before you can fully understand them.Not knowing the language and not having any close friends, it may be quite frustrating to handle even simple daily tasks, let alone sort out the basics - how to get a job, a place to live and a residence permit. It features links to official resources containing major Brexit information. Read about the advantages and disadvantages of living in Bulgaria before you move there. Your pension and other incomes will be taxed in Bulgaria at a flat rate of 10 percent, compared to the UKs 20 45 percent. For instance, we were told, in Vratsa you can open a bank account with 450 lev but in Shumen it is 1,000 lev and in Veliko Turnovo around 3,000 lev. Especially during summer, Varna is a top destination, even for Bulgarians. Just because Bansko is a popular ski destination doesnt mean that youll freeze living there. On the other hand, when it comes to Bulgarian public schools, they are completely free to attend and textbooks are provided for free for students in certain grades. Many people commute to Sofia from here. Regardless of age, you cant really say youve been to Varna if you havent visited Cubo the most popular beach bar in the city. better place to live than two-thirds of the world, All You Need To Know About Medical Insurance for Foreigners in Bulgaria. Veliko Tarnovo is another Bulgarian city with extreme history and cultural riches. I like that I know the ins and outs of the best sights, restaurants, and things to do in Sofia, but I struggle with a lot of day-to-day interactions, like figuring out an issue with paying bills or handling paperwork at the migration office. According to (now 10-year-old) figures from think tank the IPPR, some 18,000 Britons have moved to Bulgaria, about half living here for half the year and the other half permanently. Private international schools like the Ango-Americal School of Sofia offer a range of extracurricular activities, student clubs, and events for students to attend. The country is one of Europes oldest and offers a perfect balance of historical treasures and a modern, digitized approach to living. Tips For Your Life in Bulgaria, Best Info and Advice for Expats. Living in Popovo is a great way to be introduced to the old Bulgarian traditions and to truly explore what life in Bulgaria is like from a different perspective than that of the large city. Place where they grow fruits and vegetables for their needs, its a tradition to go on weekends and on vacations to the small farm and work the land. Its worth noting that renting in Burgas is cheaper, with a difference of around 40% in prices. To keep informed, check ourLiving In Europe After Brexit guide on a regular basis. 7- Agriculture is probably what defines Bulgarian roots best. Dont let the shivers get to you! Bulgaria definitely has several things that give you culture shock. Normally men and women in a family work and a lot of Bulgarians dont have mortgages. In Bulgaria, you should expect to pay personal income tax and homeowners tax, as well as vehicle tax and a fee for rubbish collection. Bulgaria regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. After divorcing, and having become familiar with the country and made friends, he himself moved to Bulgaria and bought an apartment, only returning to the UK shortly before his death in 2018. Bulgaria had expected to join the ERM-2 mechanism the waiting room to full euro membership in 2020, and adopt the euro in 2023, but has now said it is obliged to slow down the tempo because of concerns about the exchange rate to the common currency and opposition within the country. We promise not spam your inbox Being aware of them before you relocate can make a huge difference to your overall experience. There are also a number of amazing places to visit near Veliko Tarnovo, like Arbanassi, Elena, and Gabrovo. There are a lot of natural honey producers here. Renting will allow you to get familiar with the area and make sure it works for you all year round. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 - Expatra Ltd. UK Company Number 09686420. I live on the western side of Sofia, halfway between Lyulin (the largest communist block area) and the center. But if you would like to appreciate the beautiful landscape and have enough time, you can take the slow train service, you can pass from the mountains to the Black Sea coastline in a couple hours and in between, you will find beautiful valleys. We get so many emails about this subject and it has taken a lot of research to get to the bottom of this question. It is thought that up to a fifth of the 30,000-strong population is foreign. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 - Expatra Ltd. UK Company Number 09686420. It's not easy, but if you love Bulgaria, moving here and being active is the best thing you can do. Shes obsessed with doting on her 8-year-old Bulgarian rescue dog, Rocky, and planning her next trip. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 8- Bulgarian Cuisine: Thats why food is amazing a Balcan mixture that produces an interesting cuisine that relies on fresh vegetables during the summer, like Chopska Salad (on the picture) and Tarator soup, the traditional cold cucumber soup, more strong dishes for the winter time: baked Pork with sourekraut. The city is also rich in all types of necessary institutions and amenities to make your stay comfortable and stress-free. Its very useful to consider the pros and cons of living in Bulgaria before you move, but you need to spend an extended time exploring before you commit to your relocation. Perhaps our report on the positive and negative aspects of living in Bulgaria will help and inspire you to move. You will need a Bulgarian bank account in order to buy property, residents told us. So, what are the pros and cons of living in Bulgaria? There are a few ways to find a long-term apartment rental in Bulgaria. Bansko may be popular for its natural riches but an interesting fact is that it also offers some of the fastest Internet! . Heavy snow in winter, driving a little zanier than you are used to in the UK and potholes mean you will probably want a four-wheel-drive vehicle and will drive on the right side of the road. Bulgaria can provide you with very different experiences depending on whether you live in one of the cities, or in smaller towns and villages. A lot of things go into a custody decision and corresponding parenting plan, writes Dr. Jann Blackstone. Also, note that most banks will not offer joint accounts. The Greek neighbourhood is also an area that expats love to explore as it offers amazing architecture, small vibrant streets, and attractive street shops and coffee shops. If you relocate to Bulgaria with the prospect of finding employment there you may find it very difficult to land yourself a job that will allow you to benefit from Bulgarias low cost of living. Now You Know Everything About Living in Bulgaria. As someone that. Its bizarre to see someone repeatedly shaking their head but actually agreeing with you, and it can definitely cause some confusion with locals. The majority of expats moving to Bulgaria consider living in Sofia first. It may take up to 14 days for your application to be approved, after which you may still have to return to the branch to actually open the account. The economy and salaries are improving, in bigger cities the civic society has taken many steps forward too. Complete Guide to Living in Bulgaria. A country house in a remote village could be yours for as little as 20,000 and you could heat it for around 70 a month, half the price it would cost you in the UK. Bulgaria Cost of living in Bulgaria Summary of cost of living in Bulgaria Family of four estimated monthly costs: 4,494 Single person estimated monthly costs: 1,841 Bulgaria is the 4th cheapest country in Eastern Europe (9 out of 12) Cost of living in Bulgaria is cheaper than in 78% of countries in the World (62 out of 79) You could look to transfer your UK pension abroad (to Malta or Gibraltar) and the income would still be taxed at 10 percent in Bulgaria but with no taxes upon death. Spend any time checking forums and youll find fairly even numbers of British expats extolling Bulgarias virtues or hauling it over the coals. Of course, there are also a ton of options to choose from when it comes to dining out in a fancy and highly rated restaurant. All you need to know about moving to and living in Bulgaria as an expat: the cost, the best areas, the pros and cons and much more. While there is a lot that Bulgaria has to improve upon in many aspects of social justice, catcalling is luckily not a major issue, at least for me as a cishet white woman who can blend in easily here. Therefore, if youare considering Bulgaria, it is one of those nations where preconceptions count for very little. Im struck with homesickness a lot of the time, even though I know that home is a deeply broken place, and Im terrified of whats happening in America on a public health, political, and moral level. They struggle to make the ends meet on their pensions in Britain so they choose to move to a more favourable environment in terms of cost. Other beneficial activities include language learning in a multicultural environment with modern and advanced methods and a rich pool of young, enthusiastic, and dedicated Bulgarian and foreign teachers. 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