How easy is it to relocate to Sofia?

Hi Katy18!

Welcome to Expat.com

Armand

Hi Katy

Assuming you are British then you should know that Bulgaria is in the EU just like the UK.It follows if you do your homework that you can live in any member state of the EU without any formality nor lenghty paper-work.
As far as teaching is concerned just write to the major english schools and see what happens.
As you dont say much where you intend to live advice is hard to give. If you want a good detailed response please be more specific.

regard

a fellow expat

Hi Beahor,

Sorry about the lack of detail and thank you for the information that you provided me about moving within the EU.

I'm planning on living in Sofia so would be looking for English schools there, are there any you are aware of? Also is a degree compulsory for teaching in these schools? Aside from this are there any other fields of work that I could possibly look into, I've began hearing about working within call centres?

Any additional help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Katy

Hi Katy,

There are a number of english language schools in Sofia, just google them.
There are also very large International call centres in Sofia on behalf of internationa brand names we all recognise. I am not sure I can use names but I mentioned one further up. Mind though, that in the large majority though they are looking for bi-lingual people but it is worth a try. I myself work for a very big US company as an Engineer and know that Eurppeans are well sought after.
So, just do your homework

hxxx

Hi,

you can try with the major english schools(Europe schools, Avo Bell, Britanica and others). You may as well find work as a private teacher, as I guess getting lessons from a native speaker is a great opportunity(at least it was when I was studying ). The call centres mentioned are also good, you can give them a try, the salaries there are not bad for Bulgaria.

You can also try to find work in companies that work abroad(most IT companies for example).

Good luck and let me know, if you have any specific questions!

Thank you Beahor for all of your help!

Thank you also Ventom for the information you've given me. Are you aware of any language schools in particular that don't require a degree or any call centres that also do not require a degree? I've read throughout the Internet that a degree isn't necessary overall for working as a TEFL teacher in Bulgaria but I was wondering to what extent this is true. Also are you aware of any good Bulgarian language schools in Sofia, as improving my Bulgarian will also be on my list of things to do!

Thanks,

Katy

Hi Katy,

Hope all is well.
I would like to share my story with you.
I moved to Sofia 3 weeks and 2 days ago from London.
I am renting a small flat here and have got a job teaching English in a school.
I don't have a teaching degree or any teaching English experience but in Bulgaria, they seem to be grateful to have anyone English and based on that, for my job, they do not require me to have experience like that.
Due to Bulgaria now being in the E.U you will not need to get a visa or a working visa, it's a straightforward and easy move to make! The only thing I advise is to get health and travel insurance. For the year, mine cost me £220 overall and my flight (3rd August) was £300 one way, as it is summer it is quite expensive. So bare in mind that type of money will be needed before you make the move here. When looking for a property, if you are going to rent, there is an agent fee which is usually 50% of the months rent and once you pay the agent that, the money is clear with them.
Bulgaria is a great place and most people are very happy to have foreigners living here. On the other hand, some Bulgarian people are a little backwards and want it to stay a fully Buglarian country, so you often get weird looks when speaking with an accent or looking different, but that is nothing to worry about, just a heads up!
Everything is very cheap out here compared to England but then again, on Bulgarian salary it all adds up. Don't be surprised if you find a job and the pay is very little. Bulgarian minimum wage is around £300 for a month. If you can find a job where the wage is higher, that is usually a good sign but ensure that before you take the job, you have researched costs of living, bills, tax and all the extras!
If you would like to talk or ask me any questions then please feel free to write back or message me.
If I don't hear from you, then good luck and hope it all goes well for you!

Hi Liora,

Wow!! Thank you for all of the information you have given me, it's been so useful.

Do you have a degree at all or have you only studied to A level? Also how did you go about finding your job in Sofia as I am at a loss about where to even begin looking? Finally where did you fill in the required documents to move within the EU?

By the time I relocate next summer I should have a 140 hour TEFL teaching certificate as well as 4 A levels and a combination of other qualifications. I am also hoping to gain some work experience before I relocate.

I hope you're having an amazing time living in Sofia!

Any further help with answering my questions would be extremely useful.

Thank you so much,

Katy

Hi Katy,

I'm glad I can be helpful!
I dedicated a lot of time to researching, hence how I found all the information in the first place! When looking for jobs, I just 'googled' as much as I could and typed in anything I could, according to what I was looking for. It is hard work but foreigners, especially English speakers have very good job opportunities here so I'm sure if you dedicate time, you will find something.
If you don't mind me asking, how old are you and where are you from?
Due to the UK being in the EU there is no paperwork needed. The EU works like this: if you are from a country within the EU, you can freely move to any other EU country with no paperwork or anything, all you need is a airplane ticket!
I am only 18 and only finished college in May, I only have a childcare qualification at the highest level (A levels) and GCSE's.
What you need for a job out here is nothing like what you need back home. Bulgarian education is not as high as England, therefore our qualifications always are better and when looking for a job here, they are very excited when you tell them your qualifications and usually telling them you have English qualifications is enough for them!
Finding a job shouldn't be too hard, I was offered another job plus an interview for another job so in total, 3 people interested in hiring me and that was before I'd even left home.
Just remember that it is a big thing to do and unfortunately, it is very time consuming to find out all of these things but I will try and help as much as possible.
Take care,
Liora x

Perfect, I'll do some more in depth research and enlist the help of my boyfriend too!
I'm around the same age as you, so knowing your successes has given me extra confidence in achieving things.
When applying for jobs did you search for vacancies or email any schools directly, or a combination of both?
Thanks,
Katy

Hi Katy,

I thought the fact I was young would be a disadvantage to me but my age didn't seem to affect any job opportunities.
When applying for jobs, show them that your age shouldn't be a problem. Be confident in your plans. Don't show fear for moving abroad, a new job etc. Show excitement and make them feel you are comfortable to do this because fear will make you seem unemployable because they may be scared to employ you in case they feel you are not ready and may drop out after a while. That is really important!
When I got offered the two jobs, I had skype interviews and it seemed successful that I had written questions down and then was writing down what they were telling me. (Just a tip!)
I did both when looking for jobs, there is a website www.jobs.bg which has all online vacancies and you an look through the categories for what you are searching for.
If you want to talk in more details about anything, feel free to inbox for my email or FB or something.
Hope that helps!
Liora x

Thank you so so so much for all of your help!!

It would be really nice if you could keep me updated on how your job is going for you!

I'm definitely going to start looking at the things you've mentioned.

Katy