The Trade representative office (TRO) is not a legal entity and has no right to carry out any business. Its activity is reduced to advertising and promotion of the foreign entity. It receives funds for its expenses (such as costs for offices, office supplies, etc.) from the foreign entity, but it cannot form a profit and cannot have its own income. Workers could be employed by the TRO but only in relation to the promotion of the foreign entity.
If you want to have a business in Bulgaria we are suggesting to register a limited liability company.
As per the Foreigners in Bulgaria act, up to 3 foreigners could receive a long-term residence permit (renewed every year) if they are representatives of a foreign entity that has registered a trade representative office by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
TRO gives the right to non-Eu citizens apply for Visa D and long-term residency after that.
The process before the registration of Trade representative office
The most important part before starting the registration procedure, is to check if the foreign entity (company)* is suitable for setting up a TRO. It should be registered at least 2 years back and it shouldn’t have any state/tax obligations. The following documents shall be provided:
1. Official document for the registration of the foreign entity – the document must show the current status of the foreign entity, i.e. it must be issued not earlier than 6 months.
2. Official document, indicating the persons representing and binding the foreign entity, issued by a competent organ as above;
3. Document for economic activity of the foreign entity for the previous two years prior to the registration;
4. Document for tax compliance of the foreign entity for the previous two calendar years prior to the registration of the Trade Representation Office
*Please, keep in mind, it is not mandatory to be your own foreign company.
After we have all the documents provided by your side, we are preparing a number of documents for the registering of the TRO. These documents should be signed by the company’s representative and apostille. After receiving, we need to translate and legalise them before submitting to Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
To register a trade representative office, you must provide the authorities a local address in Bulgaria in which the TRO will operate, as well as an address at which you will be residing for time you will be in Bulgaria.
Application process
After all the documents are ready and set, a request with all of them should be deposited before the Bulgarian institutions. Usually, it takes around 7-14 business days to come up with a decision. There is a possibility additional documents tо be required and should be provided.
After the TRO is registered a certificate from BCCI will be issued. Registration in BULSTAT register should be performed as well. After that the procedure for obtaining Visa type “D” and residency permit is ready to be initiated.
How to apply for a Visa type “D” and long term residence permit
As per the Foreigners in Bulgaria act the TRO give the right to non-EU citizens to obtain a D visa and residence permit in Bulgaria. This opportunity is also available to non-EU citizens who want to promote and expand their foreign business in Bulgaria.
Our team is ready to assist you for the Visa type “D” application documents that you have to submit in the Bulgarian embassy or general consulate in your home country. After you arrive in Bulgaria, we will guide you through the process of applying for long-term residence permit before our Migration agency.
After you have lived in Bulgaria for five years, you can apply for permanent residency permit to settle in Bulgaria. Here comes our role helping you to register a Trade representative office in Bulgaria. Legalla’s team has the necessary knowledge and experience in relation to setting up to TRO in Bulgaria. We will tell you what documents are needed by your side and we will prepare all of the others. If you are interested at our services, please check our current prices and packages and don’t think twice before writing to us! Our team will reply you within 1 business day. If you want more information about us, don’t think twice before contacting on LinkedIn.
