Switching of Visa type to a marriage Visa

fancystar87 · 2017-10-15T12:02:04+02:00

Explore how to switch from a student visa to a marriage visa in Bulgaria, including necessary documents and steps for US citizens.

fancystar87 Member

Member since 15 October 2017

fancystar87Member15 October 2017 10:02:04

Hello all!

I am new to this website, but I have a question I was hoping someone could help me with. I am a US citizen I am currently living here in Bulgaria with my student. Before I arrived with my student visa I have been visiting my boyfriend (now fianc茅) for the past four years three months at a time. We are very recently happily engaged but we are not sure how to move forward from here....especially considering that I have a student visa. Is it possible to switch my type of visa to a marriage visa seeing that I am already in the country and have permission to be here....or will I need to go back home? What other steps do we need to take? What documents do we need? What is the process like? Can anyone give any advice or information?

Thank you for your time and support

kojidae Serial expat

Member since 10 April 2013

kojidaeSerial expat15 October 2017 13:44:50

588

I would ask these questions at your obshtina immigration office. I know when my friend was here on a Peace Corps visa and decided to stay and work with a different company, she had some issues getting a new visa in-country. But in the end, they allowed it because of their rule that you can apply for a visa where ever you have residence. It was just a lot of round about yes/no kinda stuff.

Since you would be using your same passport (whereas she would have to get a different passport) then perhaps you can simply extend residency based on your new status without applying for a new visa.

For example- with me, I was supposed to get permanent residence after five years of being here, through marriage. I had a son the second year I was here, and I was able to get permanent residence 3 years after my date of entry (which is what it is for parents) without changing my visa.

So yeah, sorry if that is not helpful, but I would definitely ask at your immigration office. Every office except the Varna one has always been quite helpful to me (and even sometimes in the varna one).