Before your first employee starts work in Bulgaria, you need a signed employment contract and the required entry in the National Revenue Agency’s Employment Register. The employee must receive their signed contract copy and the NRA protocol confirming the recorded start date before they begin. You also need to prepare the workplace, safety arrangements and payroll process.
The easiest detail to miss is timing. A contract signed on Friday does not make a Monday start automatic. Someone must complete the filing, check that it has been accepted and deliver the documents before the employee starts work.
This checklist covers an ordinary employment relationship with a Bulgarian employer. If a foreign company will employ the person directly, or the employee will work across borders, first review the employer and social security arrangements in our guide to payroll in Bulgaria for foreign employers.
Agree the job and salary before preparing the contract
Write down the duties, place of work, working hours, proposed start date and remuneration. If the role is remote or hybrid, describe the actual arrangement instead of leaving the contract to imply office attendance.
Make the salary discussion precise. Ask payroll to show the basic salary, applicable supplements, estimated take-home pay and total employer cost. A candidate’s net salary expectation is not the same as the amount the company needs to budget.
Employee costs in Bulgaria in 2026
Decide how bonuses will be approved and when they become payable. For a first hire, an informal promise made during recruitment can easily be forgotten when the contract reaches the person preparing payroll.
Collect the documents relevant to the role
Under Ordinance No. 4, the hiring documents depend on the position and the person’s circumstances. Qualification and experience documents are required where relevant to the job. An identity document is presented and returned; this does not create a general requirement to retain a copy.
The ordinance requires a medical examination document for first entry into employment and after a break in employment exceeding three months. Additional medical requirements may depend on the work. A criminal record certificate is required only where legislation calls for it.
Ask your payroll contact for a tailored document list and a secure way to send personal information. Collect payment details and other payroll information separately, explaining what is needed and why.
Source — Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Ordinance No. 4
Sign a contract that reflects the actual employment
The employment contract must be in writing before work begins. Its required terms include the role, workplace, start date, duration, working time, remuneration, paid annual leave and notice periods. Review the final version against the agreed offer before either party signs.
A fixed-term contract needs an appropriate legal basis. It should not be used simply because the employer wants to see whether the appointment works out. Where probation is appropriate, the contract should state its duration and whose benefit it serves.
Probation can generally be agreed for up to six months. Where the work is for a fixed period shorter than one year, the maximum probation period is one month. Employment rights and obligations apply during probation, including pay.
Source — Ministry guidance on establishing an employment relationship
Complete the Employment Register steps before work starts
Since 1 June 2025, employment information is recorded electronically in the NRA’s Employment Register. For a new employment contract, the electronic employment record must be submitted within three days of signing. That deadline does not permit the employee to work while the required registration documents are outstanding.
Plan the sequence as follows:
- Sign the employment contract with the agreed terms and dates.
- Submit the electronic employment record within the statutory deadline and early enough for the planned start.
- Check the NRA’s response. A submitted file is not proof that the record was accepted.
- Before work begins, give the employee their signed contract copy and the NRA protocol showing the registered commencement date.
If the original submission omitted the start date, or that date changes, the commencement information must be corrected before the employee starts. Allow time to resolve rejected submissions instead of leaving registration until the first morning.
Source — NRA Employment Register guidance
A useful internal rule is to let the manager confirm the first working day only after the person responsible for registration has confirmed that the documents are ready. This keeps the recruitment timetable aligned with the administrative work.
Give the employee a clear job description
Provide the job description when the employment contract is concluded, obtain the employee’s signature acknowledging receipt and record the date. It should explain what the person will actually do and who they report to. Introduce the workplace rules, wage rules and relevant safety procedures as part of onboarding.
Source — Bulgarian Labour Code, Article 127
Arrange occupational health and safety before the first shift
Employers must arrange service from a registered occupational health service. Hiring only one person, or having them work remotely, does not remove that obligation. Discuss the role, workplace and equipment with the service so the risk assessment and required measures reflect the real work.
Source — General Labour Inspectorate, occupational health services
Book the necessary safety instruction in advance and make it part of the first-day schedule before the person undertakes the relevant work. Decide who will deliver it, how it will be recorded and who will check that any required equipment is available.
For a small office, these tasks may feel secondary to preparing the laptop and email account. Give them the same named owner and completion date.
Agree who does what in the first payroll month
Outsourcing payroll still leaves practical decisions with the employer. The provider needs accurate information about the work performed, approved changes and absences. A service agreement should make the division of work explicit.
| Task | Agree the responsible person |
|---|---|
| Contract and registration | Who prepares the documents, signs, submits and checks acceptance |
| Attendance and leave | Who records working time and approves absences |
| Pay changes and bonuses | Who authorises changes and informs payroll promptly |
| Payroll and payments | Who calculates, reviews, approves and releases payments |
| Employee questions | Who answers questions and arranges corrections |
Set a monthly deadline for attendance records, leave, bonuses and other payroll inputs. However, do not hold contract changes until month-end: changes to registered employment details can trigger their own filing deadlines.
Source — NRA questions and answers on the Employment Register
Ask how payroll totals will reach the bookkeeping records and who will reconcile the payments. If you also need help with that process, see SofiaTax’s accounting services in Sofia.
Before the first payday, make sure the approver has access to the payroll report and the person releasing bank payments is available. These are simple checks, but they prevent an otherwise correct payroll from being paid late.
A first-day checklist for the employer
Use this as a final operational check alongside the advice and documents prepared for your specific hire.
- Terms and documents — the agreed offer matches the signed contract, and the relevant hiring documents have been collected.
- Registration — the employment record has been accepted and the start date is correct.
- Employee copies — the employee has received the signed contract and required NRA protocol before beginning work.
- Job and workplace — the job description has been handed over against signature, and equipment, access and workplace instructions are ready.
- Safety — occupational health arrangements are in place, and required instruction is scheduled and completed before the relevant work.
- Payroll — responsibilities, input deadlines, approval and payment arrangements are clear.
FAQ
Can the employee start while the registration is pending
No. The three-day filing deadline is not a grace period for starting work. Confirm acceptance and provide the required documents before the employee begins. See the NRA guidance linked above.
Does probation allow an unpaid trial period
No. A probation clause forms part of the employment contract. It does not remove the employee’s right to remuneration or the employer’s registration obligations.
Source — Bulgarian Labour Code, Article 70
What if the agreed start date changes
Tell the person handling the Employment Register immediately. The recorded commencement details may need correction before work starts. Do not leave the change for the next payroll run.
Source — NRA questions and answers on commencement dates
Prepare the first hire with SofiaTax
SofiaTax’s payroll services in Sofia include payroll processing and employee onboarding and offboarding support. Before you confirm a start date, discuss the proposed role, salary, working arrangements and the documents already available. Agree which tasks SofiaTax will handle and which need action from your team or another specialist.
That gives everyone a workable timetable for the first day and the first payroll.
Prepared for ordinary employment in Bulgaria using the sources linked in this article, checked on 6 October 2026. Special categories of employment and cross-border arrangements require separate review.