Hiring Foreign Workers in Bulgaria: What Every Employer Must Know
Hiring foreign specialists is no longer an exception but a strategic tool for growth—especially amid a shortage of qualified labor.
However, the procedure does not begin and end with the issuance of a residence and work permit. The law imposes clear requirements on employers before, during, and after the submission of the application, as well as throughout the entire employment relationship.
Important Note: All the requirements listed below must be met before, during, and after submitting the application for hiring foreign nationals, as well as during their employment. The failure to meet any of these grounds entitles the control authorities to revoke the foreigner's residence permit and deprive the employee of the opportunity to work legally in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.
- Must be local employers – eligible entities include merchants registered in the Commercial Register and the Register of Non-Profit Legal Entities; non-profit legal entities (associations and foundations); non-merchant legal entities registered in the BULSTAT Register (branches of foreign companies, civil partnerships under the Obligations and Contracts Act, commercial representative offices registered with the BCCI).
- Definition of local employers – those who carry out their activities on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, registered under Bulgarian legislation or the legislation of another EU/EEA Member State or Switzerland.
- Quota requirement for the Single Residence and Work Permit – the total number of third-country nationals with permitted prolonged residence in the preceding 12 months must not exceed 20% of the average number of employees under an employment contract, and for SMEs – 35%.
- Labor market test (Justification) – employers are obliged to justify their request for a work permit by stating the facts and circumstances necessitating the hiring of a foreigner and motivating their refusal to hire Bulgarian/EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who meet the requirements specified in the job advertisement and are eligible to work without a permit in Bulgaria. The employer is not obliged to conduct a labor market test when hiring foreigners for seasonal work. To fulfill this, the employer may attach a copy of an advertisement in local and national mass media and the internet, showing that there were no willing candidates for the position. The employer must also justify their refusal to hire a candidate from the local labor market by proving that, despite the candidates' desire, they do not meet the professional qualifications required in the ad or lack the necessary experience, skills, and practice in a similar field of activity. These requirements must be present in the job advertisement and the employee's job description.
- Equal working conditions – the employer must not provide less favorable working conditions to the foreigner compared to Bulgarian citizens hired for the respective category of labor.
