Over the past few months, the topic of hiring workers from Uzbekistan has attracted growing attention. As labour shortages continue to affect many sectors of the Bulgarian economy, more employers are looking beyond the European Union to find reliable and qualified employees. Uzbekistan has emerged as one of the countries with significant potential to help meet this demand.
In July 2026, the Bulgarian Council of Ministers approved the draft of an Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the regulation of labour migration. According to the official announcement, the agreement aims to facilitate the lawful employment of Uzbek citizens in Bulgaria while establishing a clearer legal framework for both employers and employees.
At the time of writing, however, the full text of the agreement has not yet been made publicly available. As a result, it is not yet possible to analyse its individual provisions in detail. The information below is based solely on official government announcements.
What Has Been Officially Announced?
According to the information released so far the agreement is expected to provide:
- the possibility for Uzbek nationals to work in Bulgaria under the framework of the agreement without the need for a separate work permit;
- an initial employment period of up to one year;
- the possibility to extend employment for a total period of up to three years;
- provisions regulating seasonal employment for up to nine months per year;
- equal labour rights and legal protection for Uzbek workers in accordance with Bulgarian labour legislation.
These measures represent an important step towards strengthening labour cooperation between Bulgaria and Uzbekistan. At the same time they should not be interpreted as the removal of all administrative requirements.
What Should Not Be Assumed?
Since the announcement of the agreement, a number of claims have appeared online that have not been officially confirmed.
At present, there is no official confirmation that:
- employers will no longer need to complete administrative procedures;
- the provisions of Bulgaria’s Labour Migration and Labour Mobility Act will cease to apply;
- employers will be able to hire an unlimited number of workers from Uzbekistan without restrictions.
Until the full agreement is published, any such statements should be treated with caution.
What Does This Mean for Employers?
Employers do not need to wait for the agreement to enter into force before beginning their preparations.
This is an appropriate time to:
- assess future staffing requirements;
- prepare job descriptions and employment documentation;
- review company documents that may be required during the application process;
- organise recruitment and candidate screening;
- plan the expected time needed for immigration and administrative procedures.
In our experience, preparing an international recruitment project often takes longer than the administrative approval process itself. Early planning can significantly reduce delays once the legal framework is fully in place.
What Happens Next?
The next steps include the formal signing of the agreement between Bulgaria and Uzbekistan, the completion of the necessary internal legal procedures, and the publication of the official text.
Only after the agreement becomes publicly available will it be possible to conduct a comprehensive legal analysis of its provisions and explain precisely how they will affect Bulgarian employers and Uzbek workers.
Our team continues to monitor all legislative developments related to international recruitment and labour migration. As soon as the official text of the agreement is published, we will prepare a detailed article explaining its practical implications for employers recruiting workers from Uzbekistan.