Bulgaria: Short-Term Work Authorization No Longer an Option for Some Short-Term Assignments
March 31, 2023
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At a Glance
- Companies from a single corporate group that seek to send a foreign national to Bulgaria under a service agreement must now apply for a long-term work authorization, even for short-term assignments, according to a change in policy.
- Long-term work authorization programs in Bulgaria can take up to nine months from the start of the process until the start date, which will cause start date delays.
The situation
The Bulgarian Employment Agency has confirmed that the Short-Term Work Authorization process is no longer an option for companies in one corporate group sending foreign nationals to work in Bulgaria based on a service agreement.
A closer look
As an example, an entity in India with a corporate relationship to an entity in Bulgaria can no longer send foreign nationals to Bulgaria for a short-term assignment under a Short-Term Work Authorization. This process is now only available to companies sending foreign nationals to Bulgaria that do not have corporate affiliations with the Bulgarian entity.
Impact
Companies from a single corporate group that seek to send a foreign national to Bulgaria under a service agreement must apply for a long-term work authorization, even for short-term assignments. The following most common options are available, but take up to nine months to process (including document procurement, translation and legalization):
- Intracompany transferee permit;
- EU Blue Card; and
- Unified Work and Residence Permit.
Background
Though no official background has been provided, if history is an indicator, these changes would be due to an overall revision of the current practices in the Employment Agency.
Looking ahead
If the current patterns continue, we can expect other changes in Bulgaria, such as new requirements to drafts (e.g. employment agreements), new requirements regarding documentary proof in a procedure (e.g. new clarification of what constitutes valid proof of a given statement within a procedure), among other changes. We will monitor and report on related developments.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
