The EU Blue Card — a straightforward route for specialists relocating

The EU Blue Card is intended for qualified employees with the relevant education and work experience who plan to carry out professional activity in EU countries for more than 90 days a year. To obtain a work and residence permit, you must meet all the criteria set by law. In addition, you need to find an employer willing to give you a job.

For IT specialists and not only

It is commonly believed that the Blue Card is ideal for programmers and other information technology specialists. This is indeed the case. Highly qualified specialists in the high-tech sector who have a job offer in the EU can apply for a Blue Card. To do so, you need to have at least incomplete higher education, three years of confirmed experience in the relevant field, and an employment contract or a job offer from a European company.

If you meet these requirements, you can obtain a type D visa on the grounds of the “EU Blue Card” at the consulate of the EU state where you are being offered work.

Which other specialists can obtain a Blue Card? Can doctors and lawyers apply for one?

Contrary to widespread opinion, the EU Blue Card can be obtained not only by professionals in the IT sector. This permit is suitable for professionals in various fields, for example engineers, economists, teachers and researchers.

For certain professions, however, additional requirements apply. Doctors, for instance, need to confirm their qualifications by passing a number of examinations, while lawyers require additional training. Thus, doctors and lawyers must go through a number of procedures even before obtaining the Blue Card, and it is best to get further information about these at a consultation with specialists.

‍The procedure

In accordance with the amendments to the law on foreigners in Bulgaria of 1 June 2021, the procedure for obtaining a Blue Card in Bulgaria is initiated and conducted by the МВР (Ministry of the Interior), specifically by the Migration Directorate. It takes place in several stages.

1. The Employment Agency issues the foreigner a permit to work on the territory of Bulgaria.
2. The foreign citizen is issued a long-stay visa (type D) at the consular section of the Bulgarian embassy.
3. The foreigner receives from the Migration Directorate a plastic card that serves simultaneously as a permit to work and to reside in the country.

The entire procedure is coordinated at all stages by the Migration Directorate. The foreign citizen must submit the visa documents and collect the visa in person only.

We explain how the EU Blue Card is processed and which documents are required at each stage. We recommend familiarising yourself with this information in advance, since obtaining certain documents can take time, and the process therefore needs to be started well ahead.

Stage 1. Application to the Migration Directorate

The procedure for obtaining the Blue Card is initiated by the employer. The only exception to this rule is if the employee already lives in the country with a residence permit obtained on other grounds. In that case they may submit the application to the Migration Directorate themselves, but the employer’s signature will still be required.

The documentation required at this stage:

• A diploma with all its annexes. A document confirming incomplete higher education is also acceptable, certifying that the employee studied at a university for at least three years. A notarised copy of the diploma must be made, translated into Bulgarian and legalised. The document may also be certified at the Bulgarian embassy.
• Diplomas for additional education, completed training and professional development, and specialist certificates. Translation and legalisation are also required. This documentation may be requested by the Employment Agency if the position in question requires specific skills and knowledge.
• A document with details of the employee’s work record (employment record book, previous employment or civil-law contracts, references and certificates from former employers, etc.). Translation and legalisation are also required.
• The employment contract between the employee and the Bulgarian employer. It takes effect only after the Blue Card has been issued. A job description signed by both parties is attached to the contract.
• A copy of the employee’s international passport. Its validity must be at least 5 years, otherwise the permit will be issued only for the period of the passport’s validity and will then have to be reissued once a new document is obtained.
• A property lease agreement in Bulgaria and a notarised declaration of consent from the landlord for the employee to be registered at the address specified in the lease agreement.
• Medical insurance with coverage of at least 60 thousand leva, valid on the territory of Bulgaria for the entire period of the foreign citizen’s stay in the country.
• A criminal record certificate in paper form. Such a certificate is valid for six months, and at the moment of submission it must remain valid for at least another month. This certificate will also be required at the following stages, so it should be obtained in several copies and left until last.
• A declaration of compliance with labour law, prepared and signed by the Bulgarian employer.

Important! It is strongly recommended that during the period the documents are being processed the future Blue Card holder be outside Bulgaria. The exception is foreigners who already hold a Bulgarian long-term residence permit on other grounds.

The period for the Migration Directorate to review the documents is not set by law, but on average the process takes about a week if the documents are in order. If additional documentation is needed, the employer or their representative must provide it within a week. If this is not done, the procedure is terminated.

Within two weeks of the submission of the Application and the other documents, the Migration Directorate forwards the data to the Employment Agency, which within 14 days decides whether to issue a work permit or refuse one. If additional documents are required, the Employment Agency informs the Migration Directorate of this within a week. After that, the employer and the employee must provide this documentation within 7 days.

At the same time, the Migration Directorate, together with other services, checks the documents provided by the employee and their employer over the course of a month.

If the work permit has been obtained and all checks have been successfully passed, the Migration Directorate informs the employer or their representative within three days that the employee may submit documents for a type D visa.

Stage 2. Obtaining the visa

The future Blue Card holder has 20 days to submit the documents for a type D visa at the Bulgarian consulate in the country of their lawful residence. To do so, they must appear at the consulate in person. As a rule, an appointment for the interview must be booked in advance.

To submit documents for the visa you will need:

• An international passport and one copy of it. The document must be valid for at least a year and a half from the date the visa application is submitted, and the passport must have at least 2 blank pages.
• A passport photograph measuring 3.5*4.5 cm. A photograph is also taken at the moment the application is submitted.
• Proof of payment of the state fee.
• Criminal record certificate (translated and legalised).
• Medical insurance (covering at least the validity period of the visa, i.e. six months).
• Housing lease agreement and a certified declaration from the landlord in Bulgaria.

All documents are submitted in two copies – the original and a plain copy. The consulate keeps the copies after comparing them with the originals.

The visa is usually issued within 15-20 days. The visa can only be collected in person; it is affixed in the passport.

The visa costs 100 euros; payments are accepted in euros only.

Stage 3. Obtaining the Blue Card and the long-term residence permit

The employee must arrive in Bulgaria within the validity period of the type D visa. Then, within 7 days of arrival, they must report to the regional office of the Migration Directorate. A total of three visits to the Migration Directorate will be required.

1. You need to provide a copy of the international passport (entry into Bulgaria on a type D visa), medical insurance and an application form filled in on site. A decision on issuing the residence permit is taken within three days.
2. During the next visit to the Migration Directorate, the foreign national must submit an application for the plastic card and provide their biometric data. The card can be produced within 3 days, 15 days or 30 days, depending on the amount of the fee paid.
3. The foreign national receives the EU Blue Card within the stated period. Only after that may they start working for the Bulgarian employer.

If you have any questions, contact our specialists via the “Contacts” section or through the feedback form below.