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Intra-corporate transfer in Bulgaria in Bulgaria

A residence and work permit for employees of international companies who are temporarily transferred from a foreign entity to a Bulgarian entity of the same group of undertakings — managers, specialists and trainee employees. The procedure is based on the European Union directive on intra-corporate transfers and combines a residence permit with access to the Bulgarian labour market.

Source: Ministry of the Interior, Migration Directorate — Разрешения за пребиваване и работа

Who can obtain it

The procedure is designed for three categories of employee whom an international company temporarily moves to a Bulgarian entity of the same group of undertakings.

Managers
  • Holds a senior management position and reports to the owner or the collective management body of the host undertaking
  • Manages the host undertaking or a structural unit of it
  • Supervises and oversees the work of other managerial or professional staff
  • Makes recommendations on hiring, dismissal and other staffing decisions
Specialists
  • Works in a unit of the undertaking or in a company belonging to the same group of undertakings
  • Has specialised knowledge that is important for the host undertaking's field of activity, technology or management
Trainee employees
  • Has completed higher education
  • Is transferred for professional development or training in business techniques or management methods
  • Is paid for the whole period of the transfer
General conditions of the transfer
  • Continuous service with the same company or group of undertakings immediately before the application: at least 12 months for managers and specialists, at least 6 months for trainee employees
  • The host Bulgarian undertaking has itself filed an application with the Employment Agency
  • The application is filed by the employer or a person authorised by them; a foreign national who already holds a valid residence permit for Bulgaria may file the application in person

Documents to gather

The list of documents and the requirements for them are set out in the checklist of the Migration Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior for the intra-corporate transfer procedure. Some of the documents marked below are needed only on the first application or only for particular positions.

  • An application in the standard form — Annex No. 3a to the PPZChRB (the Regulations implementing the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act), the original with the fields completed and the applicant's signature and seal
  • A copy of the passport — the pages with the photograph and the foreign national's personal details
  • A criminal record certificate from the foreign national's country of citizenship or country of habitual residence — only on the first application
  • Proof of secured accommodation on Bulgarian territory
  • A written statement by the employer of the reasons why the temporary transfer of an employee who is a third-country national is necessary
  • A higher education diploma, legalised and with a certified translation — only for the position of trainee employee
  • A declaration listing the third-country nationals working in the company: names as in the passport, date of birth, citizenship, ground and period of stay
  • A declaration by the employer that the employee's working and pay conditions are no worse than those of Bulgarian citizens in the same position, naming the foreign national
  • A document showing that the host undertaking and the undertaking in the third country belong to the same company or group of undertakings, legalised and with a certified translation into Bulgarian
  • A document on the duration of the transfer, legalised and with a certified translation into Bulgarian
  • Documents confirming continuous service with the company or group, the necessary qualifications and experience (for managers and specialists), the fact of the transfer itself and the intention to return to work at the undertaking in the third country once it ends
  • A copy of the training agreement and a description of the training programme — only for trainee employees
  • Compulsory health insurance for the whole period of stay in Bulgaria — if the foreign national is not insured under the Health Insurance Act, the document is submitted when the extended stay is arranged

How the process runs

The procedure is run jointly by the Migration Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior, the Employment Agency and the State Agency for National Security. The application is filed by the employer or a person authorised by them, or by the foreign national themselves if they already hold a residence permit for Bulgaria.

  1. 1

    Preparing and filing the application

    The employer or a person authorised by them files the application and the complete set of documents with the Migration Directorate or with the migration department or section of the Sofia or a regional directorate of the Ministry of the Interior. If the application is filed in person by a foreign national who already holds a residence permit, they have to do so no later than 30 days before the current period of stay expires.

  2. 2

    Checking that the documents are complete

    7 days

    The Migration Directorate checks the set of documents. If any papers are missing, the applicant is notified electronically and given a period in which to supply them.

  3. 3

    Referral of the documents to the Employment Agency and the State Agency for National Security

    up to 14 days from the date the application is filed

    The Migration Directorate forwards the application and the documents electronically to the Employment Agency and to the State Agency for National Security for checks and for their opinions.

  4. 4

    Opinion on access to the labour market

    up to 14 days

    The executive director of the Employment Agency sends the Migration Directorate a written opinion on whether there are grounds for admitting the foreign national to the Bulgarian labour market as part of the transfer.

