site.btaGovernment Approves Draft Amendments to Foreigners in Bulgaria Act

The Government approved here on Wednesday a bill amending and supplementing the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act. The amendments are necessitated by the need to fully incorporate into relevant Bulgarian legislation the requirements of Directive (EU) 2024/1233 of the European Parliament of April 24, 2024, on a single application procedure for a single permit for third-country nationals to reside and work in the territory of a Member State and on a common set of rights for third-country workers legally residing in a Member State, the Council of Ministers reported. 

The objective is to ensure consistency between national legislation and the EU legal framework concerning the Pact on Migration and Asylum, and in particular to designate the authorities responsible for the screening procedure and define the tasks to be carried out by other competent state structures. 

In addition, in view of the increased number of applications submitted by foreign nationals, the amendments to the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act will provide for stricter control over foreigners who have been granted permanent residence in the Republic of Bulgaria.

The amendments and supplements to the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act will achieve the following: provide a legal possibility for holders of a Single Permit for Residence and Work who become unemployed to retain their right of residence, provided they comply with the requirements set out in the law; provide a legal possibility to revoke a residence permit if, after becoming unemployed and registering with the Employment Agency, a foreign national fails to notify the Migration Directorate of this circumstance within the prescribed period; and establish legal provisions defining the categories of persons excluded from the scope of the Directive and therefore ineligible for residence under the procedure provided for therein.

The amendments to the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act will have no impact on the state budget.