Background Check in Bulgaria

What are the Benefits of Background Checks in Bulgaria?

The right type of background check in Bulgaria helps businesses overcome typical legal troubles. It also protects employee interests: 

Benefits for employers:

• This reduces the risk of hiring someone unsuitable for the role, leading to better team dynamics. This improves productivity, and lowers chances of employee turnover.
• Criminal record checks can identify candidates who might pose a safety risk to the workplace, colleagues, or customers.
• Credit history checks can help mitigate potential risks associated with financial mismanagement.

Benefits for employees:

• Give candidates confidence in the fairness of the hiring process.
• Employees with clean background checks might be eligible for better compensation.
• Background checks foster a safer work environment. For all employees, this reduces the risk of working alongside someone with a potentially risky history.

What are the Types of Background Checks in Bulgaria?

Employee screening processes typically vary depending on the specific role and your requirements. 

To get started, consider some common types of background checks in Bulgaria. Moreover, you may be required to include additional checks to handle international employees.

Criminal record check in Bulgaria

• You can only ask for an employee's criminal convictions and records if the law specifically requires a clean record for the job.
• A criminal background check in Bulgaria can help reduce risks and make sure the workplace is safe. 
• The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Bulgaria's data protection agency enforce the same.  

Employment history check

• Employee screening to check past employment details is legal in Bulgaria. 
• Employee screening process based on their employment record helps verify work experience and assess suitability.
• A few recognized ways to conduct employment background check in Bulgaria include:  
  • Encourage candidates to provide accurate information and contact details for previous employers on their resumes.
  • They are contacting the references listed by the candidate to verify their employment details, responsibilities, and performance.

• Moreover, you may utilize the upcoming unified electronic employment record (managed by the National Revenue Agency) from June 1st, 2025, to track employee work history. 

Medical screening

• Medical screenings are legal in Bulgaria, but strict adherence to data privacy regulations is crucial. The type of medical screening permitted depends on the specific job requirements and potential risks associated with the position.
• The most common type of medical screening in Bulgaria includes: 
  • Vision tests for drivers or pilots
  • Pre-employment body checkups for physically demanding jobs

• Screenings that are unrelated to the job or a candidate's overall health and usually not permitted include:
  • Blood tests for unrelated conditions like HIV
  • Genetic testing
  • Tests revealing disabilities not affecting job performance
  • Tests revealing irrelevant personal health information like pregnancy while applying for a job

Credit history check

• Credit history checks can be a part of employee screening in Bulgaria, but you can conduct them only for positions where financial responsibility plays a significant role.
• A typical credit screening report contains information like:
  • Types of loans taken, credit card usage, and repayment details
  • Instances where a company has checked the person's credit report
  • Public information on bankruptcies, judgments, or liens against the person.

Education history

• Employee screening in Bulgaria based on education records helps assess skills and knowledge and meet licensing or accreditation requirements.
• You may conduct the following screening process to verify educational qualifications:  
  • Validate the accuracy of information about their educational institutions and degrees on their resumes.
  • Contact the listed educational institutions to confirm their attendance, degree earned, and graduation date.

• If the candidate's degree is from a foreign institution, consider an equivalency assessment from the Bulgarian ENIC-NARIC center to ensure its alignment with Bulgarian qualifications.

Social media check

• Social media checks in Bulgaria involve reviewing a job candidate's online presence on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. You can only access publicly available information.
• Even though social media checks are readily available, legal restrictions and ethical considerations require a cautious approach.
• You must sparingly use your findings from social media checks to influence your hiring decisions. 

Requirements for Background Check in Bulgaria

Your requirements for background check in Bulgaria must balance obtaining relevant information and respecting data privacy laws. You can start with:

• Collecting and using only information demonstrably relevant to the job requirements.
• Obtaining written consent from the candidate before initiating any checks.
• Not storing or using the information for purposes beyond the hiring process.
• Ensuring secure storage and proper disposal of collected data.

Moreover, you cannot use employee screening data to discriminate against candidates based on irrelevant factors like race, religion, age, or disability.

Steps in Conducting Background Check in Bulgaria

The process of background checks involves a series of steps to ensure legality, compliance, and a well-informed hiring decision. Let’s lay down the best hiring practices involving employee screening in Bulgaria: 

Step 1: Preparation

• Identify the specific information crucial for the job role. This helps determine the desired type of background check.
• Familiarize yourself with Bulgarian employment laws regarding background checks and data privacy regulations.
• Create an internal policy outlining your company's approach to the types of checks conducted, consent procedures, and data storage practices.

Step 2: Interaction with the candidate

• The job description must clearly state the types of background checks you might conduct during the application process. 
• Collect relevant details from the candidate and contact information for references.
• Obtain a signed consent form authorizing the specific background checks.

Step 3: Background check process

• Guide candidates to obtain a criminal record certificate from the Regional Court (residents) or Bulgarian Embassy/Consulate (non-residents). 
• Further, reputable verification services should be considered for performing other background checks, such as employment history, education history, medical screening, credit history, and social media checks. 

Step 4: Post-verification and decision making

• Organize the information gathered from various checks into a clear report.
• Analyze the report alongside the candidate's qualifications and interview performance.
• Make an informed hiring decision based on all available information, not solely on the background check results.

Are Employee Background Checks Legal in Bulgaria?

Yes, most employee background checks are legal in Bulgaria. Moreover, relevance to the specific job requirements and responsibilities is key to permitted processes for employee screening in Bulgaria.

It is advisable to always prioritize compliance with the local Data Protection Act throughout the screening process. Learn more about establishing compliance as part of corporate identity in Bulgaria.

Planning to Hire in Bulgaria? Here’s How Skuad Can Help

Hiring new employees and setting up employment contracts require verifying a candidate's qualifications. It is important to inspect employment history and other background checks. 

Skuad's comprehensive Employer of Record (EOR) solution offers a seamless way to build your global team in Bulgaria, along with background screening in Bulgaria.

With Skuad, you can manage your entire global workforce from a centralized platform and simplify onboarding, document management, payroll & tax compliance, and employee benefits administration.

‍Talk to our experts today and empower your hiring process in Bulgaria!

FAQs

Q1. Are background checks legal in the EU?

A1. While most forms of background checks are considered legal hiring practices in the EU, more emphasis is placed on maintaining data privacy. 

Q2. Can a background check be done in a different country?

A2. Background checks are possible in different countries depending on their legality and local privacy laws. This is where global HR platforms like Skuad help you adapt international background checks to local laws.

Q3. How do I get a police check in Bulgaria?

A3. You can guide your shortlisted candidates in obtaining a police check in Bulgaria. The residents can visit the Regional Court; foreigners may obtain it from the Bulgarian Embassy/Consulate.

Q4. What do international background checks show?

A4. International background checks typically reveal information like criminal records, past employment details through verification or reference checks, educational qualifications confirmation, and social media information. Depending on specific national laws and the type of check, it might also include credit history or medical records.