Ok title is pretty descripive for a reason:
When you speak to the consult they mislead you to sayin to get visa D you need work permit.
or anything else under article 24 of the bulgarian act.
http://www.mfa.bg/uploads/files/Foreign … lgaria_Act(1).pdf
I spoke to a lawyer in Bulgaria, person said :
Come on Visa, Get work permit, Start work.
Then to clarify that means apply for residence permit.
okay, few things to understand :
Long stay visa - 2 types 6 months 12 months. Alot of places dont mention the 6 months, why? outdated sites. Ignore them, move on. It's a 2011-2012 law this is why.
Long stay Visa , Visa , anything with word visa, means the same thing.
Where it differs is in the following :
Work permit, Residence permit, long stay permit, Permanent resident etc.
(none of these are visas)
Visa is issued from home nationality country where you would apply anyways.
The consul will tell you, under article 15 or 24 ... that you need permit, the answer is no, it's not true. But they will make you believe it is!!! yes!!!! Read carefully, Residence visa, means visa D, because you will apply for residence through visa D once you are there. This is why we also call it residence visa, but don't get confused with the terms!
Residence permit, you apply this in Bulgaria on the basis that you can complete any items of article 24(1) if you can then you can apply to residence permit.
Long stay permit = permanent permit = +5 years in the country,
means you are eligeable for nationality. But even if you fail... you remain permanenent resident.
I finally understood this today! Spoke to consul, he said no, he said you can apply, accept or not, doesnt matter, you are applying on no basis, i said visa D 6 months has no basis. 12 months does have basis, but not 6 momnths... but both of them are renewable!!!! so who cares!!!
if you read between lines you will see what I mean about visas, residence, work permit, permanenet resident.
Article 15 and article 24 ( mandatory) check them out, see what I mean, confirm it. after 2 months with the consul.. i finally got my answer.... apply!but no guarantee.
I started thinking is he really lost, and doesnt know or on purpose. NO COMPANY WILL EVER WAIT 67 days fr you... out of your mind! EXCEPT! if yuo are a boss ..... a big one. VP etc. aside this, thats bs. so Believe me.
check it out for yourself and let me know your feedback.
Have a good one
Germain
Immigration, Visa, Legislation, you name it , they fail at it.
Hello again, for those who were wondering about what I had said in this post, just to confirm, I spoke to a couple of lawyers concerning this, and they said although what I am saying is correct is it translated from Bulgarian(legislation law) to a foreign language, and is incorrect in translation to english.
You DO need a work permit and then you apply for a visa, for a foreginer (outside of EU). It's sad that our doors(as Canadians) are far easier to access than the Bulgarian one. Figured would be equally given.
So just to recap if I lost you. You can't enter without a work permit even though it misleads you abit in the legislation. So I was correct on my understanding, but incorrect in terms of the law. They follow no matter what their bulgarian version, and everything is wrong if there is an error.
Only way is to get a work permit before then apply for a visa after. My god did I have to bleed to get this information out of them... over 60 hours on phone calls to figure a solution...)
This topic is done.
As anyone here has found out, everything is upside down or back to front and like any country weighed down by uninterested government employees no one really knows or cares so whatever you try to find out takes a long time.
I can't agree that they fail at it. Let's be completely honest here, the objective of most governments is to keep their nationals in the country, paying taxes, doing what they are told. Governments don't really like strangers and the governments of EU countries like them less than most. The complex legislation and labyrinthine systems are not designed to protect our security or our jobs they are designed to maximize the need for government jobs.
The main reason why it is expensive for Western Europeans to travel outside the EU is that countries work on a tit for tat basis. A few years ago I bought a visa to enter Mauritania in Morocco and paid about £7 for it. On the way north I tried to do the same in Senegal but was told by the consul that it would cost £42 because the British government charge so much for Visas to enter the UK. Now why was I not told that on the way south, well, the consul in Morocco was a nice chap who gave us coffee and enjoyed our company for a while in what is for him a fairly boring post.
The solution is simple. Accept first of all that the really bad guys who the system is meant to keep out will get in i they really want to, All the system achieves is to make life difficult for the honest people who follow the law. When you get over the idea that these laws protect you it becomes clear that open borders and a welcoming attitude are productive.
The most efficient airport system I have seen in a lifetime of travel is in Thailand and they basically welcome anyone with money. They process you quickly and efficiently and make you feel welcome. I feel intimidated by the British Border Force and I was born in the UK. In favour of Bulgaria, however, I will say I have encountered nothing but helpfulness, courtesy and a genuine welcome from Bulgarian Border Police. We entered at a border we did not know one night after midnight. Not only was it open but we were able to purchase a vignette for the car and get excellent directions from multi-lingual officers who actually smiled.
What was the point of my reply, just to say that Bulgaria is not nearly as inefficient and backward as many posts on here suggest.
Articles to help you in your expat project in Bulgaria
Types of visas are:
Do you need a work permit to work in Bulgaria? What are the conditions to be met to be eligible for a resident ...
Are you moving to Bulgaria? Find out in this article whether you have to apply for a visa and how to proceed.
Would you like your pet to accompany you during your trip to Bulgaria? Find out how to proceed in this article.
If you find yourself pregnant in Bulgaria, you may be wondering if you will have to head home to have your baby ...
Educational Structures and Background:
