How to legalise diplomas and prepare a portfolio for a Freelance application in Bulgaria

When it comes to obtaining a long-term residence permit on the basis of freelance activity (Свободна професия), the Employment Agency of Bulgaria assesses the applicant remotely — solely on the basis of the documents submitted. You will not have the opportunity to attend an oral interview, so your professional dossier must speak for itself.

1. The diploma and the key stage: verification at NACID

For Ukrainian diplomas (both the old and the new format) a simplified regime applies thanks to bilateral agreements between the two countries: they do not need an apostille. However, for your diploma to have legal force in Bulgaria, it must without fail go through the academic recognition procedure.

The procedure is as follows:

• Translation: The diploma and its transcript (with grades and hours) are translated in Bulgaria by an accredited (“sworn”) translator.
• Submission to NACID: The translated documents are submitted to the National Centre for Information and Documentation (NACID) in Sofia. This can be done in person, by post or through a licensed representative/lawyer.
• Outcome: The experts verify your university and field of study, after which they issue an official Certificate of Recognition of Higher Education. It is this document, together with the translation of the diploma, that is attached to the package of documents for the long-term residence permit.

2. Proving experience: assembling your “professional alibi”

The Employment Agency must be satisfied that you are not a beginner but an established specialist with at least 1–3 years of experience in the field you have declared. The more solid evidence you gather, the higher your chances of approval.

What it is advisable to include in the dossier:

• For employees and sole traders: Translated extracts from your employment record book, archives or Ukrainian tax registers officially confirming that you worked in your field in previous years.
• Agreements and contracts: Copies of past or current service contracts with clients (website development, consulting, marketing, design). If the contracts are drawn up in English or Ukrainian, a translation must be attached to them.
• Letters of recommendation: Your main trump card. Request 2-3 references from past counterparties or employers. The letters should be on company letterhead, signed and with a clear description of your achievements: ‘Ivan Ivanov successfully delivered a project setting up end-to-end analytics, proving himself a reliable expert…’

3. Portfolio: your visual authority

For designers, IT specialists, photographers, architects and marketers, the quality of the portfolio is decisive when the commission reviews the application.

Key rules for presentation:

• Language and format: The portfolio is presented as a single, structured and presentable PDF file, strictly in Bulgarian.
• Case study structure: Do not simply show images or code. Write to a clear business structure: Task — Your solution — Final result in figures (for example: ‘Reworked the UX design of an online shop, which reduced the abandoned cart rate by 20%’).
• Transparency for IT: Programmers and technical specialists must provide links to open repositories (GitHub/GitLab) with a brief description of the technology stack used.

4. Business plan: financial justification in euros

This is the document that clearly proves to the Bulgarian state that you will be able to support yourself, will generate commercial income and pay taxes consistently, rather than claim social benefits.

Careful attention to each of these four points ensures that your Freelance application passes the state review without delays or additional requests from the Employment Agency.