

gwynj
Welsh expat in Bulgaria
Forum posts
2415
Contacts
60
About me
Welsh
Lives in Bansko, Blagoevgrad
Speaks English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese
Registration: 30 June 2020
Activity


Should I enter Spain with a Spanish or the Canadian passport by linsaywv
My grandmother was born in Spain so I managed to get a fresh Spanish passport. I was going to go to Spain to try to get my DNI card. Should I use my Spanish passport to enter Spain or my Canadian passport?To use my passport for the very first time ...

@linsaywvWell... you don't have a French passport, so I guess you can enter with either. However, I suppose the Schengen zone checking might get confused (especially when ETIAS comes into force) if you enter on your non-EU passport. Read More


Visa D Retirement documents by jeanmandredeix
I seem to be getting confused with everything I need to do for the Visa D.What documents do I need to get an apostille for (passport, birth certs, bank statements?) ?Do I then have to get them translated into Bulgarian?Then I submit them with the ...

@jeanmandredeixA note: for UK docs, it's not an apostille, it's legalisation.https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalisedAnother note: if you need a translation, you probably need a certified translation by a state-registered translator.Passports don't ... Read More


Should I enter Spain with a Spanish or the Canadian passport by linsaywv
My grandmother was born in Spain so I managed to get a fresh Spanish passport. I was going to go to Spain to try to get my DNI card. Should I use my Spanish passport to enter Spain or my Canadian passport?To use my passport for the very first time ...

@linsaywvCongrats on your shiny new EU passport! Very useful if you fancy relocating to Europe.My understanding is that all countries expect you to enter with the passport of that country, if you have one. And you should use the same passport ... Read More


Golf courses in Cyprus by Huckleberry2025
Hi everyone. We are considering a move to Cyprus and golf is a must-have, along with the sea and fantastic food. Is there much of a golfing life? If so, do you recommend a specific area for us to check out? We live in Spain now so it's an easy hop ...

@Huckleberry2025As @rgray27 says, Paphos is very well-established from a golfing perspective. Also it's a very nice city/region for living. Aphrodite Hills, in particular, is a very fancy place with some high-end property if you want to live near ... Read More


Hoping to retire to Cyprus in 2028 by andrewpro
Hey everyone. My wife and I are hoping to retire to Cyprus in 2028 (I鈥檒l be 51, she will be 59). Permanent residency, pink slips etc all seem quite complex and inconsistently applied, which makes planning much more challenging!We are hoping to ...

@andrewproI'm not really super familiar with the Cyprus rules, so hopefully @Toon and other local experts will clarify. However, my understanding is that there are complications in your specific situation.I was under the impression that the Category ... Read More


Health care. Joint replacement by Bee Eater
HiI live in a village approximately 15 minutes from Salobre帽a and Motril on the Costa Tropical.About three years ago I had a very successful knee replacement and received excellent pre and post operative care with the local hospital for which ...

@Bee EaterIt does sound like your GP is not overly cooperative. As he's the gatekeeper, it sounds like a challenge!In the UK, I don't think I was ever given my x-rays. I'd guess the Spain public system is the same.If that's the case, my preferred ... Read More


Advice of nice coastal town to live a year round by Raizori
I'm thinking about moving to Bulgaria and have started looking into places that might be a good fit for full-time living. Ideally, I鈥檇 love to be near the beach鈥攂onus points if there are some small hills nearby for hiking! I really enjoy ...

@RaizoriI really like Sveti Vlas and Sozopol, and I've hiked around both. Sveti Vlas is at the end of the Stara Planina so it's got a proper hill walk, plus a fancy Marina (and UNESCO Nessebar nearby). Sozopol is a very picturesque town, and larger ... Read More


Hospitals/clinic Reviews by sfriggieri75
Good morning. We would be grateful if anyone can help us out in choosing the right hospital/clinic in Sofia for a colonoscopy. We will be paying for the operation. Thank you.

@Kath948381No monthly payment needed if you have an S1. Firstly, you register your S1 with the NHIF, the public health system and NHS-equivalent (they will give you a Bulgarian document which you show when you need some treatment). Secondly, ... Read More


Health care. Joint replacement by Bee Eater
HiI live in a village approximately 15 minutes from Salobre帽a and Motril on the Costa Tropical.About three years ago I had a very successful knee replacement and received excellent pre and post operative care with the local hospital for which ...

@Bee EaterMy father had similar experience in the UK with the NHS. It's certainly not unusual for public health systems to apply some kind of age criterion when the "cost-benefit" of expensive ops might be debatable. I don't think these things are ... Read More


Council Tax Shocker by Mrs Homemaker
Hello folksies I've just learned that within Oryahovo Municipality this year's council tax has risen by 300%Is anyone else in this region or any other region in Bulgaria experiencing this scale of increase ? This is extremely disturbing

@Mrs HomemakerAh, panic over. :-) If not 300%, what was the actual increase? Read More


Retirement visa by D H16
Had a quick question from my non EU Bulgarian D visa holders, I recently went to Bulgaria to rent an apartment and start the whole retirement visa process, but because I did not have my Social Security card I could not open a bank account, the ...

@D H16Ideally, you would have done all of these on your recent trip. Some can definitely be done remotely, but I think you will struggle to do everything without coming back. However, I suggest you have a consultation with a Bulgarian immigration ... Read More


Retirement visa by D H16
Had a quick question from my non EU Bulgarian D visa holders, I recently went to Bulgaria to rent an apartment and start the whole retirement visa process, but because I did not have my Social Security card I could not open a bank account, the ...

@D H16Additionally, you need proof of pension, proof of address, and proof of health insurance. Read More


Retirement visa by D H16
Had a quick question from my non EU Bulgarian D visa holders, I recently went to Bulgaria to rent an apartment and start the whole retirement visa process, but because I did not have my Social Security card I could not open a bank account, the ...

@D H16I believe that for retirees, specifically, you need proof of a Bulgarian bank account that will receive your pension. Read More


Any tips for finding a long term rental in Veliko Tarnovo please? by davidg12345
Hey all,I'm about to start looking for a long term rental in VT. Ideally I'd find something in a smaller village in the VT municipality, but failing that I'll look for a place in the town.I'm looking to spend around 300 - 350 Euro max per month. I ...

... plus Alo (dot bg) and BulgarianProperties (dot com).VT is small and touristy, I doubt you need to worry much about crime/safety. Read More


Plovdiv Neighborhoods by Julio Manu
Hi, my name is Julio, and I'm planning to move to Plovdiv next year. I'm doing some research on rental prices and have found several nice options within our budget.However, we鈥檇 like to know if some of the lower prices are due to the location ...

Bienvenido a Plovdiv Sr, @Julio Manu!Like @PlovdivEd, we also live in Plovdiv, and he's right that it's a great place to live. Most of the city is very nice, so it's unlikely you'll pick a bad area (and there usually aren't many rental offers ... Read More