Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Over 108,000 workers from 64 non-EU countries have come to Bulgaria in 6 years

Photo: BTA

The import of manpower from non-EU countries is record high, but does not cover the needs of the business sector. Since the beginning of the year, 4,202 third-country nationals have been registered for seasonal employment alone. This is 40% of the registered seasonal employment for the entire year of 2024. The data was provided by the Minister of Social Affairs Borislav Gutsanov in response to a parliamentary question.

Over 108,000 foreigners from 65 countries have come to Bulgaria for work in 6 years. In total, 34,720 foreigners were employed in the country under the 9 admission regimes in 2024. 

The highest number - 13,131, used the single residence and work permit, which gives 3-year access to the Bulgarian labour market. In second place in popularity is the simplified procedure for seasonal employment of up to 90 days used for 2024 by 10,403 foreigners.

The largest number of workers are from Uzbekistan - 10,514 from 2019 to 2024, and they work mainly as seasonal workers, in construction and in the processing industry. 

In second place are workers from Turkiye - 10,441 people, as they come as seconded specialists, engineering and technical personnel, and middle-technical personnel, and work mainly in construction and as seasonal workers.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Georg Georgiev

The accusations by North Macedonia’s premier are crisis PR, says Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev

Bulgaria is a factor in the EU and the region that North Macedonia must take into account, Minister of Foreign Affairs Georg Georgiev said in an interview with bTV regarding the report of the European Parliament from which references to “Macedonian..

published on 7/10/25 11:41 AM

Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Romania express common position on agricultural imports into the EU

The ministers of agriculture of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Romania have signed a joint declaration concerning the agricultural aspects of the  amended trade agreement between the EU and Ukraine, the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture..

published on 7/10/25 11:14 AM

Bulgarian firefighters help extinguish a fire in North Macedonia

Bulgaria reacted swiftly to a forest fire near the town of Kriva Palanka, North Macedonia, which is located near the Bulgarian -North Macedonian border. The fire, which broke out on Wednesday afternoon, spread rapidly and threatened the town itself,..

published on 7/10/25 9:05 AM