by Rayne Hall

Bulgaria may be a perfect choice if…

✔ You’re a freelancer, working online. Low taxes and excellent telecommunications make Bulgaria an attractive option. The low cost of living can secure you a comfortable lifestyle on your international income.

Tip: Register your business as soon as you arrive, even if you don’t start trading immediately.

✔ You’re a digital nomad, spending a few months here, a few months there, working online. Internet connections in Bulgaria are among the best in the world, apartments are easy to find, and the living costs are low. Cities like Sofia and Plovdiv have digital nomad communities and shared workspace centres.

Tip: Make contact with other digital nomads in your chosen city ahead of your arrival. You may want to avoid the heat of July and August, as well as the cold months of January and February.

✔ You are retired, or preparing retirement. Thanks to the low cost of living, your pension which barely covers the necessities in Britain or Germany will stretch much further in Bulgaria, allowing you to live in comfort. Plus, you can enjoy the country’s beautiful nature, rich culture and many thermal spas.

Tip: Choose a location which has the amenities you will need, e.g. buses, doctors, shops.

✔ You want your own smallholding/homestead. Land in Bulgaria is cheap and fertile, perfect for growing fruit and vegetables and keeping livestock.

Tip: Buy and restore one of the many abandoned small farms, and start harvesting fruit from the orchard in your first year.

✔ You aim to live fully or partially ‘off-the-grid’. Bulgaria’s low population density, fertile soil, and cheap land make this dream a realistic option. Thanks to the year-round sunshine, you can meet a large part of your energy needs with solar panels.

Tip: Choose a province with low population density, e.g. Vidin or Smolyan, but avoid regions with extremely cold winters.

However, emigrating to Bulgaria is not for everyone. The country may not be right for you if…

✘ You depend on paid local employment to maintain your lifestyle. Salaries in Bulgaria tend to be low, and unless you speak fluent Bulgarian, you may find it difficult to get any job at all.

Exception: If you combine a qualification or experience in retail, marketing, hospitality or tourism with fluent Bulgarian, you can probably secure a job easily. However, don’t expect to earn a high salary.

✘ You want an even, moderate climate all year round. In Bulgaria, summers are hot, and winters are very cold.

Exception: Some towns and regions are renowned for their relatively mild climate… but even those have strong contrasts between the seasons.

✘ You can’t be bothered to learn the language. In rural areas, few people speak English or any other foreign language other than Russian. Life can be difficult and isolated unless you master at least the basics.

Exception: In the capital Sofia, and to some extent in other big cities, it’s possible to get by in English. You can also seek out expat ‘enclaves’ where others of your nationality have already settled.

Do you have questions? Post a comment, and I’ll try to reply.

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