Is it possible to buy real estate in Bulgaria with a Russian passport without a residence permit?

Question

Is it possible to buy real estate in Bulgaria with a Russian passport without a residence permit?

Gregory Katz asks:

Good afternoon! Can you tell me if I can buy a property in Bulgaria and apply for a Russian passport (foreign) without obtaining a residence permit? Does the same apply to opening accounts in Bulgarian banks? I have a Spanish residence permit, but I want to apply for everything using my Russian data so that the Spanish do not register anywhere in Bulgaria, is this possible?

02.03.2026

BULGARIA. Consultation

The rights of foreign buyers

Expert answers (3)

Natalia Zavalishina (Distant Property) · Answer 1 · 2026-03-03T10:12

Good afternoon, yes, you can buy an apartment for a citizen of the Russian Federation. As for opening an account, it is more difficult now, but so far there are several banks where Russian citizens can open an account.

Natalia Atanasova (Grand Estates Group) · Answer 2 · 2026-03-02T19:21

Gregory, hello! You can apply for a Russian passport for real estate without obtaining a residence permit. It is also possible to open a bank account at this stage, there are a limited number of them. We help and support you in this matter. If necessary, please contact us.

Daria Borzova (Oazis Real Estate) · Answer 3 · 2026-03-02T17:25

Good afternoon. Yes, you can buy a Russian passport with a Russian passport, in fact, this is how it is done with citizens of the Russian Federation. The residence permit has nothing to do with the purchase, this is a separate conversation. It is problematic to open an account for a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation, not all banks go for it, but it is possible.