Bulgaria moves to ease hiring of foreign workers in tourism sector

Sofia: Regulatory adjustments aimed at easing the employment of third-country nationals in Bulgaria’s tourism industry were discussed during a meeting of the parliamentary Tourism Committee held in Sozopol. The changes, still in the draft phase, are expected to respond to ongoing concerns from employers about bureaucratic barriers, particularly during peak tourist seasons.Traditional Bulgarian products

Deputy Prime Minister Grozdan Karadjov announced that the government intends to raise the quotas for seasonal employment of foreign workers. Another focus is to simplify the process for obtaining work permits and to reduce the number of rejections, which industry representatives say are too frequent and often unjustified. A working group is currently preparing legislative amendments that will be presented to Parliament for a vote.

Karadjov emphasized that the current rules impose an unnecessary burden on repeat workers. “If someone is returning to the same employer within a 180-day period, we should simplify the process. There’s no need to require renewed criminal background checks if those were already conducted,” he explained. He also noted that businesses often have to deal with excessive red tape just to maintain staffing levels.

Industry representatives echoed the concerns. Elena Ivanova-Todorovski, hotelier and deputy head of the NGO “Union of Owners Sunny Beach,” pointed out that the process is still largely analog and inefficient. “There is no organized system for electronically submitting all the required documents. We end up escorting these foreign workers to the Migration Department in Burgas, to notaries, just to extend their stay. Then we have to go through the same procedure again after three months,” she said.

The proposed changes also address residence permits for third-country workers, with the aim of streamlining these procedures as well. The goal, according to officials and hoteliers alike, is to ensure that the sector can rely on a stable workforce during critical periods without being hampered by outdated or overly restrictive administrative practices.