Bulgaria is one of the most undeveloped countries in the European Union, which has certain problems in the economy. Despite this, life in the large cities of this country can be more pleasant and more preferable than in Russia. Due to the simplicity of the immigration process and excellent climate, a large number of Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians flock here. The unemployment rate in the country is quite high. In some cities it reaches 6%. Nevertheless, there are a number of areas where foreigners can easily find a suitable vacancy.
Labor market
On the one hand, the Bulgarian Government has a policy of employing local residents, recommending hiring them first. On the other hand, in some areas there is a large shortage of personnel, such as IT, Russian-speaking doctors and nurses, Russian-speaking realtors and salespeople. On the coast, in cities such as Varna, Burgas, Nessebar, Pomorie and some others, there is a huge demand for Russian-speaking personnel. The fact is that there is a large diaspora of our compatriots who do not speak Bulgarian. The demand for various services there is quite high.
Main ways for employment:
- Issue an invitation from a friend or relative who has a company in Bulgaria,
- Find a job and receive an invitation from any Bulgarian company,
- Contact the Labor Exchange
- Contact one of the local recruitment agencies,
- Open your own company and thus find yourself a job.
Residence permit in Bulgaria. Obtaining a residence permit in Bulgaria: Video
Every year the demand for specialists in the agricultural industry and personnel increases, and more and more job offers appear in Bulgaria for women - caring for the elderly, children, help around the house, cleaning.
In this case, the location of the employer (capital, large cities or province), as well as the personal qualifications of the employee, are of great importance. The highest wage levels are observed in Sofia, Stara Zagora, Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas.
If you can’t find suitable vacancies, you can open your own business; fortunately, the country’s authorities offer quite tempting conditions to visitors for this.
There are many job seekers trying to find work in the country illegally. This is a deliberately losing option, due to a serious increase in unemployment. Also, an employer who hires an illegal immigrant at his own risk may be fined.
Ukrainians and Russians are looking for vacancies in Bulgaria mainly in the fields of agriculture, tourism, and the service sector.
In the summer, hotels in beach resorts - Sunny Beach, Golden Sands, Nessebar, Pomorie and Sozopol - open the following vacancies in Bulgaria for Russians: waiter, receptionist, maid, assistant cook, bartender. In winter, we are recruiting hotel and restaurant personnel to work at the ski resorts of Pamporovo, Borovets and Bansko.
Popular in the tourism and agricultural sectors. The work is competitive and low paid. Local students are invited first, then foreigners.
The downside of working in Bulgaria is the difficulty in finding a well-paid job, but many specialists here receive not only a fixed salary, but also tips.
Applicants from other EU countries, as well as Russia and Ukraine, have the right to employment by choosing one of the following options:
- Receive an invitation from a business friend or relative;
- Receive an invitation from a company looking for a qualified specialist;
- Contact the labor exchange;
- Open your own business.
The employer posts the vacancy on the Labor Exchange and specialized resources. After 2 weeks, provides evidence of unfilled vacancies by Bulgarians to the State Employment Agency (SAE). It is customary to find high-paying vacancies in Bulgaria through friends and relatives. Therefore, they rarely appear on Internet resources. But you need to try. To do this, a carefully developed resume is posted on all well-known employment sites.
And finally, the most interesting thing is the restriction of travel abroad for debtors. It is the status of the debtor that is easiest to “forget” when getting ready for your next vacation abroad.
Where to find a job
It is easiest to find a job in large cities. If you want to live on the Black Sea coast, then these are Varna and Burgas. If you are eager to get into IT, then it is concentrated mainly in the capital Sofia. In addition, there are quite a lot of vacancies in the second largest city in the country, Plovdiv. When finding employment in the information technology field, the working language in the company may be English, and the staff itself may be made up of employees from different countries. In tourism and real estate sales, Russian will be useful to you.
The only thing I would like to warn you about is that, contrary to stereotypes, earnings in the tourism industry can be very small. Except in cases where you work for yourself. In this sense, much higher salaries await you in neighboring Turkey.
Popular places to look for work
Sunny Beach is the largest resort in Bulgaria, located in the east of the country near the Black Sea coast. There are 84 hotels in the city. Next door to Sunny Beach is Nessebar - a real open-air museum city with amphitheaters, ruins of fortress walls and ancient churches. Therefore, among seasonal workers, a guide is the most popular profession here.
