Bulgaria is experiencing a severe labor shortage, primarily in the tourism industry, and requires a minimum of 50,000 international employees to meet seasonal demands.
As the nation prepares for the summer travel season, a shortage of workers is posing a risk of disruptions across the hospitality, construction, healthcare, and transportation sectors.
According to the Labour Ministry, the information shows that more than 36,000 work permits have already been issued in 2024 to international citizens from 79 nations.
The largest groups of employees have moved from Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and Nepal, primarily hired in logistics, tourism, and construction.
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Reasons Local Employees Are Not Sufficient
Professionals include the crisis in a mixture of aspects, which consists of a growing population, workforce emigration to Western Europe, and reduced local appeal in manual or seasonal employment.
- The condition is forcing Bulgarian employers to hire from overseas, with both low-skilled and high-skilled roles in demand.
- Regardless of the developing demand, firms acknowledge that the process of employing international employees remains bureaucratic and slow. It can take a period of six to nine months to complete employment due to outdated procedures, a lack of coordination between organizations, and staffing deficits.
These delays are particularly challenging for businesses that rely on seasonal workers, such as hotels, tour operators, and restaurants.
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International Employment Limits May Be Checked
Present rules limit the number of international employees a firm can employ to 20% of the workforce for large companies and 35% for small and medium-sized businesses.
Hence, officials state that these caps may be rechecked as the government investigates methods to simplify labor openings.
Work Permit Choices For International Employees
Bulgaria provides so many work permit classifications for non-EU citizens:
EU Blue Card: Highly skilled experts in industries such as Information Technology, healthcare, and engineering require an employment offer with a minimum income of 1.5 times the national average and a valid contract for a minimum of four years.
General work permit: This is ideal for positions across various industries, including production and services. Requests are required to be presented by employers, are authentic for 12 months, and can be renewed.
Seasonal work visa: Permits jobs in tourism, agriculture, or hospitality for nine months.
Intra-corporate transfer (ICT): Allows non-EU workers of multinational companies to operate short term in Bulgaria without modifying their employer.
Bulgaria’s labor market is becoming increasingly reliant on foreign employees to fill principal vacancies as demand for international skills increases.
While the request procedure may be slow, potential migrants are suggested to begin preparations on time to get positions that align with their skills.
