Bulgaria is a beautiful and varied country situated in south-east Europe, sharing a border with Serbia, Romania, Greece, Macedonia, and Turkey. It also has a fantastic coastline along the Black Sea with some amazing beaches. Despite its small size, it has varied landscapes including hills and mountains, deep river valleys and gorges, stretching plains and charming cities.
There are a number of large businesses based throughout Bulgaria, including around 15 of the largest 500 in Europe. With energy and electronics a substantial part of its economy, there is plenty of need for sales-based and contact centre agents who can provide expert customer care services. There is also a growing tech presence in this part of the continent too, with a need for brand and business development professionals as well as tech support agents.
If you’re an EU citizen who is employed, self-employed or you’re on a business trip, you won’t need to apply for a work permit to work in Bulgaria, you’re free to work in the country without restriction. However, non-EU citizens will need to secure an employment contract or show evidence of their business trip in order to apply for a work permit.
Should you need a work permit, you should ask your employer in Bulgaria to apply for one for you. The permit will then be issued to you by the Bulgarian Employment Agency. The permits are usually valid for up to one year when they can be renewed for an additional year should the original conditions for it being issued still apply.
You cannot apply for a work permit if you don’t have a long-stay visa, so it’s important you apply for one of these too. If you only have a short-stay visa, you can’t apply for work permits or seek employment in the country.