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Golden Sands is the most popular destination for youth recreation. In addition to a dozen hotels, the resort has many nightclubs and bars, as well as a casino and the Aquapolis water park. At a typical hotel resort, you can expect to be employed as a cook, bartender, waiter, or maid. However, in Golden Sands it is possible to get a job as a DJ in a nightclub or as a croupier in a casino, which in itself is more interesting and pays better.
Albena is the best family holiday resort in the country, consisting of 43 hotels. Parks with carousels, amusement parks and water parks are great places to work as animators and children's counselors.
Independent search
Searching for a job on your own is no different from searching for a job in Russia. You go to one of the large Bulgarian sites with offers from employers, look for suitable options and send your resume to the contact details. It is worth noting that most online resources publish advertisements in Bulgarian. So, you may need to translate pages using an online translator.
A strong move could be a trip to Bulgaria on a tourist visa, so that you have the opportunity to immediately pass an interview and receive an official invitation from the employer.
Websites and media
The Internet is becoming a reliable assistant for foreigners looking for work in Bulgaria. You can find a suitable vacancy through the following web resources:
- Websites in Bulgarian - JobTiger.bg, Rabota.bg, ALO.bg.
- English-language portals - CareerJet, Learn4Good.
- Websites in Russian - 24RU.com, EuRabota, Work abroad.
In addition to the Internet, local media provide assistance with finding employment in Bulgaria. Current offers are published in large quantities in newspapers such as Trud, Dnevnik and 24 Hours.
Websites for finding suitable vacancies
| Internet resource | Language |
| www.careerjet.com | English |
| www.learn4good.com | English |
| www.jobs.bg | Bulgarian |
| www.zaplata.bg | Russian, English, Bulgarian |
| www.jobtiger.bg | English, Bulgarian |
| www.karieri.bg | English, Bulgarian |
| www.rabota.bg | Bulgarian |
| trud.bg | Bulgarian |
| www.24chasa.bg | Bulgarian |
| www.dnevnik.bg | Bulgarian |
Recruitment agencies
You should be careful with recruitment agencies, and before concluding an agreement to find suitable vacancies for you, you should carefully check the agency’s reputation and reviews about it. Often, foreign applicants may be asked to pay in advance for their services, which does not at all guarantee real employment.
Meanwhile, a good agency, as a rule, is aware of all the features of the local labor market, has access to recruiters from large companies, and will definitely not encourage you and chase you into idle interviews where you will obviously be rejected due to employment policies.
As for the fees for services, they can cost several hundred euros, or 25-50% of your first salary.
How to leave for work
A work visa is issued on the basis of an invitation from an employer from Bulgaria. That is, you need to find a company in advance that will enter into an employment contract with you. After this, the employer must issue a work permit for you. To do this, he prepares a package of documents and submits it to the local branch of the National Employment Agency. It includes:
- A copy of your foreign passport,
- A copy of a diploma confirming your professional qualifications,
- Three photographs.
As a rule, the National Employment Agency issues a work permit within a period not exceeding 15-30 days. After this, the employer sends it to the employee along with the employment contract. Based on these documents, the embassy issues the employee a work visa.
Work visa process
Working in Bulgaria for Ukrainians, as well as for Russians, in this case can only be associated with completely unpleasant activities. For example, an illegal applicant may be assigned to clean latrines.
Documents are issued within 30 days. The employer then sends the permit and contract to the job seeker, and the job seeker can apply for a work visa. Obtaining a visa may take up to 4 months. With a permit, a worker can stay in the country for 12 months.
Highly paid vacancies rarely appear, so competition for them is very high. Bulgarians are reluctant to take low-paid and hard jobs, so they are more accessible to migrant workers.
Documents are issued within 30 days. The employer then sends the permit and contract to the job seeker, and the job seeker can apply for a work visa. Obtaining a visa may take up to 4 months. With a permit, a worker can stay in the country for 12 months.
Due to the constant outflow of the working-age indigenous population to work in other EU countries, there is a shortage of highly qualified specialists in the republic. But difficulties with official employment stop many employers from hiring a foreigner for a vacancy.
At first glance, this method has many advantages. In fact, a person in need of work agrees to pay an advance fee for work with documents.
