The EU Blue Card in Bulgaria: who qualifies and how the procedure runs

Highly qualified specialists from third countries have few better options in the European Union than the EU Blue Card, a combined residence and work permit. It skips the labour market test that the standard single permit requires, so no employer has to demonstrate a search among Bulgarian or EU nationals. Validity can reach five years.

The Blue Card regime rests on the Law on Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria. The Migration Directorate handles the procedure, with the Employment Agency's approval. Required are a contract of employment lasting at least 24 months and a gross monthly salary no lower than 1.5 times the national average. Below you will find the full eligibility requirements, the documents, the procedural stages and the rights attached to the Blue Card.

What the Blue Card offers beyond the single permit

• Where the single permit limits foreign staff numbers, the Blue Card does not: foreign employees may exceed 35% of the workforce.
• The employer faces no labour market test: hiring the third-country specialist does not depend on first proving a search for a suitable local candidate.
• Mobility between employers: the holder who has lived lawfully in Bulgaria for 12 months can change jobs under a simplified procedure.
• Family reunification: relatives are given a residence permit for as long as the Blue Card lasts.

Eligibility

Eligibility for an EU Blue Card extends to a national of a non-EU country who:

• are able to produce a diploma of higher education, or evidence of five years of professional experience at an equivalent level;
• have already signed an employment contract, or hold a firm job offer, for work in Bulgaria over a term of at least 24 months;
• are going to be paid a gross salary that reaches 1.5 times the national average gross salary or exceeds it.

The procedure

Stage 1 — labour market access permit. To start, the employer submits the documents to the Migration Directorate. From there they go to the Employment Agency and to DANS (State Agency for National Security), each asked for an opinion. Once both opinions are positive, a labour market access permit is granted to the applicant.

Stage 2 — Visa D. Using the permit just issued, the applicant sits an interview at a Bulgarian consulate and, if successful, is given a type D visa.

Stage 3 — EU Blue Card. Once in Bulgaria, the applicant completes the procedure with the Migration Directorate, which grants a residence and work permit of type "EU Blue Card" inside three working days.

Our role

Our team prepares the documents for the employer and for the applicant, gives advice on salary thresholds and qualification requirements, and takes care of all contact with the authorities concerned. Get in touch and we will assess your specific case.

Further reading

• Hiring a non-EU employee in Bulgaria: the single residence and work permit explained
• Which Bulgarian residence permit fits your situation? An overview of the legal routes

Practice cases

• Appeal of Art. 24i FRIA residence permit refusal — won at AASC and SAC
• Type D visa refusal from Istanbul consulate annulled
• See all cases from practice →