site.btaNearly 1,900 Bulgarians Abroad Approved for Government Programme Encouraging Return Home

A total of 1,884 Bulgarians living abroad have been approved under the government's I Choose Bulgaria programme, which aims to encourage expatriate Bulgarians to return and build careers in their home country, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy said on Friday.

The number of successful applicants is nearly double the programme's initial target. According to the Ministry, rejected applications were mainly due to duplicate submissions or failure to meet eligibility requirements. Most approved candidates are between 30 and 40 years old.

The programme is designed to attract skilled Bulgarians back to the country, including teachers, doctors and IT professionals. Participants receive financial support to help them settle in Bulgaria, while family members who are not Bulgarian citizens can attend Bulgarian-language courses to improve their integration and employment prospects. The largest financial incentives are paid after six months and one year of employment.

Since its launch, the programme has distributed EUR 463,000 in support. More than EUR 230,000 has been paid in lump-sum grants to 315 participants, while additional funding has covered housing and move expenses. A total of 168 applications have been submitted for Bulgarian-language training.

Most beneficiaries have returned from the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Austria and Ireland, although the programme has also attracted Bulgarians from countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, China, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa.

While Sofia and Plovdiv remain popular destinations, many participants have chosen to settle in smaller municipalities outside Bulgaria's main economic centres.

Funded through the Human Resources Development Programme and implemented by the National Employment Agency, I Choose Bulgaria seeks to reverse migration trends by attracting working-age Bulgarians with education and professional experience acquired abroad. Participants work in a wide range of fields, from finance, engineering and education to construction and manufacturing, while some have launched businesses in sectors such as information technology, trade, hospitality and services.