Bulgaria or Netherlands
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 | Netherlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | $ 63 728 | $ 106 972 |
| Citizenship | 5 years | 5 years |
| Partner can work | yes | yes |
| Parents | difficult | no |
| Pets | no trouble | no trouble |
| Pet limit | 5 | 5 |
| Quarantine | no | no |
| Residence permit fee | — | $ 481 |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 888 | $ 2 390 |
| Basket | $ 32,1 | $ 49,1 |
| Life expectancy | 75.76 | 81.97 |
| Homicides/100k | 1.17 | 0.66 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 3.3 | 5.1 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Bulgaria — 71, Netherlands — 61. Types present in both: work, study, family, startup, repatriation and job seeking. Bulgaria adds: remote work, investment, talent and retirement. Netherlands adds: working holiday.
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. Netherlands: fees range from 85 to 1,337 EUR. Routes with no fee: 10. Routes stating an income threshold: 21; the lowest is 690 USD a month. Routes with a published decision deadline: 58; the shortest is 30 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: both after 5 years. Citizenship: both after 5 years. Neither recognises a second citizenship. Bringing your own parents: Bulgaria — yes, Netherlands — no.
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.
Netherlands in brief
High salaries and quality of life. Reuniting with a partner's parents is not provided for. The working language in tech is English.
Other comparisons
More on each: Bulgaria · Netherlands. 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.