The business in tourism called on Bulgaria to seek from the EU easier issuance of work visas – Business
The phased launch of the e-consulting portal is expected to begin in a month or two. Initially, this action will be in the middle-sized consular services and the plans are by the end of the year in almost all earnings. At the same time, representatives of the tourism industry announced that it was important for them to facilitate the issuance of visas for work in the sector. This became clear from a hearing of representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Parliamentary Committee on Tourism.
E-portal for consulting services – “up to a month or two”
Through the portal of foreign citizens can apply for a visa, and Bulgarian citizens can submit applications, make an appointment for a consultation, will be able to pay online for all services.
This will relieve both citizens and consulates, experts said.
In response to questions from the tourism industry, it was explained that Bulgarian visas, with some exceptions, have risen in price from 60 to 80 euros, as this is a European requirement from which Bulgaria has deviated for some time for various reasons, including the crown crisis but this is no longer possible.
All other countries that have agreed to any EU preferences, such as Russia, enjoy reduced tourism taxes of 35 euros, and travel for some purposes such as science or sports is free.
Regarding the questions of the tour operators why Bulgaria did not introduce the issuance of visas at the border similar to other tourist destinations, it was explained that in the EU this is not acceptable and applies it, and only for the active tourist season Cyprus. It has agreed to this exception, and it has to do with the fact that there are no plans to be part of Schengen.
It was confirmed that Bulgaria continues to work with private companies that serve the so-called exported visa centers, mainly in destinations where there are no diplomatic missions. It was announced that talks were under way on new centers in Thailand, the Philippines and others. At the same time, some contracts with such in the past were terminated due to violations and after signals, including trafficking in human beings. there are several such examples in Turkey.
Experts have responded to the ministries’ reprimands for asking 100 euros from tour operators whose tourists issue visas abroad during the season, with support for the Perfect Plus electronic processing platform. They added that everything can be done on paper and no fee can be collected, but then it will be possible to issue 3 times less visas per unit time.
Workers are very important to us
At that time, representatives of the tourism business announced that the real big problem was not published on visas for tourists, but on visas for workers in the sector. As a result, the government has been urged to ally with others in the EU with similar problems and to demand that EU requirements for a series of EU work visas be dropped. The most problematic among them for Bulgarian employers is that they cannot, while the worker is here, seek an extension of his work visa.
Atanas Dimitrov, Deputy Chairman of the Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association, commented that he and his colleagues are hostages to these rules. He pointed out that he and his colleagues had become extremely uncritical of the workforce and joked that he only wanted the employee to have one eye, one arm and one leg.
His analysis is that everything is done in the contract of the European institutions, which, however, is usually contrary to the Bulgarian national interest. He added that on the one hand there is no way to detain a chef who received an offer for a high salary in a five-star hotel in Germany, and at the same time foreign workers, who are generally from countries with Bulgarian minorities, all travel expenses, accommodation, 3 meals a day, and sometimes families. “Everything is at the expense of the employer, we don’t need that much and they are valuable to us,” he commented.
Representatives of government agencies said that what can be done by Bulgaria is to shorten the procedures for issuing work visas, which have already been shortened, will now take about two months and the initial request to be submitted electronically. the short-term employment visa is for 90 days within 6 months and cannot be extended on the spot. For longer employment of employers, you need to proceed with the procedure to declare this.