One-off recruitment
The direct model: we find, verify and bring in the worker, and you employ them directly in your company. You pay once – for a successful hire – and start building your own permanent team from day one.
- A one-off fee instead of a permanent margin
- Permits, visas and relocation handled by us
- Candidates from Asia and Eastern Europe
- Free replacement recruitment guarantee
- Employment model
- Direct
- Scale
- 1–30 workers
- Lead time
- 1–3 months (Asia)
- Billing
- One-off fee
- Guarantee
- Replacement hire
What one-off recruitment means
Also called direct recruitment. Your company signs the employment contract directly with the worker – no intermediary in the employment structure. We take care of everything that happens before the first working day: finding the right person, vetting, paperwork, visa and arrival.
You employ
Employment contract, pay and supervision stay with your company.
We recruit
Sourcing, qualification checks, legalisation and relocation of the candidate.
You pay once
A one-off success fee for the hire, with no ongoing margin.
Who this model is for
Manufacturing and construction
You need specific people for specific roles, not a rotating agency crew.
Teams of 1–30 people
The scale where candidate fit, certificates and retention matter most.
Companies thinking long term
A single fee instead of a permanent margin – for multi-year employment this is the cheapest model.
Employers building a core team
You want your own workforce, promoted foremen and training invested in your own people.
What exactly we handle
Six areas we take over completely. What stays with you is choosing the candidate and preparing the workplace.
Sourcing and vetting
Role profile, sourcing through licensed partners, verification of experience, certificates and references, plus a language assessment.
Shortlist presentation
You receive complete profiles with CVs, certificates and a recruiter's note. Video interviews arranged on request.
Work legalisation
Labour market test, work and residence permit, visa documentation, contact with the Migration Directorate and the consulate.
Relocation and arrival
Tickets, airport transfer, help with accommodation, address registration, official personal identification and a bank account.
On-site onboarding
Health and safety materials in the worker's language and a foreman-interpreter for larger groups.
Compliance and paperwork
A file ready for Labour Inspectorate and Migration Directorate checks, plus reminders about renewal deadlines.
Six stages – from the first call to day one
- 01
Discovery call and role profile
Day 1–5We agree the scope of duties, required certificates, pay, shift system and accommodation conditions.
- 02
Quote, timeline and contract
Week 1–2We present the full budget and stage deadlines. The process starts only after approval and signature.
- 03
Recruitment and shortlist
Week 2–5Pre-selection with our partner in the source country, document checks, candidate presentation and your decision.
- 04
Work permit
Week 4–12Labour market test (where required) and the work permit application at the Migration Directorate.
- 05
Visa and medicals
Week 12–18Full visa file, medical examinations, an appointment at the application centre and the long-stay D visa.
- 06
Arrival and first day
Week 16–24Tickets, transfer, accommodation, registration, official personal identification, safety training and on-the-job onboarding.
Employing a non-EU worker step by step – documents and permits
The question employers ask most often is what exactly has to be arranged for a non-EU national to work legally in Bulgaria. Below is the full path we run for you – from the work and residence permit, through the long-stay D visa, to residence legalisation after arrival.
Work and residence permit
The core document for a non-EU national employed by an entity based in Bulgaria. The employer files the application with the competent Bulgarian migration authority. The permit is tied to a specific employer, role, working time and salary – usually for up to 3 years.
Labour market test
Confirms there are no available candidates on the local market. Not required for shortage occupations or when extending the same person's employment in the same role. Where needed, it adds around 2–3 weeks to the schedule – we flag this at the start.
Long-stay D visa and entry
Once the permit is issued, the candidate files a full set of documents at the consulate: permit, preliminary contract, medicals, insurance and proof of accommodation. Consular appointments are the most common bottleneck, so we book them in parallel with the permit procedure.
Residence legalisation after arrival
Address registration, official personal identification, a bank account and, for longer employment, a temporary residence and work permit (residence registration). We track renewal deadlines so legal employment is never interrupted.
