RECOGNITION OF MOLDOVIAN JOB APPLICATIONS UNDER THE LABOR MIGRATION AGREEMENT

Starting 08.03.2021, Moldovian citizens in Bulgaria operate with approved applications under the current Agreement on the Regulation of Labor Migration between the governments of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Moldova.

Bulgarian employers wishing to hire workers from Moldova can submit their documents to any labor office, without restriction from the workplace and address of management. Companies engaged in employment mediation activities, besides the actual employers, cannot participate in the Agreement.

The agreement applies to migrant workers who are citizens of one of the two countries, have an individual employment contract under this agreement, and have the necessary residence permit in the territory of the other country. It refers to:

(a) workers for an initial period of up to one year and with the possibility of subsequent extension for a total period of up to three years;

(b) seasonal workers for the maximum period under the legislation of the host country.

The terms of the Agreement apply exclusively to newly hired persons and do not apply to those already working on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. According to the Agreement and the procedure for its implementation:

• The mediation of the Employment Agency is free of charge;
• There is no fixed annual contingent/quota;
• Workers under the agreement do NOT require a work permit;

Access to the labor market is permitted for holding positions for which Bulgarian citizenship is not required by law.

All conditions for recruiting and hiring candidates at the request of Bulgarian employers are regulated by the Procedure for Implementation of the Agreement, prepared jointly by the National Employment Agency of Moldova and the Employment Agency under the Minister of Labor and Social Policy.

Employers can get instructions and the information they need from the territorial divisions of the Employment Agency and the website of the Employment Agency, section "Employment agreements, and agreements" https://www.az.government.bg/pages/ spogodbi-i-dogovorumenia-za-zaetost /, where all the necessary application forms and conditions are published. For convenience, the information has been prepared with outlined steps for the selection, general employment, and employment of migrant workers under the Agreement.