Working in Bulgaria

Working in Bulgaria means expats will have plenty of opportunities. Although the country’s economy has faced challenges in the past, it is now firmly secured in the EU, and recent years have seen moderate economic growth and a steady decline in unemployment.

Bulgaria’s primary industries include energy, mining, metallurgy, machine building, agriculture, and tourism, while finance and IT are growing sectors. Salaries in Bulgaria are among the lowest in the EU (average wages are around a quarter of the EU average), although lower living costs partially offset this difference. Expats may face competition in the job market, as companies often prioritise hiring Bulgarian graduates.

Expats from the EU or the EEA can work in Bulgaria without a work permit, but non-EU expats must secure a work permit before arriving in the country. Work permits are requested by an employer, who must justify their reasons for employing a foreigner over a Bulgarian.

Job market in Bulgaria

Expats seeking employment in Bulgaria will likely find the most opportunities in the urban centres of Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna, working within multinational companies and in the IT, finance, engineering, healthcare, and construction industries. Teaching English in Bulgaria is a strong opportunity for expats, and Bulgaria has had one of the fastest-growing demands for English teachers in Europe since joining the EU.

Those with multilingual proficiencies, specifically in key European languages such as English, French, and German, are in demand in Bulgaria and are more likely to find a job. One reason for this demand is that Bulgaria is a major IT outsourcing destination for many global companies, including Oracle, HP, IBM, CISCO, SAP, Uber, VMware, and Microsoft. Knowledge of Bulgarian will also help secure employment with a local company.

Finding a job in Bulgaria

Many expats move to Bulgaria with a pre-existing employment contract. Otherwise, multinational companies will post listings of job offerings on their websites. Expats can also seek assistance from the various English-speaking recruitment agencies in Bulgaria.

Numerous online job portals also list employment opportunities for expats in Bulgaria.

Useful links

• JOBS.BG, Zaplata.bg and Karieri are popular local job posting sites.
• International sites like LinkedIn and Jooble also list some jobs.

Work culture in Bulgaria

Fostering and maintaining relationships is a necessary part of Bulgarian work culture. Trust is essential in work environments. Relationships may form slowly, as Bulgarians tend to take their time getting to know new colleagues.

Although Bulgarians generally value directness and cooperation, they may also show deference to age and seniority. Otherwise, the work culture in Bulgaria is not overtly different from the work culture in other EU nations.

A notable cultural difference in Bulgaria is the reversed meaning of head shaking and nodding, which may be initially confusing for expats. A head shake means ‘yes’, and a nod indicates ‘no’. Expats should remember this when conducting business and in day-to-day life in Bulgaria.