How migrants can find suitable work in Bulgaria

Why is it worth living and working in the Republic of Belarus?

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.

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.

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.

What you need to know and be able to do to get a job in Bulgaria

If the goal is to leave for a season, then work in Bulgaria without knowledge of the language is offered to dishwashers, laborers, and maids. Qualified specialists need knowledge of the Bulgarian language. During your work life you will have to come into contact with local residents.

Knowledge of English is an additional advantage, but it can only be limited to people planning to work in an international company.

If you are interested in working in Bulgaria as a doctor or teacher, then according to Bulgarian legislation, these specialties will require confirmation of a diploma.

Before agreeing to a seasonal job, it is necessary to clarify the conditions of stay: employers offer free food, accommodation, transfer to the workplace, but in fact a certain amount is deducted from the salary for these services.

According to the labor legislation of the Republic of Belarus, the standard working day in the country is 8 hours, the working week is 40 hours. Many employers offer just such a schedule, but depending on the specifics of the work, the conditions may vary (6 days a week, 10-12 hours a day).

Employment options in Bulgaria

If you have a special education with high qualifications, which is confirmed by documentation, and knowledge of English and Bulgarian, you can find a place with a good salary.

There is also work in Bulgaria without knowing the language. It is worth noting the following vacancies:

· cleaners;

· maids;

· call center employees who speak Russian;

· nurses;

· general workers and loaders;

· agricultural workers.

Earnings per month vary from a certain region to 250-350 euros.

You can also get a seasonal job in the agricultural or tourism sector. This type of work does not pay well. Students and visitors are invited to attend.

The following vacancies are offered:

· harvesting and processing;

· workers to work on the farm;

· counselors for children's camps.

You can get a job as a cook or animator. To do this you will need knowledge of Bulgarian at a conversational level. Legal work is offered to caregivers, waiters, construction workers, promoters, nannies, construction workers and restaurant and hotel administrators. In this case, the salary in Bulgaria is from 250 to 400 euros.

Employment methods

One way for a Russian citizen to find a job in Bulgaria is to turn to friends or acquaintances who live in the country for help. If there are no connections, it is advisable to come to the country on a tourist visa. Local residents will help you figure out which area your knowledge and skills will be useful in.

You should start your independent job search by studying the information on the website of the National Employment Agency of Bulgaria. You can see current vacancies on the web portal.

It is worth paying attention to the following job search sites in Bulgaria:

• Jobs.bg
• JobTiger.bg
• Zaplata.bg
• Karieri.bg
• Rabota.bg.

These are web resources in the Bulgarian language; the search for vacancies is carried out by category, region, type of employment.

• You can find a job on international Russian-language sites 24RU.com, EuRabota, Jooble.
• Social networks Facebook and Instagram help in finding a job.
• You can establish business contacts and find employment through the social network LinkedIn.
• You can find an internship in the field of tourism on the website Learn4good.com; the Goabroad.com resource has a lot of information on internships and volunteering in different countries of the world.

BULGARIA IS READY TO RESTORE ISSUING VISAS TO RUSSIA

Bulgarian consular services are ready to resume visa procedures in Russia.

“The Bulgarian side reported that, with a high degree of probability, the rules for issuing visas to Russians and the required set of documents will remain unchanged, the work of the Consulate in 2021 will be carried out in the same way as it was in 2021,” the general director told Vestnik ATOR TEZ TOUR Voskan Arzumanov.

According to him, tour operators were informed that tourists will be able to obtain a Bulgarian visa with a minimum set of documents, so simplification of the conditions for entry into Bulgaria is not expected in the near future.

According to representatives of ANEX Tour, the information meeting with tour operators held at the Bulgarian Embassy shows the high interest of the Bulgarian authorities in restoring tourism ties with Russia.

“We are glad that a face-to-face meeting took place in Moscow; we can assume that this is a good prerequisite for the possible resumption of work in the Bulgarian direction in the future and the readiness of the Bulgarian side to enter into contact and dialogue with business,” commented ANEX Tour.

The Bulgarian-Russian dialogue in the field of tourism will definitely continue: on May 19, the online forum “Bulgaria – Russia” will be held, in which representatives of the tourism industry of the two countries will take part.

Required documents

Foreigners who have issued a temporary residence permit cannot work for hire, but can run their own business.

A foreign citizen who has received the status of permanent resident (PR) or long-term resident (LTR) has the right to officially get a job in Bulgaria without a special permit. In order to work for hire, you must obtain a work permit. This document will be required when applying for a long-term visa (type D), which allows you to stay in Bulgaria for a long time.

To obtain a work permit, you need to find a vacancy. Then you can consult with your employer on how to obtain a work permit in Bulgaria.

Legal registration of a foreigner is possible after obtaining permission from the National Employment Agency. You will need the following documents:

• statement;
• justification in which the employer must analyze the labor market and explain why a foreigner is hired rather than a Bulgarian specialist;
• international passport (copies of pages);
• documents on the education of a foreign specialist, translated into Bulgarian and notarized;
• a copy of the employment contract concluded in accordance with Bulgarian legislation;
• documents allowing you to engage in certain types of activities on the territory of the Republic of Belarus (licenses, certificates).

