Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a country of 6.4 million people with an employment rate above the EU average: 77.0% of people aged 20–64 have a job (EU: 76.1%).

Unemployment is low and falling: from 4.2% in 2022 to 3.5% in 2025, well below the EU average of 6.0%. Youth unemployment has gone up – from 10.6% in 2022 to 13.1% among people aged 15–24 in 2025 – but it is still below the EU average of 15.2%.

As an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen you do not need a work permit. Since 1 January 2026 Bulgaria uses the euro (€1 = 1.95583 lev) – useful to know when you read older pay figures in leva. For most jobs you need Bulgarian.

The latest EU-wide overview of shortages – the EURES report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025 (European Labour Authority, June 2026) – lists for Bulgaria more than 100 occupations, including:

• health and care – nurses, midwives, dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, speech therapists, health care assistants,
• IT – software developers, applications programmers, systems analysts and administrators, database designers, ICT technicians and service managers,
• engineering – civil, mechanical, electrical, electronics, chemical and industrial engineers and engineering technicians,
• education – primary, secondary and vocational school teachers,
• skilled trades – bricklayers, electricians, carpenters, plumbers, roofers, sheet metal workers, welders,
• transport and hospitality – bus, tram and heavy truck drivers; cooks, waiters, bartenders, bakers, kitchen helpers.

For graduates, the list points to IT, engineering, health and teaching. Accountants and sales representatives are also in demand.

The public employment service is the Employment Agency (Агенция по заетостта) with 106 local job centres (labour offices) across Bulgaria. Its job mediation, information and advice are free for registered jobseekers. Start here:

• your local labour office – as an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen you can register in person, electronically or by post, with your ID, an application form and an address certificate from the Migration Directorate,
• EURES – the EU job portal; Bulgarian EURES advisers also speak English, German, Spanish or French,
• company websites and job portals – many employers advertise online.

Applications are usually sent with a Europass CV and a short cover letter.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

A Bulgarian application usually contains:

• a CV – the Europass CV format is recommended,
• a short cover letter – employers usually ask for one,
• references from previous employers,
• documents on your education – translated into Bulgarian and authenticated.

Write in Bulgarian unless the ad says otherwise – most employers expect it.

Diplomas: a foreign diploma must be authenticated in the country that issued it and come with a legal Bulgarian translation – the same applies to professional licences. The Bulgarian ENIC-NARIC centre NACID recognises foreign higher-education degrees and keeps the list of regulated professions in Bulgaria.

• Minimum wage: €620 a month (Eurostat, July 2026). It is set by the Council of Ministers.
• Working time: normally 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week (5 days). The employer can extend it by written order to up to 10 hours a day and 48 hours a week – for no more than 20 days in a row and 60 days a year.
• Rest: at least 12 hours between working days, 48 hours of weekly rest and a break of at least 30 minutes. Night work (10 pm – 6 am): at most 7 hours a night.
• Overtime is paid with at least 50% extra on working days, 75% on days off and 100% on public holidays.
• Holidays: at least 20 days of paid leave a year – you can take it after 4 months of work.
• Contract: must be in writing and signed before you start. Within 3 days the employer notifies the National Revenue Agency and gives you a copy of the signed contract and of the notification. A probation period can last up to six months.

Students from the EU/EEA can work in Bulgaria on the same terms as Bulgarians – part-time or in holiday jobs under a normal employment contract.

• Traineeship (стажуване): for people up to 29 who have finished secondary or higher education and have no work experience. It lasts 6 to 12 months, you work with a mentor, your pay cannot be lower than the minimum wage and the time counts as length of service.
• Internships in the public administration: unpaid, 10 to 45 working days, for Bulgarian and foreign students at Bulgarian universities.
• Youth Employment+: an Employment Agency programme with 12-month jobs in public administrations for young people up to 29.

Students from outside the EU can work without a work permit for 20 hours a week during the academic year and during official holidays.

Thinking of studying there first? See Studying in Bulgaria – practical information.

1. Long-term residence certificate: if you stay longer than 3 months, apply to the Migration Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior (your local migration office). The documents depend on your situation – employed, self-employed, student and so on.
2. Personal number of a foreigner (ЛНЧ, LNCh): issued by the Migration Directorate. You need it to register with a family doctor.
3. Health insurance: the public system is run by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). Choose a GP (личен лекар) – this can also be done online. Get your European Health Insurance Card before you leave home.
4. Tax: income tax is a flat 10% of taxable income (after compulsory social contributions). Your employer deducts tax and contributions from your salary and pays them to the National Revenue Agency.
5. Your contract: keep the copy of the notification to the National Revenue Agency – it proves you are registered.

Problems with your rights as an EU worker? Your Europe Advice and SOLVIT help for free.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need permission to work in Bulgaria. The main routes:

• Graduates of Bulgarian universities can look for and start work within 9 months after finishing their studies – register with the Employment Agency within 7 working days. For a permanent job after that, you need a work permit like other non-EU citizens.
• EU Blue Card – for graduates of at least 3-year programmes whose gross salary is at least 1.5 times the average salary in Bulgaria. The employer gets approval from the Employment Agency (after a labour market test), you apply for a type D visa, and the Migration Directorate issues the card.
• Seasonal workers – a seasonal work visa for fixed-term seasonal jobs.

The conditions are explained by the Employment Agency, e.g. for the EU Blue Card (in Bulgarian), and by the Migration Directorate.

• Eurostat – population on 1 January, unemployment by age, employment rate (data for 2025 and 2026),
• EURES – Living and working conditions: Bulgaria,
• European Labour Authority – EURES report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025,
• European Commission – Bulgaria and the euro,
• Employment Agency – EU Blue Card,
• Ministry of the Interior – Migration Directorate, EU citizens,
• NACID – recognition of foreign diplomas,
• NHIF – National Health Insurance Fund,
• EU Immigration Portal – students in Bulgaria, highly qualified workers,
• Your Europe – working abroad.

Updated: October 2026.