Conditions matching the permit
The contract must match the permit: role, working time and pay no lower than declared. Any material change requires a new or amended permit – we raise it before it becomes a problem.
Inspection-ready paperwork
Copies of residence documents, translations, working-time records and safety-training confirmations in a language the worker understands, handed over ready for Labour Inspectorate and Migration Directorate checks.
All of these steps are part of one service – the employer signs a power of attorney and provides company data, and the rest is handled by our legalisation team together with our partner in the candidate's home country.
What stays on the employer's side
Even with full recruitment and legalisation support, a few obligations remain with the hiring company. Worth knowing before the first worker walks onto the shop floor.
Contract matching the permit
A written contract before work starts, translated into a language the worker understands, on terms no worse than in the permit.
Copy of the residence document
Keeping a copy of the valid document authorising the stay for the entire period of employment.
Social security and tax filings
Registration with NOI (National Social Security Institute) within 7 days and settlement of contributions and advances on the same basis as for local employees.
Accommodation and living conditions
In practice the market standard: housing meeting sanitary requirements, clear cost rules and cost information given before arrival.
Health and safety onboarding
Medical examinations, safety training and workstation instructions in the worker's language – also assessed during inspections.
Notifying changes
Informing the office when employment ends or does not start, and about changes affecting the validity of the permit.
How long it really takes
Timings depend mainly on the candidate's country of origin and on the competent authority where the permit application is filed. Actual dates also depend on the current capacity of the administration, the consulate and the visa system, so we always confirm a realistic schedule at the start rather than promising a fixed date.
1–3 mo.
Asia: the Philippines, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia
3–8 wks
Candidates already staying legally in Bulgaria
4–12 weeks
Typical processing time for a work and residence permit
For larger groups the stages overlap, so each following batch of workers arrives faster than the first one.
How billing works
One success fee, paid in instalments tied to milestones. Official and relocation costs are billed separately at actual amounts.
Recruitment fee
Agreed upfront, based on the role, country and headcount. Paid in instalments: on signing, on candidate approval and on arrival.
Official charges
Work and residence permit, visa and service fees, sworn translations and document legalisation.
Flights and relocation
Air ticket, airport transfer and first formalities on site – billed against invoices.
Accommodation
On the employer's side. We help find housing that meets sanitary requirements and set cost-sharing rules.
Where we recruit workers from
Six destinations where we work with our own partners and proven visa paths. The country determines which trades are available, the level of English and the realistic arrival schedule.
Workers from the Philippines
English-speaking, strong work culture: manufacturing, logistics, hospitality and care.
Workers from India
A broad pool of technical specialists, welders, electricians and machine operators.
Workers from Nepal
Very low turnover, proven in production, warehousing and construction.
Workers from Bangladesh
High availability of candidates for manual roles and production lines.
Workers from Sri Lanka
Candidates with NVQ certificates, strong in processing, catering and construction.
Workers from Indonesia
A growing destination – manufacturing, food industry, warehouses and hospitality.
Roles we recruit most often
The one-off model works best where specific licences and hands-on experience matter more than sheer headcount.
Manufacturing and industry
CNC operators, line workers, quality control and maintenance mechanics.
Construction
Steel fixers, carpenters, bricklayers, steel-structure fitters and certified MAG/TIG welders.
Logistics and warehousing
Warehouse staff, forklift operators with UDT licences and order-picking teams.
Food processing
Deboners and trimmers, slaughter, packing and cold-store staff with sector experience.
HoReCa and hotels
Kitchen porters, cooks, housekeeping and guest service – especially English-speaking candidates.
Care and services
Elderly carers, cleaning staff and facility service workers.
