Long-term residence permit under the single residence and work permit (ERPR)

Far from all immigration grounds for a long-term residence permit in Bulgaria give a foreigner the automatic right to work as an employee. For those planning to move to the country legally for the purpose of employment, there is a special status — the Single residence and work permit (ERPR).

When this status is granted, the plastic personal resident card officially states “единно разрешение за пребиваване и работа” in the “permit type” field.

Three-stage application procedure

Obtaining the ERPR consists of consecutive steps that require close cooperation between the foreign specialist and the Bulgarian employer.

Stage 1: Approval from the Employment Agency (in Bulgaria)

The employer initiates the process by filing a package of documents for the foreign employee inside the country.

Review period: the Bulgarian Employment Agency issues a decision within 20 days of the employer filing the application.

Correcting errors: if the documents contain inaccuracies, the authority allows 15 days to remedy them.

Cost of the permit: the state fee is 200 €.

Result: an official decision of the Bulgarian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is issued. It is granted for the term of the employment contract, but for no more than 1 year (with the possibility of subsequent extension).

Stage 2: Obtaining the type D visa (in the employee’s home country)

Having received a copy of the approved decision from the Employment Agency, the foreigner must, within 20 days, apply to the Bulgarian consulate in the country of their lawful residence for a type D visa.

Consular fee: 100 €.

Review period: from 30 working days.

Stage 3: Obtaining the ERPR / long-term residence permit (in Bulgaria)

After entering Bulgaria on a type D visa, the foreign employee must, within 14 days, apply to the regional Migration Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior at their place of residence to arrange the final single permit.

Result: the migration service issues a residence permit (for a term of 3 years or more). Once the personal plastic card has been produced and received, the employee has the right to officially start work.

Notification: within one week (7 days), the employer must notify the territorial office of the Executive Agency “Главна инспекция по труда” that the foreigner has actually started work.

Documents provided by the employer

To start the procedure, the employer applies to the regional directorate “Бюро по труда” with the following package of documents:

An application in the prescribed form.

Justification: a detailed explanation of why the company needs to hire this particular foreign national rather than a specialist from the Bulgarian labour market.

Employment contract: a copy of the fixed-term employment contract (concluded for a term of at least 6 months) certified by the employer, as well as a copy of the job description.

Professional documents: legalised education diplomas translated into Bulgarian, documents on the foreigner’s qualifications, speciality and confirmed work experience. This requirement does not apply to lecturers, instructors, teachers, performers, athletes and coaches.

Documents for regulated professions: (for doctors, lawyers, etc.) a document confirming compliance with the strict conditions for practising the profession in Bulgaria.

A copy of the foreigner’s international passport (the page with personal data).

Package of mandatory employer declarations:

A declaration of the number of third-country foreigners already working in the company.

A declaration of employees working from other EU states.

A declaration that the working conditions and salary of the foreign employee will be no worse than those of their Bulgarian colleagues in a comparable position.

✨ Exempt categories: submitting documents on the employee’s education/work experience, as well as employer declarations on the number of other foreigners on staff, is NOT required for:

Foreigners whose activity is related to the performance of Bulgaria’s international treaties.

Invited lecturers, teachers and instructors.

Performing artists.

Athletes and coaches in Bulgarian sports clubs.

The employee’s personal documents for the type D visa and the long-term residence permit

The foreigner prepares a standard immigration package of documents (translated and legalised):

International passport (valid for at least 1.5 years) and a copy of it.

A completed form (for the visa) / application (for the long-term residence permit).

A certificate of no criminal record (with translation and legalisation).

Proof of housing in Bulgaria (a notarial deed or a notarised lease agreement with an address declaration).

Proof of financial means (a bank account statement).

Medical insurance for foreigners with coverage of at least 30 000 €.

Extension, dismissal and restrictions

Extension rules: documents for extending the ERPR must be filed no later than 30 days before the current permit expires. If this deadline is missed, the entire procedure (including travelling home and obtaining a type D visa) will have to be gone through again from scratch.

Early termination: if the employment contract is terminated early, the employer must officially notify the Bulgarian Employment Agency within three days.

Labour market quarantine: upon early termination of employment or upon reaching the maximum permitted period of work under the ERPR, the foreigner may apply again for access to the Bulgarian labour market only after a mandatory three-month break.