Long-term residence permit in Bulgaria through the Single Work Permit: your legal work and life in Europe

The Single Permit for Residence and Work, known as ЕРПР under Article 24и of the Law on Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria, is one of the most reliable and balanced legalisation mechanisms.

This status harmoniously combines:

• the right to reside lawfully in the country with a long-term residence permit;

• the official right to work for a specific employer.

This instrument is ideally suited to a wide variety of categories of foreign specialists from countries outside the European Union. Among them:

• engineers;

• foreign language teachers;

• marketing specialists;

• administrative staff;

• middle and senior managers;

• specialists and workers in other professions, including those in demand in construction, tourism and the service sector.

Unlike other employment categories that require higher education, the Single Permit is also available to specialists with secondary vocational education or confirmed practical experience in their field.

Obtaining a long-term residence permit on this basis opens up wide opportunities for comfortable adaptation and life in Europe.

The applicant receives:

• official income in full compliance with Bulgarian labour law;

• health insurance;

• contributions to social funds.

The status allows family members to be brought to Bulgaria through the family reunification procedure, provided the conditions set by law are met, and the period of lawful residence under the Single Permit counts towards the residence period required for subsequently obtaining EU long-term resident status or a permanent residence permit, if the other requirements of the law are fulfilled.

Quota for foreign workers

One of the important conditions for obtaining the Single Permit is the employer’s compliance with the statutory ratio between foreign workers and the total number of staff.

When applying for a Single Permit for Residence and Work:

• for employers in general, the number of workers who are third-country nationals must not exceed 20% of the average number of employees under employment relationships over the previous 12 months;

• for small and medium-sized enterprises the permitted limit is increased to 35%.

This is especially important for small Bulgarian companies that hire foreign workers, including in such fields as construction, tourism, the hotel and restaurant business, services and other sectors experiencing a shortage of personnel.

At the same time, the 35% quota is linked specifically to the company’s status as a small or medium-sized enterprise, not to its particular sector of activity.

As Bulgarian legislation is harmonised with the latest European directives, the procedure for maintaining and extending this status is becoming more flexible.

The legislative changes provide for a more flexible mechanism for changing employer and preserving the foreigner’s lawful status when the employment relationship ends.

However, a change of employer does not happen automatically and requires compliance with the procedure established by law.

Going forward, the holder of a Single Permit is not confined to a single basis for residence.

As a career develops and residence in Bulgaria continues, it is possible to move to other bases, such as:

• the EU Blue Card provided the relevant qualification and income requirements are met;

• obtaining a long-term residence permit through your own business activity where a legally established ground exists;

• obtaining EU long-term resident status or a permanent residence permit where the conditions set by law are met.

Attractive as this ground is, the application process demands a high degree of precision and a thorough understanding of internal procedures.

The decisive factors for successfully obtaining the permit are:

• sound preparation of the employment contract;

• correct drafting of the justifications for the authorities;

• compliance with the statutory quota for foreign employees;

• verification of the employer’s headcount over the previous 12 months;

• strict control of deadlines at every stage.

Professional support from specialists substantially reduces the risk of refusal, ensuring that documents are properly prepared and filed from the first submission to the authorities through to receipt of the finished plastic residence card.

Our team is ready to handle the entire process from start to finish — from the preliminary analysis of your situation and the preparation of documents through to receipt of the finished long-term residence permit card, giving you and your company confidence at every stage.