Obtaining Work Permits by Foreigners When Hired In Bulgaria – Part I

We will first start with the cases when work permits are not requested. These are the cases when:
– The persons who have permanent residence permit in Republic of Bulgaria or who have status of a refugee or humanitarian status;
– The persons are hired or have been sent to work on the grounds of international contract to which Republic of Bulgaria is a side, in case when there is a clause in the labour contract which removes the obligation for issuing work permit.
– The persons have been sent to Bulgaria on the grounds of intra-government contracts and programs for delivering legal, financial, expert, humanitarian and other help to Bulgarian institutions, with which they are not in labour relationship.
– The persons who are managers of legal entities or branches of foreign legal entities
– The persons who are members of the Management Board of legal entities;
– The persons who are representing trade representative offices of foreign legal entities, which are registered in the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry;
– The persons who are accredited as members of foreign diplomatic, consular or trade representations, as well as of representations of international organisations in Republic of Bulgaria;
– The persons who are officially accredited by the Ministry of foreign affairs in Republic of Bulgaria as correspondents of foreign medias;
– The persons who are not changing their permanent residence abroad and are participating in scientific, cultural or sport events of public significance, but for no longer than 3 months;
– The persons who are members of EU citizens’ families and who has the right of free movement. In this case, until acquiring a permit for permanent residence by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the employment should be declared in the Labour Bureau within maximum of 7 days after the date of the assignment.

According to the regulations of the Law on Employment a work permit can be issued to a foreigner with regard to the condition, the development and the public interest of the national labour market. There is also one condition according to which the total number of foreign employees working for a certain employer must not exceed 10% of the average number of all the Bulgarian citizens working there for the last 12 months:
– Third countries’ citizens who are members of families Bulgarian citizens or citizens of the EU;
– With provided sanctuary, accepted status of refugee or humanitarian status;
– With permitted permanent residence;
– Persons who are hired on the grounds of international contract, to which Bulgaria is a side and according to which there is no need for the person to obtain work permit.
(to be continued)