Foreign Workers in Bulgaria in 2026: What the Employment Agency’s Statistics Show and How Employers Should Prepare
The Bulgarian labor market is undergoing an unprecedented transformation. The data presented by the Employment Agency (EA) show that hiring workers from third countries is no longer an exception, but a sustainable strategy for a growing number of Bulgarian companies. In 2025, the EA granted access to the labor market to 49,179 nationals of 87 third countries – an increase of 42% compared to 2024 (34,720). The pace continues in 2026: by mid-May alone, 27,281 foreign nationals from 71 countries had been admitted. By way of comparison, in 2015 the total figure was a mere 606. Over the course of a decade, the volume has grown many times over, and the structure of access to the labor market has changed fundamentally.
The Single Permit – the Backbone of Long-Term Labor Migration
The most striking dynamics are seen in the Single Permit for Residence and Work (Single Permit) – the procedure for hiring foreign nationals for longer-term employment:
| Year | Single Permit | EU Blue Card |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 289 | 116 |
| 2020 | 1,346 | 545 |
| 2022 | 4,549 | 1,371 |
| 2024 | 13,131 | 1,101 |
| 2025 | 18,247 | 951 |
| 2026 (as of 15 May) | 9,022 | 469 |
The numbers speak for themselves: from 289 permits in 2015, the Single Permit reached 18,247 in 2025 – a more than 60-fold increase over a decade, with a marked acceleration following the 2021 and 2023 legislative amendments to the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act (FRBA) and the Labor Migration and Labor Mobility Act (LMLMA). By 15 May 2026 alone, 9,022 Single Permits had been issued – a pace which, if maintained, would bring the annual result close to last year’s record.
The Single Permit has established itself as the proven mechanism for addressing staff shortages on a long-term basis. The institutions have accumulated practice, the procedure is predictable, and since January 2025 applications can also be submitted electronically via the Platform for the Issuance of Residence and Work Permits (the Platform).
The EU Blue Card – the Underused Opportunity
Against the backdrop of the Single Permit boom, the EU Blue Card is moving in the opposite direction: from a peak of 1,371 in 2022 to 1,101 (2024), 951 (2025) and 469 by mid-May 2026. This is a paradox that deserves attention: while companies are hiring operational staff en masse, the instrument designed to attract highly qualified professionals remains outside their focus.
Yet the advantages of the Blue Card are substantial. It targets precisely the sectors with the most acute talent shortages (according to EA data, the leading ones are information and creative content creation and dissemination, and telecommunications – i.e. the IT and telecom industries), it provides a longer employment horizon and intra-EU mobility, and it positions the employer as competitive on the European talent market. For companies competing for engineers, developers and technical experts, the Blue Card is an underused strategic instrument – and today’s low application volume means less competition and more focused administrative service for those who do use it.
Seasonal Employment – the High-Volume Channel
Short-term seasonal employment of up to 90 days remains the highest-volume procedure: 19,057 registrations in 2025 – almost double the 10,403 recorded in 2024 – and by 15 May 2026 alone, 11,973 seasonal workers had been registered. Over the last three years, total registrations have reached 75,178, and over the last five years, seasonal employment of up to 90 days has accounted for 74% of all short-term employment registrations carried out by the EA.
Interest in the longer seasonal formats is also growing permits for seasonal work from 90 days up to 6 months jumped from a mere 181 in 2024 to 2,864 in 2025, while those of up to 9 months stand at 3,231 as at mid-May 2026. Employers are clearly seeking a longer-term commitment from seasonal staff – a logical step given the costs of recruitment, transport and accommodation.
The leading countries of origin in 2026 are Uzbekistan, Nepal, Indonesia, Türkiye and India for work permits, while seasonal employment is dominated by Uzbekistan (4,806) and the Kyrgyz Republic (2,903).
What Employers Should Watch Out For
- Electronic filing only. As of 14 April 2026, the declaration for seasonal employment of up to 90 days (Annex No. 5) may be submitted exclusively electronically – via the Secure Electronic Delivery System or the Platform – signed with an electronic signature and accompanied by an express power of attorney where the employer acts through a representative.
- The common errors leading to refusals and delays remain the same: outstanding public liabilities; a job title inconsistent with the National Classification of Occupations and Positions (NCOP–2011); a discrepancy between the place of work and the categorization certificate (in tourism); employment contract terms exceeding 90 days (for seasonal employment); powers of attorney lacking an express authorization for the specific procedure; and incorrect passport data of the workers, which subsequently blocks the visa procedure.
The statistics paint a clear picture: labor migration to Bulgaria is growing exponentially, the administration is being digitalized, and the regulatory framework is moving towards simplification. The winning employers will be those who combine the high-volume channels (seasonal employment, the Single Permit) with undervalued instruments such as the EU Blue Card – and who file well-prepared documents in the electronic environment.
Planning to hire workers or professionals from third countries? The AS Legal team will assist you at every stage – from selecting the most suitable procedure (Single Permit, EU Blue Card, seasonal employment), through the preparation and verification of the documents, to their electronic filing and communication with the authorities. Contact us via www.as-legal.eu to ensure a fast, smooth and legally compliant hiring process.
