Bulgaria’s government on 28 February approved draft amendments to the Foreigners Act aimed at synchronising the conditions for entry and residence of foreigners with documents adopted by the EU and the European Parliament, the government information service said.
The draft amendments are aimed at simplifying the system of residence of third-country nationals and cover both highly qualified workers and seasonal jobs. The procedure for granting residence permits to foreign specialists is also envisaged.
The draft introduces into national legislation the types of relevant personal documents and the procedures for their issuance, and amends two laws in this regard – the Bulgarian Personal Documents Act and the Act on Entry, Residence and Departure of EU citizens and their family members.
The statement said that the requirements for applicants for permanent residence of foreigners in Bulgaria have been harmonised, the procedure for granting long-term residence rights to investors has been optimised, and the verification of the conditions for investments to be fulfilled by them has been entrusted to the Bulgarian Investment Agency.
Penalties for administrative offences by foreigners who do not comply with the current legislation regulating the right to reside and work in Bulgaria are also foreseen.
New conditions will be introduced for obtaining a residence permit on the basis of submission of documents on annual turnover for a period of two years prior to the registration of a commercial representative office of a foreign commercial company in Bulgaria, as a permit on this basis may be issued to no more than two representatives.
The amendments also provide for the cancellation of the possibility of granting residence permits to foreigners wishing to engage in non-commercial activities, the statement added.
