The terms and conditions for access to the labour market are laid down in Chapter Two “Labour Migration from Third Countries”, Section I “General Provisions”, and Section II “Unified Residence and Work Permit” of the Labour Migration and Labour Mobility Act.
In order to work on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria it is necessary for a third- country national:
- to have an employment contract with a local employer, or
- to be seconded or posted within the framework of provision of services on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, or
- to be relocated through an intra-corporate transfer, or
- to carry out activity as a freelancer.
When applying for initial access to the labour market, the foreign national must reside outside the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.
The employer must conduct a preliminary labour market survey (the so-called “market test”).
The duration of the authorized access to the labour market is for the same duration as that of the contract with the local employer, but for no more than 12 months and can be extended for up to three years.