Working in Bulgaria for Georgian citizens

Visa-free travel allows you to stay up to 90 days, but it does not give you the right to work. To work in Bulgaria you need a permit, and you may only start work once the permit has been issued.

The usual route: the single permit for residence and work

This is the document for most people who take up a job under an employment contract with a Bulgarian employer. It gives both the right to reside and the right to work.

1. The Bulgarian employer signs an employment contract with you and files an application with the Migration Directorate of the Ministry of Interior or its regional units. If you already hold a long-term residence permit in Bulgaria, you can file the application yourself, signed by the employer.
2. The Ministry sends the file to the Employment Agency, which issues a written opinion within 15 days on whether there are grounds for access to the labour market.
3. If you are outside Bulgaria, after a positive decision you apply for a long-stay type D visa. For Georgian citizens this is done at the Embassy of Bulgaria in Tbilisi.
4. The Ministry of Interior issues the single permit. It is valid for three years, or for the term of the employment contract if that is shorter.

The permit is tied to the specific employer, place of work, position and term. If you want to change employer, a new application is needed.

What is required of the employer

The job must be one that cannot be filled by a citizen of Bulgaria, the EU, the EEA or Switzerland. The employer must also show that in the previous 12 months third-country nationals made up no more than 20% of its average staff, or 35% for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Highly qualified specialists: the EU Blue Card

If you hold a higher education degree after at least three years of study and the gross salary in your contract is at least 1.5 times the Bulgarian average wage, you can apply for an EU Blue Card. In this case there is no labour market test and no limit on the number of foreign employees.

Seasonal work

For seasonal work of up to 90 days, the employer files a declaration and the work is registered with the Employment Agency. For seasonal work of more than 90 days and up to 9 months, the Ministry of Interior issues a seasonal worker permit. Seasonal work is possible in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and in hotels and restaurants. The employer provides suitable housing and covers travel to and from the workplace, mandatory health insurance and social security.

The agreement between Bulgaria and Georgia

The two countries have an agreement on the regulation of labour migration, in force since 5 November 2019. It provides for employment of up to one year, extendable to a total of three years, and seasonal work of up to nine months a year. Recruitment is carried out by the competent institutions; in Bulgaria this is the Employment Agency. A 2025 reply to the European Migration Network states that the agreement is in force but not applied in practice. Before relying on it, ask the Employment Agency.

Rights and next steps

Georgian citizens in employment have the same labour rights as local workers. After five years of legal residence you can apply for long-term residence, after which you no longer need a work permit.

Where to ask

The Employment Agency answers questions on +359 2 9265 466 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 to 12:00. Residence applications are filed with the Migration Directorate of the Ministry of Interior. For a type D visa, contact the Embassy of Bulgaria in Tbilisi.

This page is general information and does not replace advice from the competent authorities or a lawyer. The Consulate does not act as an intermediary in recruitment.