Bulgaria or Spain
Two countries side by side across the same rows as the full comparison. A dash means the value is missing: fields are not filled with guesses. about the data
| Bulgaria | Spain | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | $ 63 728 | $ 70 556 |
| Citizenship | 5 years | 10 years |
| Partner can work | yes | yes |
| Parents | difficult | difficult |
| Pets | no trouble | no trouble |
| Pet limit | 5 | 5 |
| Quarantine | no | no |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 888 | $ 1 935 |
| Basket | $ 32,1 | $ 39,3 |
| Life expectancy | 75.76 | 83.89 |
| Homicides/100k | 1.17 | 0.73 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 3.3 | 3.9 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Bulgaria — 71, Spain — 61. Types present in both: work, remote work, study, family, startup, talent and job seeking. Bulgaria adds: investment, repatriation and retirement.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Bulgaria: fees range from 3.58 to 511.29 EUR. Routes with a published decision deadline: 69; the shortest is 14 days. Spain: fees range from 7.31 to 203.84 EUR. Routes with no fee: 2. Routes stating an income threshold: 2; the lowest is 41,356.36 EUR a year. Routes with a published decision deadline: 52; the shortest is 10 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: both after 5 years. Citizenship: Bulgaria after 5 years, Spain after 10 years. Neither recognises a second citizenship.
Bulgaria in brief
An EU country on the euro (from 2026), with a low cost of living and a flat 10% tax; Sofia is a growing tech hub. Held back by high perceived corruption, underfunded healthcare, a long route to citizenship (~10 years, Bulgarian language, usually giving up the previous passport on naturalisation) and moderate seismic risk in the south-west.
Spain in brief
A large economy with developed tech hubs (Madrid, Barcelona), good healthcare and low violence. Held back by citizenship after 10 years requiring you to give up the previous one — dual citizenship is allowed only with a limited set of countries — compulsory Spanish, difficult parent reunification and high rent in the major cities.
Other comparisons
More on each: Bulgaria · Spain. Build your own comparison — up to four countries
This material is for reference and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax thresholds and prices change. Before deciding anything, check the official sources and consult a licensed professional in the relevant country.