Within 20 days from the date of submission of the application, a decision is made to issue a permit. A permit is issued for a period of up to one year or for the period of validity of an employment contract (up to a year), and can be extended for a period of up to three years.

After the employer receives permission to employ a foreigner, a work visa to Bulgaria (category D) is issued.

The official website of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in the Russian Federation contains a list of documents required to obtain this type of visa. You need to provide:

• foreign passport, preferably biometric (valid for at least 18 months from the date of submission);
• visa application form;
• color photograph (1 pc.);
• a document confirming that the foreigner will be provided with housing in Bulgaria (apartment rental agreement, certificate of ownership of real estate);
• medical insurance (valid for at least 6 months);
• certificate of good conduct;
• work permit issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy of the Republic of Belarus;
• employment contract.

How to go to work in Bulgaria

Foreigners who are not citizens of an EU country or Switzerland are in most cases required to obtain a work permit in Bulgaria. However, there are exceptions.

Who does not need a work permit in Bulgaria?

• persons who already have a long-term residence permit or are permanently residing in Bulgaria;
• employees or representatives of foreign companies operating on Bulgarian territory;
• non-contract members of the boards of directors of Bulgarian companies;
• refugees and persons who arrived in Bulgaria for humanitarian or political reasons;
• family members of European and Bulgarian citizens (EU countries, Switzerland, SES members) or long-term residents of Bulgaria.

In other cases, a foreign specialist must first find a vacancy in Bulgaria and obtain a work permit. To do this, the potential employer contacts the local branch of the National Employment Agency of Bulgaria with a corresponding application and a list of approved documents. A foreign worker is required to:

• a copy of a foreign passport;
• three color photographs;
• diplomas confirming the level of education and other documents indicating skills and professional experience. Studying at one of the universities in Bulgaria will be a big plus.

The remaining information is prepared by the employer; in particular, a convincing reason is required why the vacancy is being offered to an employee from abroad. As a rule, this means a lack of necessary specialists in the local labor market. The decision to grant a work permit in Bulgaria is made within 1 month from the date of submission of the application. After this, the applicant applies for a work visa at the Bulgarian Consulate in his country.

Typically, a work permit is issued for a period of no more than 1 year with the right of extension and provides for employment in a specific company and field of activity. No later than 3 months after arrival, a residence permit in Bulgaria is issued.

It is not difficult to guess that Bulgarian companies should be extremely interested in the services of a foreign worker, and for this they need to have specific skills and experience that local specialists do not possess. Or the vacancy implies hard physical labor or menial work, which Bulgarians and Europeans simply do not agree to.

How much do Bulgarians earn?

From January 2021, the minimum wage in Bulgaria is 560 levs (approximately 270 euros), that is, the employer has no right to pay less.

The average salary level depends on the field of activity and region. In cities with high economic activity (Sofia, Varna, Burgas, Stara Zagora), the average salary ranges from 460 to 770 euros.

By type of economic activity as of the end of 2019, the salary amounts are as follows:

• information technology – 1360 euros;
• financial and insurance activities – 928 euros;
• culture, education, medicine – 530 euros;
• agriculture – 475 euros;
• construction – 450 euros;
• hotels, restaurants – 360 euros.

Conducting business activities

On equal terms with Bulgarian businessmen, any foreigner has the right to organize his own business in the country. When deciding how to open a business in Bulgaria, you must take into account that for this you need to obtain a work visa. In order to be issued a visa, a Russian citizen must employ at least 10 Bulgarian citizens in his enterprise.

Registering a company in the republic takes approximately two weeks. The procedure consists of the following stages: choosing a company name, holding a constituent meeting, depositing authorized capital into a bank account, registering the enterprise in the commercial register of the National Trade Agency, submitting documents to the tax service.

Detailed information on how to invest in the country's economy is available on the official website of the Bulgarian Investment Agency (BAI). It is advisable to use the services of local lawyers and accountants.

Job Search Methods

When you think about moving, you wonder what it's like to live in a new place. Therefore, the topic of how to find work in Bulgaria is very popular. However, another country has its own characteristics. There are several ways to find a job.

On one's own

You can follow the proven path and try to solve everything yourself. That is, you can actually use the same methods as in your home country:

• act through friends;
• to look at vacancies;
• Biographical data of famous search engines.

If you have friends or relatives in Bulgaria, then, of course, you should ask them for help. Because it is much easier to act at the local level. And it is quite possible that someone close to you will help you find a suitable job. Be sure to look at the websites where companies post their offers. Many responsible employers use the Internet to find new employees. Why not take advantage of this opportunity?

However, it should be noted right away that online jobs remain short-lived. And specialists are often sought locally: Practical experience shows that about 50% of jobs are created without much effort for employers. They prefer to close the circle rather than offer jobs to Russian and other migrants. However, the likelihood that a job will be found through a personal resume should not be rejected. There are many proven job portals.

And employers come here in search of professionals.

With the help of an agency

Sometimes people prefer to act through intermediaries. There are companies that specialize in personnel selection and job search. And this is also a good option. However, you should only apply here if you have documents that allow you to work in Bulgaria. You must also pay for paperwork when you apply. If a vacancy is found, if you successfully find a job, 25% of your first salary must be paid to the agency.