Immigration
Schengen since 2025 with a single-permit work route
Bulgaria became a full Schengen member on 1 January 2025 after joining for air and sea travel in March 2024. Third-country nationals apply under the Foreigners Act, and employment now runs through a single permit combining work and residence authorisation.
Key rules
- The single permit is applied for by the employer to the Employment Agency alongside migration.
- Long-stay type D visas are obtained abroad before applying for a residence card.
- Permanent residence normally requires five years of continuous lawful residence.
- EU Blue Card holders benefit from lower salary thresholds than in most member states.
Governing law
- Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act (1998)
- Labour Migration and Labour Mobility Act (2016)Single permit and Blue Card.
- Asylum and Refugees Act (2002)
In practice
Address registration with the migration directorate within the statutory days of arrival is easy to miss and is separately fineable, independent of the permit itself.