Questions about Bulgaria

[thedirtyteller]

Does anyone here have any experience relocating to Bulgaria and registering as a freelancer?
How easy as a foreigner was it to find rent?
How was the migration process, registering as a resident, getting a TIN number etc? Did it cost anything? (I'm an EU citizen)
The requirements for opening up a bank account? If I move there, I will not open a company but be working as a freelancer or sole proprietorship.
Is there anything else worth knowing about?

I forgot to add. Operating as a sole proprietorship or freelancer is there a lot of bureaucracy involved?

 

[ADROCK123]

to get the freelance permit you need

• a Bulgarian language certificate (level B1);

 

[benbao]

to get the freelance permit you need

• a Bulgarian language certificate (level B1);

As a EU citizen he can just open a sole proprietorship tho

 

[algotrader]

to get the freelance permit you need

• a Bulgarian language certificate (level B1);

Lots of my friends here got freelancer setup without language certificate. You just have to do it via a Bulgarian service provider with umbrella company. They only had to provide a higher education certificate. With sole proprietorship you will pay more tax (15%) than with freelancer setup.
Finding something to rent for a foreigner is relatively easy in places like Sofia, Plovdiv, Bansko, Varna, Burgas where you have lots of foreigners. Easiest is to search via specific FB groups.
For the residence permit you will have to show a notarized rental contract or title deed of your property, sufficient funds (can just be a copy of your credit card) or sources of income such as a freelancer setup and health insurance (can just be a copy of your EHIC card). In some districts you will have to bring a translator with you to the migration office.
Opening a bank account was easy for me with a residence permit but with some banks it can be painful and expensive and you might need a lawyer/translator (especially in case of corporate bank account). Just try the major banks and NEOs with BGN account such as icard/revolut.

 

[freegeek]

This is a good write up from a foreigner in Bulgaria who compares both the company and sole proprietorship with all the numbers Bulgaria Freelance Taxes: Detailed Breakdown [Dmitry Frank]