subject: Relocating to Bulgaria - Top 5 Considerations [print this page] Relocating to Bulgaria - Top 5 Considerations
Moving to another country is a massive decision and not something to be taken lightly. There are many considerations to take into account such as employment if you will require a steady income to live off, education for your children, medical care for you and your pets, lifestyle change, culture shock and more.
Below are a number of important considerations for anyone considering moving to Bulgaria:
1. Getting A Job & Income - Wherever you decide to relocate to, you will need a source of income. It maybe that you have a UK pension, or can work from home via the internet, but a steady source of income will be required to cover your general living expenses. When considering moving to Bulgaria, you need to keep in mind that without a good knowledge of the Bulgarian language, you will find it difficult to get any sort of normal job and most expats tend to end up working in trades required by other expats such as building, property management, gardening so these areas of work are already over saturated.
2. Education - If you have children you will need to consider how they will fit in to the local education system or if you are going to attempt home schooling. In Bulgaria, children go to kindergarten from an early age and then start primary school at around the age of 7. Young children will pick up the language quickly, but for older children it can be very difficult to fit in.
3. Medical Care - The state health system in Bulgaria is under funded and fairly basic, although the actual standard of care is good in most respects. However, if you have a pre-existing medical conditions or require regular medication you need to check you can get the medicine or care required in Bulgaria. It is important to find an English speaking doctor close to your location. Private health clinics are numerous, cheap and very good.
4. Rural Life or City Life - Most expats choose to buy a rural Bulgarian property in a village with a large plot of land. However, once the novelty of growing your own vegetables wears off, along with the constant weeding, boredom can set in very quickly. Make sure you are prepared for rural life and a restricted social circle.
5. Local Culture & Attitude - Bulgarian mentality on the whole differs from most Western Europeans. For example the man is still very much seen as the head of the family and for a woman on her own, it can be a difficult task to get anything done in Bulgaria. Also if you are easily upset by animal cruelty then you need to consider whether you can cope with the poor attitude most Bulgarians have to animal welfare.
Bulgaria can be a fabulous place to start a new life but there are many things to consider before hopping in a van with your belongings and landing in a rural Bulgarian village.
