Relocating a Team, and the Office
Moving a unit or a team to Bulgaria is a different checklist from moving a person: employer registrations, premises and staff status all advance at once.
Office or Flexible Space?
Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna offer modern office stock alongside flexible workspaces run by international operators. For a small advance team, flexible space keeps the lease commitment independent of hiring speed; moving to a commercial lease once headcount has settled is the lower-risk order. Commercial leases sit under a different regime from residential ones — read the term, indexation, assignment and termination clauses from the contract itself rather than relying on custom.
Obligations as an Employer
Every employer engaging staff in Bulgaria must notify employment contracts to the Национална агенция за приходите (НАП) within the statutory period and provide an occupational health service (служба по трудова медицина). Enforcement sits with the Изпълнителна агенция "Главна инспекция по труда" (ИА ГИТ). This list starts with the first employee and does not wait for an office opening — the point most often missed in planning.
Posting Workers Within the EU
Sending someone from your existing team to Bulgaria temporarily is a wholly separate framework from local hiring. The EU posted worker rules provide for an A1 certificate, so the worker stays attached to their home social security system, and for prior notification to the host state. In Bulgaria that notification goes to ИА ГИТ. Confirm the duration and scope conditions before the posting begins, together with the social security institution of the country the person is sent from.
Why the Sequence Matters
The order that works in practice: legal entity and banking first, then employer registrations and an accounting setup, then the first hires, and a permanent office last. The legal entity runs through the Търговски регистър, tax and contribution registrations through НАП. Do not commit to team or premises before those two steps close: a signed lease can sit empty for months waiting on an unfinished registration.