Single Residence and Work Permit

Published On: 02/12/2021

The Single Residence and Work Permit constitutes a combined work and residence permit issued for a period up to 3 years to Non-EU nationals who have been invited to work for a Bulgarian employer.

The process for obtaining a Single Residence and Work Permit could be divided into five main steps.

  1. Submission of an application at the Migration Directorate

This step can be completed by:

  • the future employer of the Non-EU national or by a person authorised by him/her; or
  • the Non-EU national – if he/she has a long-term residence permit in Bulgaria.

The documents are submitted in the district administration of the Migration Directorate in Bulgaria. The list of documents to be presented includes among other standard documents also:

  • Medical insurance;
  • Criminal record certificate;
  • Documents of education, specialty, legal capacity, professional qualification and experience of the Non-EU national which should be translated in Bulgarian language and legalized.
  1. Permission by the Employment Agency

Permission by the Employment Agency is granted provided the following main conditions are met:

  • The conditions of work and remuneration offered are not less favourable than those for Bulgarian nationals in the relevant category of work;
  • The Non-EU national possesses specialised knowledge, skills and professional experience necessary for the respective position. These skills are evidenced with official document (diplomas, certificates and other documents) which should be translated in Bulgarian language and legalized.
  • The total number of third-country nationals with long-term residence permits working for the local employer in the previous 12 months does not exceed 20 percent of the average number of employees, and for small and medium enterprises – 35 per cent.

The Employment Agency reviews the submitted documents and sends electronically to the Migration Directorate a written statement within 15 days of receipt of the application by the Employment Agency.

  1. Positive statement

The Migration Directorate sends a notice electronically to: 1) the future employer of the Non-EU national or to the person authorised by him/her or 2) to the foreign national (depending on who submitted the application to the Migration Directorate) within 3 days of receipt of the positive statement of the Employment Agency.

  1. Visa D

Once the permission is granted the Non-EU national should apply for Visa D at the Bulgarian embassy in his/her place of residence. Visa D is issued within 35 business days following the submission of the documents.

  1. Application before the Migration Directorate

Within 14 days after his/her entry, the foreign national shall appear in person at the Migration Directorate and attach to the application a copy of his/her passport, containing the page with the Visa D and a compulsory medical insurance valid on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria for the entire period of stay.

The Single Residence and Work Permit is issued within 3 days of the submission of the copy of passport and the medical insurance by the foreigner.

 

For more information or legal advice and assistance, please use the contact form or reach out to us at pberg@berglaw.eu

 

Polina Berg
Dafina Chobanova

 

 

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