Bulgaria’s government eases labour market access for seasonal workers from non-EU countries

Bulgaria’s government approved on July 15 amendments to Labour Migration and Labour Mobility Act regulations, the main goal of which is to optimise the procedures for access to the Bulgarian labour market for seasonal workers from third countries for a period of up to 90 days, the government information service said.

The amendments provide for the deadline for registration for seasonal employment to be reduced from 10 to three working days.

The accelerated procedure will apply to workers who have performed such work in Bulgaria at least once in the past five years, the statement said.

The new regulations provide that when applying for access to the labour market, a third-country (meaning non-EU) national will no longer be required to submit copies of personal documents.

The changes will decentralise the process of registering seasonal workers.

It is planned that employers will be able to submit declarations for registration of their employment at labour offices throughout the country, which will significantly speed up the procedure, the statement said.

The changes bring Bulgaria’s national legislation into line with the requirements of European law and with a 2024 EU directive on seasonal employment.

(Photo: vacacionesbulgaria.com)