Staffing needs
Bulgaria needs a large number of programmers and other IT specialists, qualified doctors, realtors and sellers of various goods and services who speak Russian. The latter is due to the presence of a large number of our compatriots in the country, many of whom do not speak Bulgarian.
People with money can enter the construction market by participating in the construction of residential complexes on the coast. Simple working professions, as a rule, are covered by the Bulgarians themselves or the Roma.
In addition, the tourism sector is growing every year and does so by an average of 11%. This means that more and more employees are needed every year. Tourism in Bulgaria is year-round. In summer, it’s a holiday on the coast, in winter – at numerous ski resorts and year-round at balneological and spa resorts.
Advantages of doing business in Bulgaria
Every year the number of people wishing to find their own niche or buy a business in the country increases. This is explained by simple logic, because millions of tourists come to Bulgaria every year, who purposefully relax, enjoy their time and spend money. In recent years, the number of travelers has crossed the 12 million mark per year.
Emigration to Bulgaria for business by Russian-speaking citizens is explained by a number of advantages:
- Territorial proximity with Russia.
- Support for small and medium-sized businesses, provision of government grants and small tax collections.
- Bulgaria is part of the European Union, which opens up the possibility of exporting goods to other EU countries under a free trade agreement.
- Rapid development of the economy and assistance to businesses in their activities.
- There is a large flow of tourists who come on vacation and are ready to spend money.
The mentality of local and Russian residents is similar. People are also united by a common language environment. If desired, entrepreneurs can create a business aimed at their compatriots.
Local authorities do not interfere with opening a business in Bulgaria
Employment difficulties
Let's be honest, you can easily find a job here only in the IT sector in Sofia. In other cities and in other specialties, you will most likely have to look for personal contacts. The unemployment rate in the country exceeds 6% and priority in hiring is always given to locals. In addition, Bulgaria cannot boast of high European salaries. In many small towns, average salaries are at the level of 200-300 euros. In large cities, monthly incomes reach 450-600 euros.
The only advantage may be the general slowness of the Bulgarians. There are a lot of smoke breaks here, and the pace of activity is quite measured and not fast. The local population does not like to exert themselves and is the standard of productivity. The whole country lives quite leisurely and relaxed.
What personnel does the country need today?
However, Bulgaria has a shortage of certain specialists. So it’s worth studying the question: perhaps a Russian has exactly the education and experience that employers need. With fairly high unemployment, many companies cannot find some specialists. Perhaps because professionals often choose to move to other countries the first chance they get. Currently, we can talk about a shortage of engineers in Bulgaria. There is still a shortage of IT personnel.
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Salaries in Bulgaria
The official minimum wage in Bulgaria is 380 levs, which is about 14,000 rubles at the current exchange rate. In hourly terms – 1.8 euros per hour. Against this background, freelancers with remote income of 1000-3000 euros feel very good. By local standards, they can be considered wealthy people. By the way, an income of 1000 euros per month is enough to fully support a family of 4 people. If you live a little simpler, then a family of 3 people can live on 600 euros per month.
Average salaries by region
Average salaries by region of the country are shown in the table.
| Region | average salary |
| Northwestern (Vidin, Vratsa, Montana, Pleven) | 305 euros |
| Northeast (Varna) | 330 euros |
| North-central (Ruse, Gabrovo, Veliko Tarnovo) | 300 euros |
| Capital (Sofia) | 560 euros |
| South-Eastern (Burgas, Sliven, Yambol) | 302 euros |
| South-Western (Blagoevgrad, Pernik, Kyustendil) | 285 euros |
| South Central (Plovdiv, Smolyan, Haskovo) | 360 euros |
Income levels for various professions are presented in the table below.
| Profession | Salary |
| Chief Accountant | 530 euros |
| Truckers | 1500-2500 euros |
| Internet marketer, SMM specialist | 950-1150 euros |
| Technical Support Specialist | 500-1180 euros |
| Call center specialist | 850-1200 euros |
| Programmer | 1000-3000 euros |
| Financier | 850-900 euros |
| Insurance agent | 800-1000 euros |
| Doctor | 500-1000 euros |
| Nurse | 400-500 euros |
| Social worker | 450-480 euros |
| Worker in agriculture | 300-500 euros |
| Public transport driver | 430-450 euros |
| Loader | 250-300 euros |
| Live-in caregiver | 450-500 euros |
| Children's animator during the tourist season | 500-600 euros |
| Hotel manager | 800-2000 euros |
| Chef | 600-800 euros |
| Housemaid | 300-350 euros |
| Bartender | 400-500 euros |
| Waiter | 400 euros |
| Apartment cleaner | 18 euros / shift |
| Live-in nanny for a child | 450 euros |
General requirements for applicants
People who speak Bulgarian have the greatest chance of finding a job. The older generation in this country, as a rule, speaks Bulgarian and Russian, and the youth speaks Bulgarian and English.
