Balgarianovinite.com There are legal mechanisms for extending the stay of seasonal foreign workers needed by Bulgaria’s tourism industry, Migration Directorate Director at the General Directorate Border Police Nikolay Nikolov told the parliamentary Tourism Committee during a hearing on Wednesday.
Nikolov said the issue is directly linked to the tourism sector’s demand for labour, particularly during the peak season. He explained that, in certain cases, foreign nationals who entered Bulgaria on tourist visas may have their stay extended by up to three months if the required documents and legal grounds are in place. This would allow them to remain in the country for the period during which their employer needs their services.
He added that some foreign nationals enter Bulgaria without a visa and stay within the permitted period, but later need an extension because of seasonal employment. As an example, he cited the tourism season, which usually runs from May to October.
The hearing also addressed the work of the Border Police in dealing with migration pressure and border control.
Nikolov said measures are currently being taken to provide border regions with the necessary police personnel and equipment. Part of the police force had been redeployed to sections of the border requiring additional staff as part of efforts to combat illegal migration and strengthen control over the movement of people through the country.
The committee also discussed the need for modern technical equipment for border surveillance and improved coordination among Interior Ministry structures.
Nikolov said that the implementation of border control measures is also linked to the European legal framework. Bulgaria complies with EU legislation governing the entry, residence and movement of third-country nationals, he said.
He added that the Migration Directorate is ready to support the process and provide consultations with Bulgarian consular services whenever assistance is needed for foreign nationals wishing to continue working in Bulgaria.
According to Nikolov, the number of foreign workers employed in the tourism sector is increasing, placing additional demands on the work of the competent institutions.
State Agency for National Security (SANS) expert Maria Stoykova told the committee that the agency’s role was limited to coordinating the issuance of short-stay visas.
She explained that, following Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen area, the country issues a uniform visa valid throughout the EU. Under the EU Visa Code, SANS and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs draw up a classified list of nationalities and categories of applicants whose visa applications require mandatory consultation before a visa is issued.
Stoykova said the consultation procedure takes up to 15 days, but may be extended to 30 days in exceptional cases and up to 60 days in particularly complex cases, although such cases are not encountered in practice.
She added that SANS supports the implementation of the provisions of the EU Visa Code and stressed that, following Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen, the country has an obligation to safeguard the security of the common area, which requires sufficient administrative and expert capacity to implement visa policy. Migration Director Outlines Options for Extending Stay of Seasonal Foreign Workers 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-07-29 17:17:11 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
