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4 programs for Bulgaria. Explore the options and get an expert assessment.
Bulgaria's route for highly qualified non-EU professionals. The Blue Card pairs a skilled job offer with a salary above a national threshold (set at 1.5 times the average gross salary using National Statistical Institute figures, so it moves over time) and recognised higher qualifications. It tends to be more flexible than the Single Permit, with a longer validity and a clearer path toward long-term residence and movement within the EU.
For people moved within their own company group from a non-EU branch to a Bulgarian one. The ICT permit covers managers, specialists and trainees on assignment. A nice feature: your employment relationship stays with the sending company abroad, so you don't sign a new Bulgarian contract. The permit is issued by the Ministry of Interior and carries a positive opinion from the Employment Agency.
For seasonal jobs in sectors like agriculture and tourism. There are two tracks: short seasonal work up to 90 days only needs employer registration with the Employment Agency (plus a Type C short-stay visa if your nationality requires one), while longer seasonal work from 90 days up to 9 months in a 12-month period needs a continuous residence and work permit of the 'seasonal worker' type, issued by the Ministry of Interior.
Bulgaria's main work route for most non-EU employees. The Single Permit bundles the right to work and the right to reside into one document tied to a specific employer and position. Behind the scenes the Employment Agency checks access to the labour market and the Migration Directorate issues the permit; you enter Bulgaria on a Type D visa first, then collect your residence card.
The ICT Permit is for people moved within their own company group from a non-EU branch to a Bulgarian one — managers, specialists and trainees. A nice feature: your employment stays with the sending company abroad, so you don't sign a new Bulgarian contract.
Bulgaria's EU Blue Card is for highly qualified non-EU professionals. It pairs a skilled job offer with a salary above a national threshold set at 1.5x the average gross salary (per National Statistical Institute data, so it moves over time) and recognised higher qualifications.
It's for seasonal jobs in sectors like agriculture and tourism. Short seasonal work up to 90 days only needs employer registration with the Employment Agency, while longer seasonal work (90 days to 9 months in a 12-month period) needs a dedicated seasonal worker permit.
The Single Permit is Bulgaria's main work route for most non-EU employees: it bundles the right to work and reside into one document tied to a specific employer and role. You enter on a Type D visa first, then collect your residence card.
After five years of continuous lawful residence, most non-EU nationals can step up from a continuous permit to long-term EU resident status — a five-year permit giving near-equal treatment with Bulgarian nationals and, under conditions, mobility to other EU states.
No. The fast-track citizenship-by-investment scheme was repealed in 2022. An investment route to permanent residence still exists, but it does not give a quick passport.
It lets a non-EU person who already holds a qualifying Bulgarian residence permit be joined by close family, typically a spouse and minor children. The family member usually gets a Type D visa on the family ground, then a continuous residence permit.
They are three rungs on a ladder: continuous (prolonged) residence is up to one year and renewable, long-term EU residence comes after five years, and permanent residence is for an indefinite period.
Take the assessment or ask Acey, our immigration assistant.
Work abroad — Bulgaria