  5. 5

    Notifying the employer of a positive decision

    3 days after both opinions are received

    If the opinions of the Employment Agency and the State Agency for National Security are positive and the application was filed by the employer, the Migration Directorate informs the employer that there are grounds for the foreign national to obtain the permit, and notifies the consular relations directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

  6. 6

    Applying for the visa and entering Bulgaria

    up to 20 days after the employer is notified

    The employer informs the foreign national of the positive decision. Within that period the foreign national has to apply for a type D visa to enter for the purpose of obtaining a permit under the intra-corporate transfer.

  7. 7

    Appearing in person at the Migration Directorate

    7 days after entry

    After entering Bulgaria on the visa the foreign national appears in person at the Migration Directorate or at the relevant department of a regional directorate of the Ministry of the Interior with a copy of the passport page carrying the visa and compulsory health insurance for the whole period of stay.

  8. 8

    Decision on the grant of the permit

    up to 3 days after the personal appearance if the application was filed by the employer; up to 60 days from the date of filing if the foreign national already held a residence permit; the whole procedure — no longer than 3 months, with a possible extension of 1 month where the case is complex

    The director of the Migration Directorate, or an official authorised by them, grants or refuses the extended stay permit for a person moved under an intra-corporate transfer. By law the whole procedure from the filing of the application to the decision may not take longer than 3 months; where the case is legally or factually complex the Directorate may extend the period by a further 1 month, notifying the applicant in writing.

Timelines and rights

Work

The permit combines the right of residence and the right to work in the host entity

Renewal and the grace period

The first permit is issued for 1 year, or for the term of the employment contract if it is shorter than a year. The permit is renewed on the conditions of article 33p of the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act. Taking renewals into account, the total period of stay on this ground may not exceed 3 years for managers and specialists and 1 year for trainee employees. A new application for a further transfer of the same employee from a third country is filed only after their employment and stay in Bulgaria have been interrupted for at least 6 consecutive months. The employer is obliged to notify the Migration Directorate within three days of any changes affecting the conditions of the transfer and of its early termination.

Frequently asked questions about Intra-corporate transfer in Bulgaria

Who can obtain an intra-corporate transfer permit in Bulgaria?
The permit is issued to managers, specialists and trainee employees whom an international company transfers to a Bulgarian entity of the same group of undertakings. A manager holds a senior management position and reports to the owner or the collective management body. A specialist has knowledge that is important for the host undertaking's activity or management. A trainee has higher education and is transferred for professional development or training in business techniques.
For how long is the permit issued and how many times can it be renewed?
The first permit is issued for 1 year, or for the term of the employment contract if it is shorter. It is renewed on the conditions of article 33p of the Foreigners Act, but the total period of stay on this ground may not exceed 3 years for managers and specialists and 1 year for trainee employees.
How long does the law allow for examining an intra-corporate transfer application?
The permit procedure may not last longer than 3 months. Where the case is legally or factually complex, the Migration Directorate may extend the period by a further 1 month, notifying the employer or the foreign national in writing and requesting additional documents where necessary.
Who will not be granted a permit under the intra-corporate transfer procedure?
It is refused to foreign nationals who have already been granted the right to extended stay under article 24(1)(1), 24b, 24v or 24m of the Foreigners Act, and to family members of EU citizens who have exercised the right of free movement and obtained residence under the act on EU citizens and members of their families.
When can a new application be filed for the same employee?
A new application for a further transfer of the same worker from a third country is filed only after their employment and stay in Bulgaria have been interrupted for at least 6 consecutive months.
Can I move to Bulgaria on an intra-corporate transfer permit issued in another EU country?
Yes. The holder of a valid intra-corporate transfer permit issued by a first EU member state is entitled to stay in Bulgaria for more than 90 days if the conditions for access to the Bulgarian labour market are met. No visa is needed for this: the foreign national files the application and a copy of the first country's permit in person at the Migration Directorate, and the permit is issued marked 'mobile ICT — mobilnost pri VKT'.
Who files the application and where is it taken?
The application is filed with the Migration Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior or with the migration department, section or group of the Sofia or a regional directorate of the Ministry of the Interior. It may be filed by the employer or a person authorised by them, or by the foreign national in person if they already hold an extended stay permit for Bulgaria.

Other ways to move to Bulgaria

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Bulgaria.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.