With clear English you can only feel comfortable in large international and IT companies.
However, for a resident of Russia, learning the Bulgarian language is not a big problem. Courses lasting 3-4 months will help you communicate with local people. Bulgarian, Russian and Ukrainian languages are similar to each other.
Diploma confirmation
For some jobs, such as doctors, engineers, teachers and lawyers, you will need to certify your diploma and qualifications based on your local education system. This happens in several stages:
- Translation and legalization of your diploma.
- Bulgarian language exam for highly qualified specialists. Includes two sections: general and highly specialized, which is aimed at knowing the terminology in your profession. First of all, this is mandatory for medical workers.
- Transfer of all documents to NACID (National Center for Informatization and Documentation) for the nostrification procedure.
- Nostrification includes checking the authenticity of the document and checking the educational program completed with local ones. If the differences between the courses are not large, the diploma will be confirmed immediately. Otherwise, you may need to take a separate test to test your knowledge.
In-demand professions in major cities
According to research, in large cities of the country such as Sofia, Varna, Burgas and Plovdiv, the most popular professions are:
- System Administrator.
- Programmer.
- Teacher.
- Nanny for small children.
- Welder.
- Plumber.
- Housekeeper.
- Driver.
- Turner.
- Builder.
- Cook.
- Waiter.
- Bartender.
- Secretary-referent.
- Assistant manager.
- Document management specialists.
Vacancies related to the hotel and resort sector are mainly open in Varna and Burgas. IT specialties are mainly in Sofia. Manufacturing sector – Plovdiv and Sofia.
The most disadvantaged from the point of view of the local labor market are:
- Vidin.
- Kermen.
- Elhovo.
- Kula.
- Vidin.
What specialties are needed
The Bulgarian labor market is experiencing a shortage of both labor and qualified specialists. The most popular professions in Bulgaria are in the processing industry, agriculture, construction, IT, trade, restaurant and hotel services.
Many companies need highly qualified employees who have experience and specific skills, experience in the profession: engineers, trade managers, financiers, programmers, energy specialists. Social and medical workers, pharmacists are in demand.
In winter and summer, it is not a problem to find seasonal work for drivers, confectioners, and massage therapists.
In the summer, hotels in beach resorts - Sunny Beach, Golden Sands, Nessebar, Pomorie and Sozopol - open the following vacancies in Bulgaria for Russians: waiter, receptionist, maid, assistant cook, bartender. In winter, we are recruiting hotel and restaurant personnel to work at the ski resorts of Pamporovo, Borovets and Bansko.
During the off-season, there are traditionally many job offers in Sofia and other large cities of the country: Varna, Plovdiv, Burgas.
Students are offered participation in internship programs. A job in Bulgaria for the summer is suitable for them, for which they hire young people who want to simultaneously get an internship in hotels in Bulgaria, relax on the Black Sea coast and earn money. As a rule, travel agencies organize travel for participants in international internships.
Obtaining a work permit
Official employment is available to people who have a residence permit, citizenship, or work visa. A Bulgarian company will be able to employ foreign employees provided that there are no local employees available for the vacancy that is open to it. This fact must be confirmed by a request to the Bulgarian Ministry of Labor.
Typically, a permit is issued for 12 months with the possibility of further extension, provided that you have a valid employment contract at that time.
Persons in the country on a student or retirement visa are allowed to work no more than 20 hours per week.
What does the change in the minimum wage mean for a foreigner?
In order to correctly submit documents for a residence permit in Bulgaria, it is important for a foreigner to know the local minimum salary and pension.
Already in 2021, to extend the stay for 6 months, a foreign guest must have 2520 leva (minimum wage × 6) in his account. For an annual stay, 5040 levs must be in the bank (minimum wage × 12).
