Bulgaria work visa and single residence and work permit

Under Article 7 of the Labour Migration and Labour Mobility Act a third-country national can be hired for a post that does not require Bulgarian citizenship when three conditions are met: the foreigners employed by the employer in the previous 12 months do not exceed 20 percent of its average staff (35 percent for small and medium-sized enterprises); pay and working conditions are no less favourable than for Bulgarian workers in the same category; and the worker has the specialised knowledge, skills and experience the post requires.

The employer must also justify the hire: it describes why a foreign worker is needed, attaches copies of job advertisements published in local and national media and online, and explains why it did not hire a Bulgarian, EU, EEA or Swiss candidate who met the advertised requirements. Guest lecturers, performing artists and professional athletes recognised by the competent bodies, and workers hired under international agreements, are exempt from the quota condition.

The file includes a copy of the worker’s passport, a criminal record certificate, the labour market justification with job advertisements, the worker’s diplomas and evidence of qualifications and experience legalised and translated into Bulgarian, a declaration on foreigners already employed, a declaration on average staff numbers over the previous 12 months, and an employment contract that takes effect on the day the permit is issued. Professional experience is shown by a document from the competent authority of the other state naming the employer and the length of service in the post.

Regulated professions also need recognition of the qualification by the competent Bulgarian body.

The employer, or a person it authorises, submits the application to the Migration Directorate or a regional migration unit and gives an e-mail address for correspondence. Missing documents must be supplied within 7 days. The Migration Directorate sends the file to the Employment Agency within 14 days; the agency sends its written opinion within 15 days, and the State Agency for National Security is also consulted.

If both opinions are positive, the Migration Directorate informs the employer, and the Consular Relations Directorate of the Foreign Ministry, within three days. The worker must start the D visa application within 20 days of that notice. Within 14 days of entering Bulgaria the employer and the worker appear together at the migration office with the visa page and compulsory medical insurance, and the permit is issued within three days.

A renewal is requested while the permit is still valid, and a foreigner already residing in Bulgaria does not need to leave the country to apply again. After 5 years of legal and continuous residence you can apply for EU long-term resident status, which removes the need for a work permit; absences may not exceed six consecutive months or ten months in total during the five years.

The permit lets you live in Bulgaria and work for the employer named in it. The employer must report any change affecting the admission criteria and the end of the employment within three days; the right of residence ends with the employment. A change of employer requires a new application.

Decisions on single permits can be challenged before the administrative court within 14 days under the Administrative Procedure Code.