Bulgaria - Highly-qualified worker - European Commission

Where and how to apply

	You must first obtain an approval for the issuance of an EU Blue Card. Before your arrival, your employer must apply for an approval for the issuance of an EU Blue Card at the central administration of the Employment Agency. He must prove that the Gross wage specified in your contract is at least 1.5 times higher than the average salary in Bulgaria, according to available data for the last 12 months before the conclusion of the employment contract. In order to get the approval, you should possess the necessary competence for the job – higher education attested by a diploma, certificate or other document issued by a competent authority after training lasting at least three years conducted by an educational institution recognized as a higher school in the country. The approval is given, after application of the labour market test, by the Employment Agency directly to the Migration Directorate of MoI and the employer is being informed. For the issuance of the EU Blue Card no Labour market test is needed. Visa "type D" Once the approval for an EU Blue Card has been given, you should apply for a visa "type D" at the Bulgarian embassy or consulate in your home country. The visa gives you the right to enter Bulgaria. Blue Card Once you have arrived in Bulgaria with your valid visa (in case you need a visa to enter the country), you must also obtain the EU Blue Card itself from the Migration Directorate in seven days. You may also come to Bulgaria as a highly-qualified worker if you have lived in another EU country for at least 18 months as an EU Blue Card holder. You must apply for a Blue Card in Bulgaria at the Migration Directorate within one month of your arrival. Your EU Blue Card gives you the right to reside and exercise highly-qualified employment at the given employer’s enterprise in Bulgaria.
Documents required	To obtain an EU Blue Card you must complete the application form, which is given by the Migration directorate, show a copy of your valid travel document (visa, if necessary) and have a valid medical insurance.
Duration of validity of the Blue Card	The EU Blue Card is valid for the duration of the work contract plus 3 months but not more than four years, and is renewable if there are grounds for its reissue.
Further requirements	After you arrive in Bulgaria, you have five days to notify your address of residence to the competent authorities.
Appeals	Decisions related to EU Blue Cards can be challenged before local administrative courts.
Further information	More on visas

Change of employment

	You can change your highly-qualified employment, but the new job must be in line with your qualifications. During the first two years, you, as a holder of an EU Blue Card, can only change your employer with the written permission of the Employment Agency. After expiry of the EU Blue card and if the period of maximum 4 years has not expired you have the right to seek and start new work and to use intermediation employment services for a period of 3 months, if you submit an application for registration to the Employment Agency within 7 business days.
Unemployment	Your EU Blue Card will not be revoked if you become unemployed unless the period of unemployment is longer than three months or there are more than two periods of unemployment during the validity of your EU Blue Card.
Family reunification	As an EU Blue Card holder in Bulgaria, you can bring your family members to join you. This can happen anytime during the validity period of your EU Blue Card. Your family members include your spouse, unmarried children under 18 years (including adopted children) and your spouse’s children. Children who are over 18 years of age may join you if they are financially dependent on you due to medical reasons. If you are an EU Blue Card holder from another EU country and you move to Bulgaria to take up highly-qualified work, your family members may also join you in Bulgaria. Your family must have already been formed in the other EU country.
Change of status	As an EU Blue Card holder, you can only change status by obtaining long-term or permanent residence.
Long-term residence	You will be eligible for long-term resident status after five years of legal and continuous residence in the EU as an EU Blue Card holder. This five-year period will not be interrupted by periods of absence from the EU to work or study in your home country if these periods are shorter than 12 consecutive months and do not exceed a total of 18 months over the five-year period. Applications for long-term residence must be submitted to the Migration Directorate of the Ministry of Interior. The duration of your long-term residence permit will depend on the validity of the national passport with which you have entered Bulgaria. Once you are a long-term resident, you will not need a work permit to work and will have equal access to health insurance and social security.