A foreign pensioner with an increase in the Bulgarian minimum pension to 161.38 levs needs to have 968.28 levs in his bank account (based on 6 months of residence), and 1936.56 (based on 12 months).
Visa for work in Bulgaria
To move to the country for the purpose of employment, you will need a long-term D-type visa, which is issued at the Bulgarian consulate. To receive it you need to submit the following documents:
- Application form.
- A certificate confirming knowledge of the Bulgarian language (if required by the profession).
- A passport valid for at least 18 months.
- Color photographs.
- Medical insurance with coverage of at least $35,000.
- Certificate of no criminal record issued by the police.
- A bank account statement showing sufficient funds for the first time in the country.
- Work permit.
- Employment contract.
- Information about the place of residence (real estate rental agreement, or confirmation of the ownership of housing).
The rental agreement will have to be concluded before departure. This can be done with the help of real estate agencies or with the help of any person for whom you issue a power of attorney, be it a private realtor or just your good friend. Often people have to start paying rent for real estate in advance, even before they actually move in. But, unfortunately, these are the requirements of immigration law. You must already have a contract at the time of submitting documents to the consulate.
Visa processing usually takes 1 month. After arriving in Bulgaria, within 3 months, you need to register at the local immigration office. 1.5-2 weeks after registration you will receive a residence permit (residence permit).
What is better: buy a ready-made business or create it yourself?
Experienced entrepreneurs are interested in the opportunity to buy a business in Bulgaria. This allows you to get a ready-made company, employees, and client base without much effort. The main thing is to choose the right company and analyze the financial results.
Ready-made businesses in Bulgaria are sold by people who urgently need money or do not have time to do it.
A new business always requires attention and large investments. Also, at the start, it is impossible to predict the profitability of future activities, the success of products, the correct choice of location, and much more. A person gets a unique experience and puts his soul into his work.
Returning to ready-made options, selling a business in Bulgaria is in demand due to the wide choice. An investor can evaluate potential profits, actual operational efficiency, and the quality of goods and services. The choice - to buy or create a business - depends on desire, amount of time and money.
Taxes
Taxes in Bulgaria are among the lowest in the European Union. Income tax is only 10%. The first $70 a month earned by an employee is not subject to taxation. For entrepreneurs and company founders, the tax-free threshold is $120 per month.
In addition to income tax, there are also a number of contributions for social security and health insurance.
| Social contributions | Employee rate | Employer rate |
| Pension Fund | 2,2% | 2,8% |
| Social Security | 7,94% | 10,36% |
| Health insurance | 3,2% | 4,8% |
Why is it worth living and working in Bulgaria?
Bulgaria's membership in the European Union has a positive effect on the state's economy. The development of the country is facilitated by reforms and the attraction of foreign investment, which affects the reduction of unemployment and an increase in living standards. Despite the obvious changes in the country, labor market analysis shows that working in Bulgaria for Russians in 2021 is not the most profitable way to earn money.
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Only holders of a specialty that is in demand in the country can count on a high income. Other categories of citizens should first compare the level of wages in their home country with the level of expected income in Bulgaria and only then decide to change their place of residence.
The advantages include a comfortable climate, proximity of cultures and languages. For young people, seasonal work in Bulgaria is an opportunity to gain experience, improve their knowledge of a foreign language, make interesting contacts, and immerse themselves in the culture of the country.
Thanks to the favorable investment climate, many international companies operate in the Republic of Belarus, including Russian firms. They mainly provide tourist services to Russian-speaking citizens: Ukrainians, Belarusians, Moldovans. Such companies most often offer work in Bulgaria for drivers, tour guides, and tour managers.
Among the main advantages of living and working in Bulgaria are low real estate prices and everyday expenses.
The country has relatively low tax rates. The income of a foreign citizen is subject to income tax at the rate of 10%.
Contributions to compulsory social, pension and health insurance are paid at the expense of the employee and the employer. The rates depend on the year of birth of the insured person, employment category and range from 16 to 35.5%:
- The standard rate is 20.5%, of which the employee pays 8.9% to the social (15.5%) and pension (5%) insurance fund, and the employer – 11.6%.
- Health insurance costs are 8%, where 3.2% is paid by the employee and 4.8% by the employer.
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