LIVING & WORKING CONDITIONS Malinka Todorova -EURES adviser 11 October 2008 г.

Bulgaria

Bulgaria Summary  Area sq. km  Inhabitants  Capital Sofia  Official language Bulgarian  Government type Parliamentary republic  Religion Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish 0.1%,  National currency Bulgarian lev (BGN)  A rate of exchange: Euro 1/ 1.95 BGN

Entering Bulgaria  EU/EEA citizens may enter Bulgaria and reside there up to 3 months only with their ID card/passport.  Over 3 month: You are to submit an application for a long- term Residence Permit /valid up to 5 years/ at the Regional Police Office  After 5-years period you may acquire a permanent Residence permit.  Additional informations: /Bulgarian Ministry of Interior/.

Accommodation How to find accomodation?  National and regional daily newspapers  Real Estate Agencies  Internet  The rent of a small apartment per month: from € € 800 in Sofia from € € 300 in small towns.  Rental contracts /deposit for rent is common/

Living conditions Cost of living BGN EUR Bread 750 g 0.90 – 110 lv0.46 Milk 1l lv Butter 250 g 1.20 lv0.61 Cheese 1 kg `4.60 – 6.13 Beef 1 kg Flour 1 kg Beer Cola 1.5 l Coffee 250 g Bus ticket 0.80 – – 0.51 Petrol 1l

Health system  A personal medical specialist - GP.  Medical professionals and medical institutions that have sighed contracts with the National Health Insurance Fund.  A visit tax - 1% of the minimum salary. /E 1.12/  A bed tax in a hospital - 2% of the minimal salary for each day  Private hospitals

Child care and Education  Kindergartens; Crèches  Education - obligatory for children from 7 to 16 years old  The state school education is free for: Bulgarian citizens; Permanent residents of Bulgaria EU/EEA and Switzerland citizens who work in Bulgaria.  The education system in Bulgaria includes: - basic education - from 1st to 8 th grade - secondary education from 8 th to 12 th grade - higher education.

STRUCTURE OF EURES - BULGARIA 3 assistants /central office/ financial expert Communications expert IT - expert 9 Regional Line managers EURES Coordinator 7 EURES Advisers 28 EURES assistants in the Local Labor Offices in 28 districts

Labour market Average unemploy ment rate  In %  In % Dobrit ch 7.79% Varn a 4.60 % Silistra 10.51% Turgovis hte 14.64% Gabrovo 3.72% Russ e 6.10 % Veliko Tarnov o 7.22% Lovetch 8.43% Pleve n 8.53% Burga s 3.48% Yamb ol 8.48% Slive n 8.60 % Plovdi v 5.48% Pazardj ik 9.23% Kardjali 9.01% Haskov o 7.42% Smolia n 11.43% Stara Zagor a 5.65% Perni k 5.39% Kusten dil 7.61% Blagoevgr ad 6.59% Sofiadistrict 7.81% Sofi a 1.43 % Vratz a % Monta na 12.33% Vidin % The first half year of 2008 Razgra d % Shoum en 12.07% 28 administrative districts

Average salary in branches - BGN/Euro In 2008 Minimum salary 220 leva / E112 per month Average salary 510 leva / E 260 per month

Labour market surpluses 1. Specialists in the field of economics, law, social sciences, education, agriculture 2. Specialists in services, transportation, security and life guard, health care 3. People with qualification in the field of engineering and technology /the data are on the base of the registered in the NEA unemployed people/

Labour market shortages  Construction workers – all kinds  Staff in tourism branch– waiters, bartenders, cooks, chefs, chambermaids, receptionists  Tailors  Machine building workers  Metallurgy workers  Technicians, welders, electricians  Engineers  Nurses

How to find job in Bulgaria  Registration in Local Labor Offices Directorates.  NEA Job vacancy data bank in the Internet:  Newspapers regional + national  Private agencies  Internet pages

How to apply for job Required documents  Curriculum vitae –the standard European template  Letter of application  Diplomas /translated into Bulgarian/  Documents proving vocational training  Documents proving length of service

Labour legislation  The official minimum age - 16 years.  Working hours – 8 h per day /40 h per week/  Labour contract is obligatory.  Terminating the contract by giving a notice in writing /notice period - 30 days/.  Annual leave– minimum 20 working days  Illness leave– 80% of the average daily gross wage

Social security  You have to register in the National Revenue Agency and get an identify number of foreigner Social insurance includes:  pension insurance  general sickness and maternity insurance  work injury and occupational sickness insurance  unemployment insurance  health insurance  The ratio between the employer’s and employee’s social insurance rates is 60% to 40 %

Taxation  The tax on income is 10%. There is no non taxable income.  The tax on the income from salary payment is monthly deducted and paid by the employer.  Tax declaration - If the salary is the only source of an employee’s income, there is no need a tax declaration to be filled in. - If there are other sources of income, a tax declaration should be filled in and rendered to the NRA. For more information