On 23 апреля 2019, the Act Amending and Supplementing the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act was officially published in «Държавен вестник» under Decree No. 88 of the President of Bulgaria.
The tightening of the requirements has affected trade representatives most of all, who as of today have already found themselves «surplus» in Bulgaria, since no more than three people per trade representation may now obtain long-term residence. A new representation, in turn, may only be registered by a company that has been actively operating for at least two years. It is also important not to remain an «unemployed» (deregistered) representative for even a single day, since under the new wording of the Act the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry must notify the «Migration» Directorate in good time of any changes in the trade representation. There is a risk of being refused an extension of long-term residence or of suddenly losing it on the grounds that the basis for staying in the country was interrupted, which means being in the country unlawfully without the grounds provided for by law. For this reason, deregistration from the previous representation and registration in the new one must take place practically simultaneously. Moreover, it must be a representation that can prove that its activity on the territory of Bulgaria is genuine. For the rest, one can only hope for the goodwill of Migration and confidently defend one’s lawful right to continue living in Bulgaria.
Read our previous articles:
New amendments to the Foreigners Act: what awaits representatives?
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