EU Blue Card in Bulgaria
One documented route of this kind in Bulgaria, with its conditions, documents, official government fees and process.
EU Blue Card (highly qualified employment)
The EU Blue Card lets highly qualified non-EU professionals work in Bulgaria; no labour market test applies and the salary threshold is among the lowest in the EU.
- Processing time
- Maximum 3 months (express options of 10 or 3 working days available for a fee)
- Validity
- Up to 5 years (minimum 24 months; or contract duration + 3 months)
- Language requirement
- No language requirement for the Blue Card; Bulgarian required for later naturalisation
- Permanent residence
- Long-term residence after 5 years (Blue Card periods in EU states can count)
- Citizenship
- Naturalisation generally after 5 years of permanent/long-term residence
Requirements
- Work contract of at least 6 months for highly qualified employment
- Gross salary at least 1.5x the Bulgarian average (min ~2,609 BGN/month)
- Higher education qualification (min 3 years) or, for listed jobs, equivalent professional experience
- Valid travel document
- Health insurance
- Clean criminal record
- Secured accommodation
Required Documents
- Valid passport / travel document required
- Employment contract (minimum 6 months) meeting salary threshold required
- Higher education diploma or proof of qualifying professional experience required
- Health/sickness insurance required
- Criminal record certificate required
- Proof of accommodation required
Official fees
- Initial issuance fee 110 BGN
- Express service (10 working days) 45 EUR
- Express service (3 working days) 112 EUR
Process Steps
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1
Secure a qualifying job offer
Obtain a contract of at least 6 months meeting the salary threshold for highly qualified work.
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2
Apply for the Blue Card
Employer/employee submits the Blue Card application; no labour market test required.
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3
Type D visa and entry
Obtain a Type D visa, enter Bulgaria, and collect the Blue Card residence document from the Migration Directorate.