Bulgaria

Bulgaria is situated in Southeastern Europe. It takes the eastern part of the Balkan peninsula. It borders Romania to the north; Serbia and Northern Macedonia to the west; Greece to the south and Turkey to Southwest. The waters of the Black Sea wash the coasts of Bulgaria to the east.

General information:

Surface area: 110 993,6 m²
Population:  7 000 039 (2018)
Official language: Bulgarian

Romanian and EU citizens do not need a visa. They can enter and leave the territory of Bulgaria with an identity card or passport for up to three months. When they meet the conditions arising from the EU legislation, they may also reside in the Republic of Bulgaria for a period of up to five years or permanently, for which a certificate is issued.

„Advantages“ of living in Bulgaria include: pleasant climate, sea beaches, breathtaking nature, peaceful lifestyle, friendly people, who are welcoming to foreigners, low prices, stable economy and increasing employment opportunities.

Relatively, Bulgaria has the lowest consumer prices for goods and services among EU Member States according to Eurostat data for 2018, with the highest being food costs. On the other hand, prices for cultural events, overnight stays in hotels and transportation are among the lowest in Europe.

The larger part of the population of up to 50 years of age speaks English well, but communicating in a foreign language in the state institutions is difficult. The alphabet in Bulgaria is called the Cyrillic and is very different than the Latin alphabet, which significantly impedes the understanding of the information. The official currency in Bulgaria is the lev, which has a fixed exchange rate with the Euro - 1 Euro = 1.95583 BGN

For many foreigners, the lifestyle in Bulgaria is extremely attractive. Beach holidays in the summer, skiing in the winter, golfing and hiking are all leisure activities you can always enjoy while in the country.

Bulgaria provides many new job opportunities for foreigners. The main traditional industries, offering jobs in Bulgaria, are in the fields of metallurgy, mechanical engineering, chemical industry and agriculture. Energy, tourism, transport, information technology, food, pharmaceuticals and textile industries have been developing in recent years. Most job offerings are in these sectors.

Bulgaria is becoming a popular country where manufacturing and services (so-called “business outsourcing”) can be exported. Due to its political stability, stable banking system, cheap but skilled workforce and low taxes, multinational companies such as Boeing, BMW, Siemens and Nortel are already outsourcing to small businesses in Bulgaria.

The average gross monthly salary in Bulgaria in December of 2019 is 1300 BGN (665 euro), with the highest being in the IT&C sector - 3248 BGN (1660 euro), followed by the energy sector - 2161 BGN (1105 euro) and the financial sector - 2155 BGN (1102 euro). The highest salaries are in the capital Sofia, while the lowest are in Blagoevgrad. In the Bulgarian-Romanian cross-border region, the lowest average salary is in Vidin - 805 BGN (410 euro), while the highest is in Ruse - 1 031 BGN (527 euro).

Approximately 86% of the entire manufacturing industry and 75% of the employed people in the country are concentrated in 20 of the biggest cities, with Sofia being the leader. The spots after the capital are taken by Plovdiv, Burgas, Varna, Ruse and Stara Zagora.

You can find more information about the living and working conditions in Bulgaria.

Interesting facts about Bulgaria:

1. Bulgaria is one of the oldest European countries, established in 681, which has never changed its name.
2. The flag of Bulgaria consists of three colors: white, green and red. White is the symbol of courage, red - of fertility, and green of youth.
3. The Alexander Nevski cathedral in Sofia is the oldest Orthodox church in the world.
4. The first woman in the world to participate in a military flight is Bulgaria's Raina Kasabova.
5. The highest peak on the Balkan Peninsula is Mount Musala, which rises 2925 meters above sea level.
6. Bulgaria produces up to 85% of the world's rose oil. Roses grown in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria (Kazanlak) are a major ingredient in the perfume production.
7. The first digital wristwatch in the world was developed by the Bulgarian Peter Petrov.
8. The first electronic computer was developed by John Atanasov, who is of Bulgarian origin.
9. Bulgarians were the first people to use the Cyrillic alphabet, right after its establishment in the 9th century.
10. After Bulgaria's accession to the European Union on 1 January 2007, Cyrillic becomes the third official alphabet in Europe.
11. Bulgarian Dan Kolov is the first fighter in the world with 1500 wins and only 2 lost matches.
12. Plovdiv is the oldest populated city in Europe.
13. The Bulgarian army is the only force in the world that has never lost even one flag in combat, although it has actively participated in all the major wars in Europe.
14. The first air bomb in military history was created by the Bulgarian Armed Forces during the First Balkan War and was used on October 16, 1912 by Lieutenants Radul Milkov and Prodan Tarakchiev.
15. Bulgarian yogurt is the best in the world thanks to the unique bacterium Lactobacillus bulgaricus, which is found only in Bulgaria.
16. Since 1977 a Bulgarian folk song has been traveling in space and has been playing alongside the great works of Bach and Mozart.
17. Although not one of the most famous producers, Bulgaria is the second largest exporter of bottled wine in the world (after France) and has four times the number of Cabernet Sauvignon plantations in comparison to California.