From January 1 to March 10, the Bulgarian Employment Agency processed more than 7,000 applications from non-EU citizens seeking to work in the country. This data comes from a written response by the Minister of Social Affairs, Borislav Gutsanov, following an inquiry by Denitsa Sacheva, chairwoman of the parliamentary Social Committee.
The peak processing phase coincides with the lead-up to the summer tourist season, making timely processing of seasonal work applications essential. Currently, there is no room for delays in processing such requests.
So far, employers have submitted over 560 declarations, and more than 4,200 seasonal jobs for citizens from third countries have been registered. However, some applications face rejection due to business obligations to the state budget, though once the dues are cleared, the procedures can continue.
Gutsanov’s response highlighted that, over the past six years, the Employment Agency has granted permits for more than 108,000 workers and specialists from 65 countries to enter the Bulgarian labor market. He pointed out that applicants are primarily concentrated in sectors such as hotels and restaurants, construction, processing industries, information and communication technologies, and transport.