Choosing between one-off recruitment, specialist search and mass recruitment
In every Primework model the worker is employed directly by your company. The models differ in scale, process and how the fee is billed – pick the one that matches your headcount and deadline.
| One-off recruitment | Specialist search | Mass recruitment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employer of record | Your company | Your company | Your company |
| Billing model | One-off success fee | One-off fee per specialist | Fee per worker, decreasing with volume |
| Typical scale | 1–30 workers | 1–5 specialist hires | 50–500+ workers |
| Process style | Standard sourcing and vetting | Direct search / headhunting | Parallel sourcing in several countries, batched arrivals |
| Best for | Building a core team for specific roles | Hard-to-find technical or senior profiles | Rapid scale-up or seasonal peaks |
What we guarantee
Free replacement recruitment
If the worker leaves or does not meet the agreed requirements within the guarantee period, we run a new recruitment for the same role at no extra fee.
Pricing with no hidden costs
Every item – agency fee, official charges, visa, flight and relocation – is listed in the offer before the contract is signed.
One coordinator
A single person guides you through the whole process: from the role profile to the 90-day review.
Full compliance
official register of employment agencies certificate, contracts compliant with Bulgarian labour law and documentation ready for inspections.
Photos from single-role recruitment
Interviews and document verification carried out by our recruitment team.
Frequently asked questions
How is one-off recruitment different from specialist search or mass recruitment?
All three models put the worker on your own company's contract – we never become the employer. One-off recruitment is built for single roles or small teams of up to about 30 people; specialist search is a dedicated headhunting process for hard-to-find technical or managerial profiles; mass recruitment scales the same process to 50–500+ workers with batched arrivals. We help you choose the right model at the first call, based on headcount, role and deadline.
How many people can I hire in this model?
The model works from a single hire up to teams of a few dozen. Most projects cover 1–30 workers for specific roles – wherever candidate fit matters more than sheer scale.
How long does the whole process take?
For candidates from Asia (the Philippines, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia) realistically 1–3 months from signing the contract to the first working day. For candidates already legally in Bulgaria or from Eastern Europe – usually 3–8 weeks.
How is the service billed?
A one-off success fee agreed upfront and paid in instalments tied to process milestones. Official costs (work permit, visa, document legalisation), flights and relocation are billed separately at actual cost. The full calculation is presented before the start – with no hidden items.
Do I get a guarantee on the worker?
Yes. Within the agreed guarantee period, if the worker leaves or does not meet the agreed requirements, we run a free replacement recruitment for the same role.
Who handles permits and visas?
We do. We run the labour market test (where required), the work and residence permit application at the Migration Directorate, the full visa file and contact with the consulate, and after arrival – registration, official personal identification and support with the residence registration.
Do I have to provide accommodation?
In practice yes – it is the market standard for foreign workers and often decides whether a candidate accepts the offer. We help find housing that meets sanitary requirements and set clear cost-sharing rules.
Can I see the candidates before deciding?
Yes. We present a shortlist of verified profiles with experience, certificates and a language assessment, and arrange video interviews on request. The hiring decision is always yours.
How much does one-off recruitment of a foreign worker cost?
The total cost has three parts: the one-off success fee for the hire, official charges (the work and residence permit – BGN 100 per person for work longer than 3 months, visa and service fees, sworn translations) and flights plus relocation billed at actual cost. We present an itemised quote before the contract is signed, so you know the budget for the whole process upfront.
What is a work and residence permit and who obtains it?
It is the most common permit for a non-EU national who will work under a contract with an entity based in Bulgaria. The employer files the application with the competent Bulgarian migration authority, and the permit is issued for a specific role, working time and salary – usually for up to 3 years. In practice we run the application for you, together with the labour market test where required.
Do I have to run a labour market test?
The labour market test (starosta's opinion) confirms that no local candidates meet the requirements. It is not required for occupations on the shortage list, when extending the employment of the same foreign national in the same role, and in several other cases. We check this at the role-profile stage and tell you whether the test will add roughly 2–3 weeks to the schedule.
What happens if work is entrusted illegally?
Entrusting work without a valid permit or against its conditions is an offence punishable by a fine for the employer, and repeated breaches can also limit the ability to employ foreign nationals in the future. That is why all documentation we prepare is inspection-ready: a contract matching the permit conditions, working-time records, translations and renewal deadlines.
Tell us who you are looking for.
We reply within 48 hours with candidate options, costs and a timeline – no commitment and no upfront fees.