Bulgaria Immigration Services

Newland Chase offers full support with all aspects of corporate immigration to Bulgaria. Please find an overview of the typical corporate immigration processes below. Every situation is unique, so please do get in touch, either through your usual Newland Chase contact or using the details on the right hand side of the page. Our immigration experts will be glad to discuss your needs in greater detail.

Immigration Summary

A standard Work Permit, applicable to locally hired employees in Bulgaria, is issued by the Bulgarian Employment Agency for a maximum duration of one year and is renewable subject to additional requirements.

A work permit exemption is available for the members of management boards, managers, representatives of trade offices and other representative managerial personnel, registered with the Commercial Register. However, registration and residence authorisation will be required.

The Intra-Company Transfer Permit (EU Directive 2014/66) is only applicable to assignees falling into management, specialist or trainee categories sent to Bulgaria from outside the EEA and has a maximum total duration of stay of three years (one year for trainees). The applicant must have been employed for at least six months (for trainees) or twelve months (for managers/specialists) by the sending company or group of companies immediately preceding the date of the intra-corporate transfer application.

ICT permits under Directive 2014/66 allow mobility within EU member states - i.e. work permission is not required for EU ICT permit holders to work in other member states for less than 90 days and a streamlined Mobile ICT permit application may be applicable if working in other member states for longer than 90 days.

The Blue Card is an EU-wide (with some exceptions) immigration process for highly-skilled employees with a local job offer in the destination country and a salary at least 1.5 times the average gross annual salary for the specific job to be done. It is issued for up to 5 years or the length of the contract, and is renewable. The applicant must hold higher professional qualifications (to be evaluated by authorities in the host country), or five years of high level professional, relevant work experience plus any specific qualifications needed for the profession.

Some work-related activities are permitted on a Schengen visa or visa exemption for non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals assigned from outside the EU/EEA to Bulgaria for a period of up to 90 days, provided work authorisation has been granted. This Temporary Work Authorisation process usually applies where the assignee is being sent to fulfil foreign contractual obligations to a Bulgarian client company. Assignees must remain on foreign payroll and contract.

No work authorisation is needed for EU/EEA/Swiss nationals. However, local address registration should be completed within 5 days of entry, and a residence certificate should be applied for if staying in Bulgaria for more than 90 days.

For employees posted to Bulgaria but remaining on home country contract, the assignment should be registered with the Labour Inspectorate by the first day of the assignment.