People can apply from today, 19 October, under Component 2 of the "I Choose Bulgaria" programme, the Employment Agency said. It is for people who leave a city of more than 50,000 residents to live and work in a smaller place.
On 11 October, at the annual meeting of local authorities in Albena, deputy labour and social policy minister Lilia Stoyanovich said the 2027 budget will include many measures for families and children. Until now, "I Choose Bulgaria" covered only Bulgarians returning from abroad. The new component is for moving within Bulgaria. The project is funded by the EU under the Human Resources Development programme.
The previous development: Stoyanovich: 2027 budget will have many measures for families and children
Participants get up to €480 to move their household belongings and their family. A housing allowance of €207.58 is paid for up to 12 months. For the same period, they also get €4.09 for travel to and from work, if the job is outside the place where they live.
The one-off bonus is paid after a total of 8 months of work in the past 12. It equals 6 average monthly wages in Bulgaria, based on the latest yearly figures published by the National Statistical Institute. If a family with children under 18 moves, the sum is multiplied by a factor: 1.1 for one child, 1.2 for two and 1.3 for three or more.
On the day they apply, applicants must be registered at an address in a place with more than 50,000 residents. After approval, they have up to four months to move to a place with fewer than 50,000 people, according to the statistical institute, and start work. They prove the move by changing their permanent address, which must match their current one.
The participation contract is signed only after the person has moved and started work. People who work from home or remotely under the Labour Code cannot take part.
Applications are accepted only online, through the Secure Electronic Delivery System. Applicants log in with a qualified electronic signature, including a cloud-based one, or with a PIK code from the National Revenue Agency or the National Social Security Institute. The application goes to the labour office in the place where the applicant wants to settle.
The application form and the full conditions are on the Employment Agency's website.